Love Hoop
by MizukixTsukiyomi
Summary: From battling demons to watching demons on a basketball court is something the miko never dared to dream. These males were nothing but normal in this competitive sport, but who knew males were more competitive when it came to wanting something more than just the title of a winner. Kagome was stuck in the world of a basketball war.
1. A Given Decision

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: Ah-ha! Thought I was only going to pick one series, right? Well no. I loved you all too much to just pick one although Magi had won on the poll. Other than that, I was getting lots of love over making a Kuroko no Basket and Inuyasha crossover so I thought why not? Also, I did tweak a few things from the one-shot where Kagome meets Kagami so...I would re-read it. There is a tiny beginning and more at the end.

Now the pairing is still undecided...maybe until I get further into writing the series. Just like the new Magi crossover, I will update depending on popularity and see where it goes. Now, it is an...'abrupt' beginning but for people who know how I write, I tend to explain things further into chapters just like animes like to play mind f**** in the first episode and don't explain anything until the episode after that.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy. I did tweak a few things! Remember that!

Enjoy!

And please don't be harsh on me on this. I tried!

**Chapter 01: A Given Decision**

* * *

"Seirin High…," the former miko, savior of the Feudal Era, looked around the crammed entrance of the school. Clubs swarmed like bees trying to recruit new incoming students for the year which reminded her that she, herself, was a normal teen.

Kagome looked back down to her brochure, following the map they had given her to the welcoming orientation. She buried her attention to the paper in front of her, ignoring all others around and the calls of people trying to convince her into the clubs and activities.

'_I need to hurry to meet Yuka-chan, Eri-chan, and Ayumi-chan at the entrance of the orientation ceremony before it begins,' _Kagome's inner thoughts bolted away from her mind as she came to crash into a person, making her stumble backwards.

Falling on her behind, Kagome winced from the slight impact: "Itai…"

"Ah…gomen."

The miko's eyes met another pair of blue the moment she looked up from her fallen spot. She blinked, taking in the male's features of ghostly colored hair and his dull stare into her own orbs.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her out of her inner observations.

"Ah…h-hai," Kagome nodded and met with his offering hand to help her back up. Taking in the offer, she dusted off the dirt from her skirt and looked over to the mysterious male. "Gomen, I didn't mean to bump into you."

"It's alright," he replied picking up her dropped brochure. "Are you…a first year?"

"Uh, hai," she answered, taking back her paper and closing it. "I was about to make my way to the orientation ceremony."

The male blinked, watching as she looked around to find the location she had been searching for. He caught the smile she sent him.

"Well, I better be off before I am late," she scratched her cheek lightly.

"Have you joined any clubs?"

"Clubs?" she repeated, confused on his interest. "Nope, not really interested," she smiled softly, dropping her gaze down to the paper in her hand.

The boy remained silent, watching as the happy expression on her face dropped to one of remorse and loss. He blinked as the miko only returned back to her former smile and waved.

"Well, I need to make my way to the ceremony. Thanks for helping me back up!" she laughed lightly before making her way around him and soon blending into the crowd of people.

"Hai…," he whispered before he returned back to his task onto signing into his desired club.

* * *

"Kagome-chan!"

Long ebony hair moved to the side as a young female looked over her shoulder to see her three familiar close friends running to her with a wide smiles. Her cerulean colored orbs blinked, unusual to see her friends to hyped. Only with a week into their new year in a new school, her friends had already become excited with everything around them. Of course, it was like a whole new world to them. The high school life. Although her friends continued to pester her with the want of her in a club.

She would continue to tell them she was not interested and only wanted to concentrate on her academic goals. The miko did feel horrible in rejecting their hopes, but she didn't feel the need any more of joining something. She just wanted a normal and peaceful life without the drama, troubles, and tears of loss.

"Eri-chan. Ayumi-chan. Yuka-chan," the three young teens stopped in front of her, letting Kagome fully turn her body to their attention. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not, silly!" smiled Ayumi. "We came to take you!"

"Take…me?" at this, Kagome's eyes blinked multiple times in confusion. "Take me where…exactly?"

"Well, we heard this new fast food place opened up about a month ago and a lot of good reviews are being given," smiled Yuka. "So we wanted to go today and try it."

Kagome sighed tiredly: "Sorry, girls. I really need to catch up with math and take care of the shrine. You three know I do not have much time to go out freely."

Eri placed her hands on her hips: "That is why we are taking you forcefully for today!"

"W-What!?" Kagome's eyes widened before she felt her two arms being taken under Yuka's and Ayumi's and quickly dragged to their destination. "Wait a minute!"

"It will only be for a while, Kagome-chan!" smiled Eri. "We promise!"

Kagome looked at Eri for a few seconds before sighing in defeat: "Fine, but do not think you two are forgiven so easily."

* * *

'_I could have easily walked away once they let me go,' _Kagome's eyes scanned over the menu of the place as her friends ordered their own likes. She crossed her arms, still undecided. She was not picky, she just was not hungry at the moment. _'Why did I let them take me here…? I have so much to do. I mean, I wish I could spend time with them, but school and family duties come first.'_

Her eyes looked ahead, realizing it was her turn to come up to the front and order. She gave the employee a smile before ordering a small combo. Her eyes glided to the corner to see that her three friends had begun to talk to three males. Raising an eyebrow, she observed the simple uniform they wore.

'_Hmm, they go to our school.' _She gave her friends a boredom look. _'So that is why they wanted to come here. Try the food they said…'_

She gave another voiceless sigh and handed the money to the employee and waited for her change. Kagome took her change with a smile and placed it orderly back into her wallet.

"I will just prepare the drink for you, ma'am," spoke the employee while grabbing the cup and beginning to pour a bit of lemonade.

"Um…alright, that will be two-thousand six-hundred and eighty four yen (approx. twenty-two dollars), sir."

Upon listening to the large amount of money the customer had to give, Kagome slightly looked to her side to see a male with dark red hair with black streaks having ordered his food and looking into his wallet. He was looking and looked for what seemed forever.

"Ah…damn. How could I forget my money?" he spoke, angry with himself. "Um, sorry," he looked up at the employee. "It seems like I forgot my money…"

Kagome blinked and noticed his embarrassed facial expression. Her eyes dropped down to her wallet and gave herself a mental smile before taking out the exact amount the cashier had asked for. She walked over to the cashier and handed the money to her.

"Here, I will pay for him."

The male's red eyes immediately dropped down to the much more petite female having already given the money: "W-Wait! You do not have to-!"

Kagome gave the male a smile: "Do not worry about it. Think of it as a nice deed."

Before he could say anything back to strange female, she had already been called for her order pick-up. Smiling at both the male and cashier, she returned her attention in grabbing the tray of her food and walked away, leaving the red-headed male in confusion.

"Um, sir, here is your drink."

His attention was drawn back to the employee, handing him his drink.

"Uh…thanks."

* * *

Walking over to a table, Kagome jumped slightly as her three friends appeared in front of her with wider smiles than before and what looked like begging eyes.

"What is it now?" glared Kagome.

"Well…these three guys invited us to go to a karaoke place with them. They go to our school and you know how hard it is to make friends when we are just first years," Ayumi placed her hands in a prayer. "Please come with us! They are third years!"

Kagome looked at them with a look reading 'you-are-not-serious?' before sighing once again: "Girls, I told you I cannot go. I promised you only coming here to eat and that is it."

Their expression dropped in sadness, knowing that they had lost their chance in getting to know boys from their new school. And they were right. Getting to know people at high school was not easy. Much harder to friend males than females and upperclassmen at that. Kagome gave her friends a smile: "But girls, you three can go. Do not think I am going to tie you down. Enjoy yourselves."

"B-But…we dragged you here. We could not just leave you alone after all of that," whispered Eri for her to hear.

Kagome chuckled: "It is fine. I will let you know if I liked the food or not tomorrow."

Her friends gave her smile, surprised she was not annoyed. If anything she was understanding.

"Kagome-chan….," whispered Yuka. "You are amazing!" She hugged her friend from the side.

Kagome moved her tray to the side: "Yeah, yeah. Now go," she laughed. "The boys are waiting."

Kagome watched from her standing spot as her friends waved goodbye and left with the group. She smiled, waving back before sitting on a table and setting her tray down near the window. Her eyes look out, seeing them laugh with enjoyment.

'_A full year has already passed by just like that. I still have days where I cannot believe that I am already in high school,' _her eyes were caught by the auburn sky. _'I wonder how my friends are doing in the Feudal Era. I am sure they are safe now that Naraku has been dealt with.' _

Kagome took a sip of her drink, thinking back to the events that had happened when she and Inuyasha had come across their long awaited enemy, Naraku. They had betted everything, even their lives in that battle. Sango and Miroku had come as fast as they could after they had defeated Byakuya. The battle was nothing but difficult. Naraku continued to throw them down not only with physical attacks but also mental ones to destroy their will to fight and survive. She had to admit that it was almost working until Inuyasha had broken her out of her fear.

Naraku ended up being defeated along with the Shikon no Tama fully completed. Her wish in the end was for the jewel to have never been existent in the world, but due to that, she had been taken back to her 'rightful' time. She had two choices after that.

Either having continued to be depressed in her room about her life or continuing to live as her friends would want her to live. She chose to live. Live the life like other teens of her age and here she was. Surprisingly having graduated from middle school even though she was far behind in math but thanks to tutoring, she had passed with a 'B'.

Kagome had made it to a good high school. _'Seirin High. Who knew I would actually pass…'_

Her eyes came back to her small burger and slowly opened the wrapping paper. Before she could take a bite, her eyes widened as her table jumped slightly at the drop of a tray carrying what looked at least like ten burgers, four fries, and a drink. Her eyes scanned up seeing it was the male she had paid the meal for.

Silence expanded through them only with the miko watching as the unknown red-headed male pulled the chair back and sat across from her. His fingers grabbed the burger on the top of the pile and began to unwrap it. She blinked: _'W-Wait…I paid for all of that!?' _Her attention drew back to him about to take a bite.

"Um…," she whispered to catch his attention.

His red eyes looked up from his meal, to see her having retreated back from taking a bite of her own food.

"What…are you doing?" she questioned.

"What does it look like I am doing? Eating." He answered her before taking a bite of his burger.

She raised an eyebrow: "I meant here. On my table."

He shrugged: "Thanking you."

"Huh?" she blinked, taken back by his choice of words. "Thanking me?"

"For paying for my food," he answered. "I saw you sitting here alone so I decided to join you."

Her eyes dropped with a bored look: "I would call that pity…"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I do not feel pity for you! I was just being nice, sheesh!"

She chuckled at his childish act before nodding: "Well thank you for keeping me company. Um…what is your name?"

"Kagami; Kagami Taiga."

"Higurashi Kagome," she introduced herself with a smile. Opening her eyes from the smile, she noticed the name of his school printed on his jacket. Not to mention the colors of black, white, and red. They seemed familiar. Kagome blinked: "Seirin…?"

"Hmm?" he sounded out his question with food in his mouth. Halting on his chewing, he looked down at his jacket where she was staring. He swallowed his food: "Yeah…I go there. I am a first year." He noticed the recognizable uniform she wore, the same one as his coach and blinked. "Guessing you go there too."

"Y-Yeah…" she replied. "Hmm, I will admit you are big for a first year. Tall in general for a Japanese. I am sure I could have noticed you at school…"

He took a sip of his own drink: "Hm, probably because I always spend my time at the gym."

"Gym?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah, I am a member of the basketball team."

Kagome blinked, surprised yet she knew she should not have been. For her, it came to conclusion that with his height, he could easily be a good player – maybe.

"My life is mostly spent there," he continued, looking out the window. "I love it."

Her eyes continued to stare at him as he spoke for his love for the sport. She had to admit to herself that it was quite…intriguing to hear someone, especially a male, talk about their passion. A sport nonetheless. She had wished to had joined a club in middle school to have a basic idea what her talent could be. Obviously chasing demons would not be the ideal club in this era.

"Are you in any clubs?" he questioned her, taking her out of her mental thoughts.

"Me?" she pointed to herself, setting her drink down. "No…"

It was his turn to blink, surprised. Most people he knew were involved in school in some way. What did she do after school then? A part-time job, perhaps? He had noticed her drop in voice and her eyes falling to stare at her barely eaten meal. Not wanting to poke at something that would be too personal, he cleared his throat.

"Well, I wanted to thank you for paying for all…of this," he scratched the back of his head, realizing he might have ordered too much, although he knew he would finish it easily, but she had paid for all of this. He felt like an idiot in forgetting his money.

Smiling at Taiga, she shook her head: "I already told you not to worry about it, Kagami-kun. Besides, you need your energy if you want to win your matches, right?"

Taiga looked at her smile and blushed slightly, quickly hiding it by looking out the window: "Well…it was a lot to pay for so the least I could do is um…invite you to a game."

"Huh?" she stopped midway from wanting to take a sip of her drink and looked up at the red-head.

"Well, you said you are not in any clubs or anything so why not introduce you to my teammates. Maybe you will enjoy yourself," he continued to avoid eye contact, unsure where this niceness was coming from.

He heard nothing in return and took a bite of his burger. His eyes looked up to see the miko to continue her stare at him. Was something wrong with him? Something he had said to offend her? He blushed and swallowed his food again on his fifth burger: "Or you can come to one of our practices tomorrow…"

Taiga quickly heard a chuckle in response and looked at the girl smiling even more. She nodded: "I accept your invitation, Kagami-kun. Besides, I would like to become more involved with the school. Who knows, maybe I will learn a few things tomorrow and one day challenge you."

He smirked at her challenge: "You can challenge, but I will not go easy. It is basketball after all."

"Did not expect you to," she smiled back. She watched him resume on his eating before realizing he was already on his last burger: "But you know…that is a lot of food…"

"Hey! Do not judge!" he chewed, hearing her laugh again.

* * *

"I can walk by myself, you know?" Kagome looked ahead, watching as the lights in the street flickered lightly.

"Baka, my house is in this direction," Kagami scoffed, holding his basketball under his arm near his hip.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched, taking a mere glance at the taller male beside her. _'Did he just call me…a baka?'_ Kagome sighed and looked over to her left, seeing the empty basketball court outside fenced around. Stopping in her feet, she continued to stare at it silently.

The red head male walked forward a few steps ahead before stopping, noticing she was not next to him. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed her silent observation to the court. He brought the ball to his finger, spinning it effortlessly. "What? You want to play?"

Blinking out of her frozen state, her eyes glided to the corner, watching him with his cocky features. "I was just wondering what you and others in basketball see in the sport. I have never been this interested in a hobby."

Kagami caught the ball in his palm and took a few steps towards the miko. "It isn't a hobby. To me basketball is," his eyes narrowed down, "my life." His sight shifted over to the empty basketball court, slowly making his way towards it.

"Have you met the others in your team?" she questioned, following behind.

Something about the sport was calling to her, but maybe it was more than the sport. But who was she to know? She didn't even know what she wanted in life.

"Yeah, we had our little 'scan' yesterday," he scoffed.

"Scan?" she blinked, taken back by his use of word. "Um…what do you mean by that?"

"I have no idea," he shook his head as he began to dribble the ball lightly onto the ground. "Our coach is a woman."

"Being sexist now?" Kagome crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Chigau!" he glared at her.

"I am just playing," she laughed lightly as she set her school bag down onto a nearby bench. "So your coach is a female? What about it?"

He sighed: "She told us to take off our shirts and began to tell how physique with just one look."

"Hm, just with one look?" questioned Kagome, also interested in the talent. "Seems like she knows what she is doing then."

"Well, it is too soon to tell," he continued before shooting the ball and making it into the hoop.

Kagome grabbed the ball from under the net and threw it over to the red head. "And your teammates? What are they like?"

She received a scoff: "Also too early to tell, but there is one guy I can't sense anything from?"

"Sense? What are you?" she quickly received another glare. "I kid! I kid!"

He dribbled the ball once again before answering. "There is one kid who I can't sense anything. He just…magically appeared out of nowhere and he is said to have been part of this team called the Generation of Miracles back in middle school."

"Generation of Miracles?" blinked Kagome, leaning onto the hoop's pole.

"Whatever that is," he grunted. He aimed for another basket only to faintly see a person underneath the pole next to the miko. Loosening his focus, he shot the ball and cursed seeing the ball hit the edge of the hoop and bounce off. The ball landed on the blue haired male, his eyes straight into the stare of the tiger's. "When did you get here?" he asked with a bored look.

Kagome blinked, wondering who he was talking to. Looking over to her side, she jumped slightly upon seeing the familiar ghostly colored haired male. _'W-When did he get here?! I didn't sense anyone coming…'_

"Domo."

"Ah, you're the boy I bumped into the first day of school," spoke Kagome, turning to face the mysterious male. She blinked, surprised by his lack of presence. _'This kid…what is he?'_

"Yes," he replied. "Gomen, I didn't catch your name."

"Oh, Higurashi Kagome," she replied, still stunned by his presence.

"Kuroko Tetsuya," he introduced himself, seeing her cerulean eyes fixed onto his person, something he was fully used to, but something told him that the female was more intrigued by something entirely different.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kagami rested his hand on his hip, feeling the irritation from yesterday coming back.

"What are you two doing here?" he questioned back. He threw back the ball to its owner as it was caught easily into the red head's hands.

"Nothing," he replied. "We aren't doing anything."

"Is that so?"

There was a complete pregnant silence in between the trio, only having the miko look between the two basketball players. She blinked, thinking to herself. _'These two…they are first years right? So does that mean they both joined the basketball team?' _

"I was in America until my second year of middle school," Kagami spoke out, bringing her out of her thoughts and catching the other male's attention. "I have been appalled ever since I came back by how low the standards are here." His eyes narrowed down, making both the miko and Kuroko stand silently as he spoke. "I'm not looking to play basketball for fun. I want to play a more serious game that really gets me going."

'_What is it with this guy…?' _Kagome moved a strand of hair back to her ear as the wind picked up. _'Is basketball…that serious of a game?'_

"I heard all about you," continued Kagami. "I have heard all about the supposedly strong Generation of Miracles from our year. You were on that team, weren't you? I have a pretty good sense of how good others are." He began to spin the ball onto his index finger again. "People who can succeed smell different from the rest."

He threw the ball towards Kuroko, grinning as he easily caught it into his hands.

"But something is not right with you. The weak should smell weak, but you…don't smell like anything," the eyes on the tiger tightened.

The miko could only watch as the expression on Kuroko remained unchanged. _'Okay what is he? A bloodhound now? What does he mean by smell anyways?' _She shifted back her gaze over to the phantom. _'But he…was part of the Generation of Miracles? So…does that mean he is a good player?'_

"Your strength has no scent," Kagami continued on. "Let me see. Show me…just how good your Generation of Miracles really is. "

Kagome looked over at the red head: "Kagami-kun, please don't be picking up fights out of nowhere. He is your teammate after all."

"How fortunate," Kuroko began to take off his coat. "I have also been hoping to play against you. One on one."

"You want to go?" Kagami smirked, only receiving a questioning look from the miko. "Oi, Kagome! Keep score!"

"Nani?" she blinked; confused.

* * *

Kagome watched from the bench as they continued to play in their 'one on one' game. _'He…,' _her attention was set on Kuroko most of the time as she was curious too on his play skills. _'He…is bad!' _she sighed, dropping her head from the disappointment.

Continuing to hear the ball echo with each dribble, she sighed heavily once again as she brought her head back up and rested it on her palm. _'Keep score…what score? Kagami-kun has all the points! But even so…both are quite amazing in their own way. Perhaps Kuroko-kun could use that lack of presence to his advantage? Or maybe he already does if he was part of the Generation of Miracles.' _

"You've got to be kidding me," shouted Kagami, bringing her out of her inner thoughts.

She watched as Kuroko ran back to him with the ball in his hands, looking up to his height.

"Have you even been listening!?" he exclaimed. "How much do you have to overestimate your own abilities to think you can beat me!? I can't believe how arrogantly you challenged me!"

"Um…Kagami-kun," Kagome stood from the bench and walked over to the duo. This red head needed to cool down!

"You can't be serious," spoke Kuroko, stopping her from saying anything further. "Of course you're stronger than me. I knew that before we started."

Kagami quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him closer to his face. A glare quickly came back onto the red head's eyes. "You want a fight? What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Kagome quickly slapped Kagami by the back of his head, with much effort to her surprise due to his height. Damn. He was freaking tall! In response, Kagami let the blue haired male go and turned his attention to the female.

"Oi! What was that for!?"

"For being a baka," she replied, crossing her arms. "No need to turn to violence."

"This punk obviously wants to pick a fight!" he shouted back, anger swelling inside him.

"I wanted to see how good you are for myself," Kuroko cut into their small argument.

"What?" Kagami turned back his attention to Kuroko.

"Ano…," Kuroko raised the ball in his hands to catch the red head's attention.

"Enough…," sighed Kagami as he began to walk away and past the miko. "I am not interested in the weak. Let me tell you one last thing," he walked over to his things and grabbed his coat. "You should quit basketball. However much you try to cover it up with nice words like effort, raw talent is a fact of life. You have no talent for basketball."

Kagome glared at the male as he turned to leave. _'The nerve of this guy!'_

"I don't accept that," spoke Kuroko, stopping Kagami from leaving. The phantom player walked over to the bench, setting the basketball down. "First of all, I love basketball and I don't share your opinion. I don't acer who is strong or who is weak."

"What did you say?" glared Kagami.

"I'm not like you," added Kuroko. "I'm a shadow."

* * *

"Don't listen to him," Kagome walked over to her bag. She was left with the blue haired male even after the red head had left angrily after the 'absurd' statement the phantom player stated. She gave him props for such a small guy talking back to such an intimidating person. She picked up the left basketball, seeing the owner completely forgot it in his fuel of anger.

"I hope you continue to love what you do," she smiled at the male next to her.

Kuroko blinked dully at the miko, wondering how she had even came into contact with the tiger.

"Have you joined a club?" he asked her, catching her by surprise.

Kagome looked over to him and shook her head, dropping her eyes back down. "I…haven't."

"I think you could be a good member and addition to the basketball team," he whispered to her as he began to put on his coat.

"Huh? The basketball team? Isn't this a men's team?" she blinked, surely he was kidding.

"Yes, yes it is. But why not become a manager or something?" he grabbed his own school bag and slowly made his way out. "I am sure that tiger needs some taming."

Kagome watched as he walked away from the court, leaving her in the hold of a basketball. Dropping her eyes once again to the orange object, her eyebrows furrowed.

'_Basketball…huh.'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **There you go! The first chapter where Kagome meets the two bromance duo! Ha-ha! Anyways, this is my little surprise! Both Magi and Kuroko no Basket series! On the same day!

I tried my best to make you all happy and hope you all enjoyed in reading! Remember I will update depending on popularity, but I do not abandon my stories so please be patient as college slowly drains my life away also!

Thank you for reading and you are free to vote on pairings! We will see!

Please tell me what you think but please don't be harsh!

Ja~ne!


	2. Supportive Light

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (some minor cuss words)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: Well here is chapter 2. Now, I don't know how bad this chapter came out.

For those who sent me love on the last chapter and in the Magi crossover, I really do appreciate it. I got some nice and encouraging reviews and if it wasn't for that, I probably would have taken a break from writing. That is what encouraging words do to people. It makes them stand back up and continue to do what they love to do.

Now, here is chapter 2 of Kuroko no Basket x Inuyasha! Kagome finally witnesses a small game of the Seirin Team and Riko pulls Kagome into the whole thing! As far as pairing goes...it is still open.

Again, thank you!

**Chapter 02: Supportive Light**

* * *

"Hmm, what do I do with this?" Kagome's eyes remained on the ball on her hands. Even after arriving home, she had come to realize that the basketball she held belong to the red head. He had stormed off from the basketball court angry over Kuroko's way of thinking and stubborn thoughts of not leaving the basketball team.

And the miko still did not know what the heck she was thinking in bringing the basketball the next day at school. Sitting on her desk, she continued to stare at the orange ball as if it would give her the answer. With a low sigh, Kagome closed her eyes: "I guess I can go and find him to return it…," she opened her eyes, her eyebrow coming to a twitch at remembering his stubborn and hard-headed look. "I can just picture his glare already stabbing into me."

Shaking her head, the miko looked over towards the window and noticed the gym. _'So that is where they practice? Perhaps I can just go and drop by to give him his ball. After that…I will just leave.'_

Nodding to her own decision, she returned her attention back to the teacher as he walked in to start the lecture. _'How did I end up meeting such two different guys in less than a two week span?'_

* * *

The day had finally come to end – at least to her lectures. She had continued to fight her mind back and forth in going to the gym to return a simple ball that belong to the tiger, but she knew that it was only the right thing to do.

'_Besides…I don't have to stay there. Just leave the ball and leave yourself.' _Before her mind could switch her decision, she slowly and quietly opened the door to the gym, only to stare at the teammates beginning a practice game between each other. The miko made her way to the nearby chair next to the exit and quietly sat, deciding it was not the right time to disrupt.

She began to observe the teammates Kagami so much spoke of the day before. Her eyes landed on those with the temporary blue shirts. Just by a glance, she could tell they were experienced in the sport compared to those in the yellow. Her cerulean eyes quickly caught notice of the target.

Kagami stood with that overconfident smirk, making her sigh. _'Well…confidence is not bad, but he could at least show some worry when playing.' _The miko's ears soon caught the noise of a whistle, bringing her attention over to the only female with short brown hair.

'_That must the coach he was talking about,' _Kagome placed the ball on her lap, deciding to wait until the game was over. On one end, she didn't mind waiting. Maybe watching a game could change her mind in joining? But then again, she really didn't want to become attached to anything any longer. She was tired of getting hurt and separated from the things and people she loved.

The miko shook her head, trying her best to release those held thoughts and feelings. Her eyes quickly widened watching as Kagami dunked the ball, making the first point in the game. He hung from the hoop for a second before coming back down onto his long legs.

"This is unbelievable," smirked a team player with glasses as he rubbed the sweat off his forehead. _'He is more than ready. He is a monster.'_

Kagome watched; shocked. The guy was making dunk after dunk with no effort at all. Was it even humanly possible to jump without getting tired? Sure, she was use to it as her life was mostly accustomed to seeing demons, but that was demons! Demons didn't exist in her time! This was a human!

"He…is strong," she whispered to herself, watching the tired expressions on the other team's faces. She blinked, coming back to view the features on the tiger's face only to see the anger she knew from yesterday rushing back. _'Why…is he angry? Don't tell me he is still angry over yesterday?'_

"A steal!?" shouted a player, catching all eyes back on the ball.

Kagome blinked, realizing the phantom player had been participating in the game. Coming with another blink, she watched as Kuroko's ball was stolen from his hands and into the blue's team.

Kagami ran beside the ghostly haired male, glaring as he tried to get the ball back into his hands. _'For all the profound things he says, he can't play for shit! Guys who are all talk…' _he jumped up, blocking the opponent's dunk, _'piss me off more than anything!'_

"So high…," the miko whispered, still awed by not only his game play but the rest of the team. Her eyes rested on Kuroko's person: _'I am still curious what he meant by shadow…'_

As the game continued, the strategy had come to a change the moment three players on the blue team came to block Kagami's path. Wherever he tried to escape, one of the three would continue to close him in even further.

"They are…desperate to stop him," Kagome was awed that they felt threatened even with just one player and he didn't even have the ball in his hands. _'Well…I guess they acknowledged his skills.'_

The mild battle field of the sport continued with the blue team making most of the shots and the rest blocking the tiger's way. Her eyes landed on the scoreboard, finally realizing how the teams had been divided. _'I see…the blue team are the second-year students. So maybe the coach wanted to see what the first-years were made of?' _She heard the sound of the ball hitting the net as it went in, seeing it was made by the male with glasses. "I have to admit they are good…"

"I…don't think I can keep on going. I have had enough…," whispered one of the first-years as he tried to catch his breath. He was suddenly grabbed by his shirt and brought up to face the red head.

"Enough? What the hell are you talking about!?" he shouted.

Kuroko quietly made his way behind the red head, bending his own knee into the back of Kagami's dropping him down a few inches.

"Please calm down," he told him.

Slowly and with anger, Kagami's head turned over his shoulder with a tick twitching on his forehead. "Teme…"

All first-years took a step back upon seeing the anger flashing from the tiger's eyes. The miko's eyebrow twitched, not really surprised to see the two clashing again. "They both need to stop fighting," she sighed, catching the coach's attention upon hearing her voice.

Looking over her shoulder, the coach dropped the whistle from her mouth and blinked, not recognizing the female. _'Huh? Who is she?' _

Feeling a pair of eyes on her, the miko looked ahead to see the short haired coach staring back at her. She stood from her seat and bowed slightly: "Uh…gomen. I just came to return this," she signaled to the ball in her hands watching as the coach made her way over to her.

"A basketball?" she questioned.

"H-Hai. It belongs to him," Kagome pointed over to the angry tiger as he was being held back his teammates from hitting the phantom player. "Um, can I just leave this here? I think you should turn your attention back onto those two before Kagami-kun jumps to hit Kuroko-kun."

"Huh? Kuroko-kun?" the coach looked over to the bickering and went wide eyed at the sight of the phantom player. _'H-How long has he been in?!'_

"Uh, here," Kagome caught the coach's attention again, extending the ball towards her. "I will leave before I interrupt anything," the coach blinked, unsure what to think. Before the coach could ask of her identity, both females were caught into the questioning eyes of the players as the yellow team began to score. The ball was being passed from an unknown place and into the yellow team's hand before they made into the hoop.

"It went in…what?" blinked the captain of the team. "How did that pass go through?"

"N-Nani?" whispered the coach. "Why do…I feel so uneasy?"

"Huh? What is going on?" questioned Kagome, watching as the ball was being invisibly passed to one yellow player after another without knowing the source. Even she knew that this was not a normal way of playing or passing the ball yet she was becoming a witness to it. The miko began to scan the court, trying to find whatever the possible reason.

"Is he using his lack of presence to pass?" whispered the female coach, her eyes set on Kuroko.

"Huh? You mean Kuroko-kun?" the miko questioned back.

"Uh, hai," she replied, nodding in her answer. "I saw it for a glimpse but he is not even touching the ball for very long. Could he be diminishing his already weak presence even more?"

"Is that even humanly possible?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.

The coach sighed: "It could be a way of misdirection. A technique used in sleight of hand. He is drawing his opponent's attention away from himself. To be more accurate, he is not using his lack of presence, but directing his opponent's attention elsewhere."

"Ah, so that is what he meant by shadow…," whispered Kagome, returning her attention on to the shorter team member.

The coach looked over to her side, seeing the focused attention the mysterious girl had on the game. Where had she come from? And from what she could hear, it seemed she had already made conversation with Kagami and Kuroko. "Do you…know those two?"

"Huh?"

"Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun?"

"Ah, well," Kagome scratched her cheek as she held the ball with one hand to her hip, "more or less…sort of bumped into them under some situations. I witnessed to both of them having a one-on-one game in the street courts and had to stop Kagami-kun from pulverizing the other."

"You…stopped him?" blinked the coach. "Gomen, but what did you say your name was?"

"Oh, Higurashi Kagome," Kagome bowed her head slightly. "I apologize for coming in without notice…I was just planning on leaving this here since Kagami-kun forgot it yesterday in the court."

"Hm, so you actually were able to stop that big guy?"

Kagome blinked, unsure where she was getting at with that question, but simply nodded at her question.

A smile crept onto the coach's face: "I am Aida Riko, the basketball's coach."

"Ah, nice to meet you," Kagome nodded. "Um, so can I just leave this here?"

Kagome blinked upon feeling Riko's arm snake under hers and keeping her to her side. "You see, I can already feel I will have a hard time keeping that Kagami guy in check but since you said you were able to stop him in one of his fits without getting a yell yourself, I think having you would be beneficial."

"W-Wait…what?" Kagome's eyebrow twitched, confused on the whole thing. "What do you mean?"

"You will see," Riko's eyes flashed forward, watching as Kuroko's pass was given to Kagami, quickly making him dunk the ball and giving the scoreboard one point away from the second-years.

"Huh? They are already on one point difference?" whispered Kagome, watching as the blue and yellow teams began to worry.

All eyes widened watching as Kuroko caught the ball and began to run to the open hoop to make the shoot. Throwing the ball into the air, the basketball hit the hoop, making everyone gloom at the attempt. Kagami caught the bounced out ball and dunked in: "This is why I hate the weak!" His eyes dropped down to the smiling phantom player. "You have to make the shot, dumbass."

"There he goes again putting him down," sighed Kagome and quickly heard Riko blowing on the whistle to signal the end of the game.

"Alright! Time is up!" smiled Riko, finally letting go of Kagome's arm.

All males turned to face the coach and suddenly noticed the unknown female. The captain blinked: "Uh…oi, who is she?"

"Ah, Kagome-chan," called out Kuroko, walking over to the miko.

The miko gave him a nervous smile, already feeling the unwanted attention.

"Oi, so you decided to see the practice?"

Kagome turned over to see the tiger staring down at her. She blinked her attention away and extended his ball towards him: "Uh, well I came to return this. You left it yesterday at the court…"

Kagami blinked down to the orange object and took it in his hands: "Ah, right. Arigatou…"

"Are you blushing?" questioned Kuroko, coming to stand beside the red head.

He was quickly grabbed by the collar of his shirt and brought closer to the tiger's face. "Teme…you really are trying my patience!" His head hung down the moment the miko hit the back of his head, releasing the ghostly haired male.

"I told you to stop turning to violence," she glared at him. "Control that temper of yours!"

"You!" he shouted, glaring at the female.

Riko smirked and walked over to the miko: "You said your name was Kagome, right?"

Kagome turned her attention back to the coach: "Uh yeah…"

The female coach turned around to face the captain of the basketball team: "Hyuuga-kun? Can I have a word with you?"

"Huh? Me?" the captain known as Hyuuga pointed at himself before being dragged down to the corner of the gym.

Kuroko turned towards the miko, trying her best to ignore the glare coming from the tiger. "Hm, have you decided to join, Kagome-chan?"

"Join?" blinked Kagami, turning his face from the boy to the miko. "Join what?"

"The basketball team of course," he replied to his question.

"Baka, she can't join the basketball team! This is a men's team!" he exclaimed.

"That is what I said," Kagome walked over to her belongings, really trying to fluster over the looks from the rest of the basketball team.

"How on earth can she join!?" Kagami glared at the phantom male. "You really are making basketball a joke, aren't you?"

Kuroko blinked towards the tiger: "You really are dense when it comes to knowing how one can put their part in."

"Why you-!"

Kagome glared at the tiger: "Oi, stop it."

"You stop butting in!" he yelled back, coming towards the miko and facing her with a glare.

Returning back the glare, she held her school bag and sighed: "Look, all I came for was to return your basketball. If you excuse me, I will be going." The miko turned around only to feel a hand on her shoulder. Looking over, she noticed the coach with a suspicious smile that seemed nothing in the terms of sweet.

"Kagome-chan? By any chance have you joined a club?"

"She has not," cut in Kuroko, quickly receiving a shock and anger expression from the miko.

'_K-Kuroko-kun!? Don't be saying that!' _

"She wants to join the basketball club," he continued.

The miko quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt: "K-Kuroko-kun! I never said that!"

"Yes. Yes you did," he blinked innocently.

"I did not-!"

"Well that is great!" smiled Riko, clapping her hands together. "Why not become our manager? We need one and Hyuuga-kun and I could use the help since being captain and coach can be a heavy job itself! Besides," she gave a hidden smirk towards the miko, "I need you to control that guy right there."

All eyes landed on the red head, who seemed to be dumbfounded on the sudden stares.

"What?" he blinked, his eyebrow twitching. "Stop staring."

"So, is that yes?" smiled Riko.

"She is right though, we do need the help of a manager to do the other things in the basketball club," cut in Hyuuga, pushing in his glasses.

"I…uh…," Kagome let go of the boy in her hands before sighing and coming back to grab her school bag. "Can I think about it?"

Riko tapped her chin and looked between the tiger and phantom player. "Sure. I give you until tomorrow. Come here for our practice if you agree to join."

Kagome was left without words. What was she supposed to do? This guy behind her had practically drag her into joining and now it seemed the coach wanted her in. The reason still unknown to her. Nodding to her words, Kagome headed out the door, leaving the basketball team in silence.

"Oi, Kagami-kun," called out Riko as she crossed her arms.

"What?"

"Convince her."

"Eh!?" he exclaimed. "Why are you telling me!? She and I are not even close!"

"Start to," she smiled threateningly. "Now…go convince her!"

"Yes, go Kagami-kun," added Kuroko, earning a death glare from the tiger.

* * *

'_What am I going to do?' _sighed Kagome as she walked down the side walk. She was deep in thought about the whole thing. Sure, she found the sport interesting and even more after watching them play, but she didn't want the attention. She just wanted a relaxing life.

The miko stopped in her tracks and looked over to the clouds. But would her friends in the feudal era like for her to close herself and be alone? She promised them to live her life and although she was breathing, she knew she was not living.

'_Maybe I should join? Perhaps…this is what I need…,' _Kagome resumed her walk only to stop at the sudden call of a familiar voice.

"Oi!"

Looking over her shoulder, the miko blinked a couple of times upon seeing the tiger already in his school uniform and walking towards her with his school bag over his shoulder.

"What do you want?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Follow me," he answered as he walked past the miko.

"Huh? Follow you? Why?" she didn't move an inch, making the red head stop in his tracks.

Looking over his shoulder, he sighed and looked away from her eyes: "Just come."

"Should I trust you on this? Or are you going to be chewing my head off?" her eyebrow raised; questioningly.

"Chigau!" he shouted. "Why do you question and accuse me on things!?" he exclaimed, only to be taken back by her light laugh.

"Gomen! Gomen! I am only teasing you," she regained her posture and looked towards him. "Alright, I will follow you."

He nodded and walked ahead not even realizing the miko coming to look to her side and slightly jump from the scare. Kagome blinked a few times before realizing that Kuroko had appeared out of nowhere. She whispered to him: "W-When did you get here?"

"I was here the whole time, Kagome-chan," he replied, continuing to walk behind her.

"You…were not," she blinked. She really needed to start sensing this guy's aura.

"I assure you that I was," he nodded and looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "He hasn't noticed that I was following him."

Kagome looked from the taller male to the boy beside her: "He…hasn't?"

He shook his head.

"Well…I am glad I am not the only one getting a scare from you."

* * *

Kagome drank from her milkshake, watching as Kuroko grabbed his own cup and began to drink. Kagami had ended up leading her to the same fast food restaurant from the day before and he had told her to order whatever she liked; it was on him.

With a simple milkshake, she had come to sit beside the phantom boy as he had ordered his own drink.

"What flavor?" she asked him.

"Hm?"

"What flavor did you get?" she questioned him again.

"Vanilla," he replied.

"Ah," she nodded. "I have always preferred chocolate for some reason." It was surprising to her that the tiger had no realized the presence of the male. Even after she had said she would be sitting down with _him. _She guessed Kagami had disregarded the whole _him _part as he was busy ordering his dozen of burgers.

Her attention was brought ahead, watching as Kagami set his tray full of wrapped burgers and setting his school bag down on the ground beside his chair. The whole table was silent as her eyes remained on the tiger while he unwrapped one burger and took a bite. His eyes widened, realizing the boy sitting next to her and he began to choke on the food. Coughing his scare, he blinked in shock at the sudden view. The girl was sitting with Kuroko!? Since when!? How come he didn't see it as he was walking towards them!?

"Domo," greeted Kuroko.

"Where did you come from!?" he exclaimed.

"He has been here the whole time," answered Kagome. "He came with us from school."

"Uso!" he shouted back. "How come you didn't tell me anything!?" he turned his question onto the girl.

She merely shrugged and took a sip of her milkshake, turning her head to the window.

"Don't ignore me!"

"I followed behind to see if you would listen to coach's words," spoke Kuroko. "And I knew you would take her here, so I followed. Besides…I like this place's vanilla milkshakes."

Kagome's eyebrow rose: _'Coach's words? Did Aida-san say something to Kagami-kun?'_

"Well, go somewhere else," scoffed Kagami. "If people see us, they will think we are friends."

"This is my usual hangout," he replied back.

Kagami sighed and looked away before handing them both a burger. "Here. You two are such a pain."

Catching the burger into their hands, both teens looked at it questioningly. Kuroko sent him a smile: "Arigatou."

Kagome raised her eyes to the tiger: "Coach's words? What did he mean by that?"

Kagami quickly flinched at the memory of what Riko had ordered him to do. He remained silent and took another bite of his food as he turned his head to the side and stared outside the window. Seeing she was not going to get an easy direct answer from him, her attention turned to the boy beside her.

"So? What is it?"

"Kagami wants you in the club."

"Teme!" glared Kagami. "I didn't say that!"

"Eh?" Kagome blinked, surprised by the direct words. She turned her attention to the tiger. "Really?"

"No! ...wait! That isn't what I meant!" He hid his head into his palm and sighed. "Look, it seems our coach really wants you in our club so she told me to convince you. I don't see why she ordered me to do it but if it gets her off my back, then fine."

"But he really wants you in the club," cut in Kuroko as he began to unwrap his burger.

"Oi!" he grabbed the burger off his hands. "I take it back! You are really butting in too much!"

Kuroko simply stared and argued back on that it really is what he wanted. The miko blinked, watching their interaction before a small smile appeared on her lips and slowly unwrapped her food. Taking a bite, she looked out the window, watching as the sun completely rested away.

* * *

"So?" questioned Kagami, walking beside the miko. He looked from the corner of his eyes as the miko and Kuroko walked down the sidewalk with him. "How strong are the Generation of Miracles? If I played them now, how would I do?"

Kuroko sipped on his milkshake before answering: "You would be destroyed instantly."

A nerve struck onto Kagami's forehead: "Do you have to put it like that!?"

"Are they really that strong?" asked Kagome, holding onto her own drink in her hands as she walked between the two basketball players.

"The five prodigies have each gone on to play for their own schools. One of those schools will stand at the top."

Kagami let out a laugh: "That's great."

"You seem to be very amused by this," spoke Kagome, turning her head to the red head.

"That's the kind of thing that lights a fire in me," he smirked. "I've decided. I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player."

Both teens remained silent, watching the determination coming from Kagami's face.

"I don't think that is possible," cut in Kuroko, striking the same nerve on Kagami.

"Oi!"

"If you have hidden talent, I wouldn't know," he continued. "But from what I have seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet."

The three crossed the intersection and were stopped at the end as Kuroko stood in front of the two. The male looked towards their eyes. "But you can't do it alone…so I have decided. I am a shadow. But the stronger the light, the darker the shadow and the more it accentuates the brightness of the light. I will be the shadow to your light, Kagami-kun."

Kagami smirked: "Look who is talking. Do whatever you want."

Kuroko nodded and turned his attention to the miko: "But a shadow needs more than one light. Sometimes a light can begin to flicker and lose its dim…that is when another bright light comes in to support the other light to help the shadow become stronger."

The miko stood silent to his words, only feeling both his eyes and the tiger's on her person.

"So? Will you join the basketball club, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **That is the end of this chapter. Thank you for reading and I apologize in advance if it was not to your expectations as many did have high hopes for this. As far as the next update, we will see. I barely started to type it out and it seems that it will be long enough until Kise shows up...uh-oh the first member of the Generation of Miracles.

The pairing is still open between a harem, Boy x Kagome x Boy (triangle love), or a single person with Kagome. We will see.

Thank you for reading.

Please review.

Ja~ne


	3. Taking the Risk

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: Oh look...a quick update on this story. Many people reviewed on the last chapter so I decided to update this one! Don't worry Pure Rukh and Fated Souls will be updated next. My gosh, Kagami is a punk but I just absolutely love him and Kuroko is just a cutie. Anyways, it seems it is between that people want a harem or a Boy x Kagome x Boy.

We will see as we further progress because I am going to wait until they get closer to the Inter-High. So I hope you enjoy this one. A little shorter than the rest but someone does appear at the end! Some Generation of Miracles will squeal at the sight of his name.

So enjoy!

Thank you for the love and support!

**Chapter 03: Taking the Risk**

* * *

Kagome's focus was drawn out to the window beside her. Her whole mind was set on Kuroko's words the night before. Her ears had completely blocked out the lecture and talks of other students, wondering on what the right decision was. The miko dropped her head down onto her arms, burying her face in. _'After Kuroko-kun asked if I wanted to join the basketball club I still ended up saying that I was in doubt.' _A heavy sigh escaped her lips: _'At least he didn't push the question further. We all had to go our separate ways.' _

Her head rose, hearing as students began to stretch out during their break in between classes. The miko slowly stood and headed out towards the hallway for fresh air. _'I know I am over thinking this…but I guess I am just afraid-'_

"Oh? You are the girl from yesterday."

Kagome turned her head over her shoulder, blinking at the black haired male she recognized as the captain of the basketball club.

"Higurashi Kagome, correct?" he blinked while adjusting his glasses.

Nodding to his question, she parted her lips to ask back for his name only to see a small smile on the male's face.

"Ah, gomen. Hyuga Junpei," he introduced himself. "I'm a second year student here."

Kagome bowed slightly at her senior: "Nice to meet you." Where had he even come from? Usually upperclassmen never bothered in coming into the first year's hall. Or had she walked that far from her own class? Kagome looked above, reading the class sign. _'2-B?!' _She was in the second year's hall!

The miko returned her attention back to the basketball captain: "Ah, gomen, I guess I was lost in my thoughts I didn't realize I had come here."

"No worries," he nodded. "Actually, I was going to ask people for your class location to speak with you."

"With…me?" she blinked.

"Riko told me about you and how you seemed to be familiar with Kuroko and Kagami," he continued. "I presume that Kagami went over to look for you last night?"

"Yeah," she scratched her cheek, "along with Kuroko-kun."

"Oh? Really?" he blinked, surprised that the phantom player had tagged along with such a big guy. "Well, I wanted to inform you about the club forms."

Kagome blinked, looking down as Hyuga passed her a paper. "What is this?"

"The official club form to join the basketball club. Although Riko wants you as the manager, there is other separate paperwork you would need to pick up from the administration office."

The miko's eyes met his and she shook her head: "Wait…I haven't agreed to this."

Hyuga's eyebrow rose; questioningly. "You are still giving it thought?"

"Well…yes," she replied, dropping her gaze. "I have a lot…going on with my mind so I am not sure if joining a club would be the best thing right now."

"Hm," Hyuga crossed his arms, "well, just so you know, Riko hasn't given Kuroko and Kagami official forms yet so technically speaking they are not part of the club officially."

"Huh?"

Hyuga sighed: "If you don't make a decision, you might end up regretting it. I was like you once, thinking of not joining anything. Sometimes taking risks without knowing what the future has in store can be the exciting part in life. I can see the potential in you especially if Riko noticed it in you." The captain pushed in his glasses. "Riko is only going to accept the forms on Monday at 8:40…on the roof."

He turned around and waved his goodbye: "Well, ja-ne! And good luck. I do hope you make the right decision."

The miko's eyes dropped down onto the form in her hands. _'On…the roof? Why the roof?'_

* * *

As lunch rolled around, the miko continued to stare at the form in her hands while walking through the hallway. Her eyes caught notice of a newspaper clipping on the bulletin board. She noticed the picture of the captain shooting the ball as she read the headline.

"Men's basketball rookie game – Kanto Tournament Debut…," Kagome continued to read as she sipped on her juice box. Even after having a small lunch with her three friends, she told them she needed time for herself to think over some things. She was still in doubt of even speaking to her friends about the subject as she was sure they would pretty much force her so she could introduce them to some members.

Another sigh passed her lips: "What should I do?"

"Talking to yourself?"

Kagome turned around with the straw in her mouth and quickly spitted out the liquid onto Kagami's face.

"Oi!" he shouted, shooting her a glare.

"Don't scare me like that!" she yelled back defensively.

Hearing him groan, she reached into her skirt's pocket and took out a handkerchief: "Here…gomen."

"Hmph," the tiger took the handkerchief into his hand and wiped off the juice from his face. "First the coach and now you."

"Coach?" she blinked.

"Yeah…I went to go see her to get an official club form," he sighed. "Apparently that Kuroko guy went for one too."

"I see," she whispered.

Kagami's eyes landed onto the form in her other hand. Raising an eyebrow, he pointed to the paper: "You went to go see her too?"

"Huh? Oh no…Hyuga-senpai gave it to me."

"Hyuga? The captain?" he blinked, surprised that the guy had even given her a form.

She nodded: "Hai. He…told me that I should join as their official manager."

The tiger looked over at the news clipping on the bulletin board, his eyes roaming down to the team's group picture. "They weren't kidding yesterday when they were playing against us."

"Yes, they are strong."

Kagami looked over towards the miko and blinked: "You think?"

"I...didn't say anything," she blinked back.

Both teens looked over to their left and jumped upon seeing Kuroko's person staring at the same paper. Kagami's eyes narrowed down: "Why can't you show up normally!? Stop coming out of nowhere!"

Kagome quickly covered Kagami's mouth receiving a death glare from the tiger. Kuroko placed his index finger on his lips and pointed up at the sign above them reading that they were next to the library. Kagami's nerve twitched on his forehead before grabbing Kuroko's head in his hand and held Kagome's hand down.

"You two are making fun of me?" he growled. He turned his head to the miko: "You two are really making fun of me, aren't you!?"

"No," replied the phantom player.

Kagome winced: "K-Kagami-kun…let us go. Your grip is too tight…"

Realizing the firm grip his hands had on both Kuroko and Kagome, he let them go and sighed.

"Baka!" Kagome slapped his arm gently. "I told you to stop resenting to violence."

"Stop hitting me!" he exclaimed back.

"Itai…," Kuroko rubbed his head as he fixed his hair.

Kagome turned around to face the ghostly haired male: "Are you okay, Kuroko-kun-?" She blinked, watching as his person had disappeared. "Huh?" Looking around, she could feel the anger and irritation once again coming from the tiger.

"That bastard is really making fun of us…," Kagami's fist tightened.

The miko's eyebrow twitched: _'If I join the basketball club…I have to deal with these two…'_

* * *

'_Well…here goes…,' _after giving much thought at home during the weekend, the miko returned the next day and stood outside the roof's entrance door. Her eyes remained glued on her signature below the paper. _'Take risks…that is what I did in the feudal era. I battled demons, purified the darkest creatures and humans, and went through victories and heartbreaks. If I was able to overcome it all…then I can certainly do this.' _The miko slowly opened the door and shut her eyes away from the bright sunlight. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to her surroundings and was met with not only the couch of the basketball club, Riko, but the first-years entering the club as well.

"Ho-ho-ho," smirked Riko, crossing her arms as she watched the miko slowly walking towards them. "I am happy to see you here, Kagome-chan. I have been waiting for you."

"Are you stupid?" blinked Kagami, watching the smug look on the girl.

"Is this a duel?" whispered Kuroko; sarcastically.

Kagami sighed and scratched the back of his head: "Geez, can we just turn in our papers?"

The miko held her paper in her hands as she spoke: "Ano…I know you said you would only be accepting the forms today at 8:40…but on Mondays-"

Kagami's eyes widened, realizing what she was going to say. "The morning assembly is in five minutes, baka!" The tiger took out the form from his pocket: "Here. Hurry up and take it."

The miko's eyes glided over to the bar, watching the morning assembly down below. _'Wait a minute…if we get caught…we are in so much trouble! We can't be skipping the morning assembly on Mondays!' _She returned her attention back to the coach. "Here."

The smirk on Riko's lips stretched: "Before that, I have something to tell you all. I made a promise to the captain last year when he asked me to become the coach. I promise to focus solely on pushing the team towards the national championship. If you don't think you are ready for that, there are other clubs better suited for you."

"Huh? Of course I am-"

Riko cut the tiger off: "I know you're strong, but I need to know you have something even more important. No matter how hard you practice, the words of 'maybe' aren't good enough. I need to know you have ambitious goals and the will to accomplish them." Riko extended her arm out towards the rail: "Give me your year, class and name! Announce your goals here and now. If you fail to achieve them, you'll come back here and…," her eyes tightened into a threatening glare, "you will strip naked and confess your feelings for the girl you love."

She gave them a smile: "All the second years did it last year."

Koki blinked, fear already beginning to consume him at the thought of coming naked and to top it all off – confession. "What? No one told me about this."

"Ano, I just came to turn in the form," Kagome walked forward, earning a grin from the coach.

"Oh, you aren't off the hook, Kagome-chan. You will do it too!"

"Eh!? Chotto matte! You can't be serious about this?!" she exclaimed. "I mean I can understand the basketball players…"

"Oi," Kagami's eyebrow twitched seeing that the miko was going to fully turn the punishment on them.

"But…me?" she continued.

"Well, I wouldn't have you strip naked of course," Riko crossed her arms, "but I would make you confess your love to the guy you like."

"Don't like anyone," she stated back.

"Oh, I am sure there is," she smirked.

"Nope."

"She can go ahead and go on a date with a guy," Kuroko walked forward and receiving a glare from the miko.

"Kuroko-kun! Stop giving suggestions!"

"I like the idea," smiled Riko. "Well? Who is first? Like I said before, I am looking for something concrete and reasonably ambitious. You will have to do better than just saying 'do my best'."

Kagome's shoulder slumped down in defeat, seeing she was cornered into doing what she wanted. Why on earth was she even doing this!? She could easily just leave and not join the club! Her mind flashed back to Hyuga's words, making her shake her head over the doubts that were beginning to pour into her mind.

"This will be easy," smirked Kagami. "This isn't even a test." Walking past the miko, Kagami approached the rail and effortlessly jumped on top. Standing tall, he smirked down at the assembly. "Class 1-B, number five, Kagami Taiga. I will defeat the Generation of Miracles and become the best player in Japan!"

Hyuga's eyebrow twitched: _'Eh…is she doing that again this year?'_

Jumping down from the railing, Kagome was awed by his display of courage. Her eyes trailed his person as he walked past her with that same smirk he always held when playing. He stopped beside her: "So? Are you going to go?"

"Who's next? If you don't hurry, the teachers will be coming here soon," Riko turned over and looked at the other basketball members. Their eyes traveled over to the other three first-years as they made their way to the rail one-by-one and yelled out their own set of goals. It seemed the coach was content with the things she was hearing, but what was she supposed to say?

Kagome took notice of the coach's eyes set on her, signaling to go next. Gulping, she felt Kagami's hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she watched his eyes avoiding her own.

"Just go. It isn't that bad. Go and get it over with."

"Kagome-chan?" smirked Riko, calling her out to the rail.

Nodding slowly, the miko walked towards the rail and placed her hands on the bar. Her eyes observed the group of students down below and took a deep breath in. What was her goal in joining the basketball club? To get stronger? Find a hobby? What was it?

Closing her eyes, she slowly opened them: "Class 1-C, basketball club's manager, Higurashi Kagome!" Gripping the bar beneath her hands, she parted her lips once more. "I don't really have a set goal at the moment for joining, but I am willing to take the risk and see where life takes me from here! I am set on working hard for these guys and making sure to help in any way I can!" Coming back to a normal breathing pace, she felt Riko's hand on her shoulder.

"Good."

Kagome nodded and gave her a smile.

"Alright? Is that it?" nodded Riko.

"Sumimasen."

Riko turned around and jolted slightly at the sight of Kuroko.

"I'm not good at speaking loudly, so could I use this?" he took out a megaphone and showed it to the coach.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched: "Where did you even get that, Kuroko-kun?"

Kuroko turned around towards the railing and opened his mouth towards the megaphone. Before his voice could escape, the door was abruptly opened and revealed a teacher with an obvious angry expression.

"Hey! The basketball club, again!?"

"Crap, and were almost finished," cursed Riko.

All were instructed to set on the ground as the teacher walked forward and began to scold them. The miko sighed, looking over at the coach. "Not really expected to get scolded already," she whispered to her.

"You will get used to it," she rolled her eyes, trying to tune out scold. "Also," she winked, "don't forget to get the manager papers from the administration office."

"Hai, hai," she closed her eyes.

"I warned you last year," glared the teacher, placing his hands on his hips. "Didn't you say you would never do this again? You should know what is right and wrong at your age!"

Kagome sighed once again: _'Why do I have the feeling this is only the start of a weird beginning…'_

* * *

"Let see…," Kagome looked down at the papers in her hands. As she was instructed by the coach, once classes were over, she headed to the administration office and requested for the manager contract papers. After some instructions and information she was given, she was given a small stack with her own copy and a list of her upcoming responsibilities.

Her eyes blinked, going over the list. "Who knew a manager for a sports team would be taking care of so much. Hm?" her eyes set on a particular job. "Ordering uniforms? Hmm…I guess I can start with that one once I get home."

Looking down at her watch, she watched as Riko skipped in front of her. The coach looked to her right and smiled at the miko: "Oh, konnichiwa, Kagome-chan."

"K-Konnichiwa," she blinked, seeing it abnormal to the skipping. "Um, you seem awfully happy."

"I am," she smirked. "I have a huge surprise for the boys!"

"A…surprise?" she repeated.

Nodding, Riko turned back around: "Well, I will see you at the gym, Kagome-chan! Don't be late! Be there in five minutes!"

The miko was left alone, watching as the coach resumed in her skipping towards the gym. Kagome nodded and before she could take a few steps forward, she was suddenly shocked to see a flock of girls coming in a clump. The squealing and screaming was beginning to make her eyebrow twitch, unsure why the girls were behaving so.

"Ugh…," Kagome looked up, left, and right to find a way to pass through and get to the gym before Riko chewed her head on the first day, but the girls wouldn't budge. "E-Excuse me," she managed to choke out her words, but gasped as soon as another wave of girls came from behind and pushed her in the crowd.

The rush and push of the girls caught her trapped inside until Kagome was pushed further in and into a person. Kagome cursed under her breath as she fell on her knees and heard the gasps of girls. The miko could almost feel the glares belonging to them stabbing onto her back. Her eyes focused on the scattered papers and she groaned. _'Great…'_

"You need to apologize!" a girl shouted.

"Yeah! You have no right to be pushing down a model!"

"Apologize!"

'_Model?' _Kagome looked up at the tight glares she was receiving.

"Ma, ma, no need to yell at her."

Kagome blinked at the offering hand. Trailing the arm upwards, she was met with a golden gaze. This guy…was too good looking for a high school student! And that blonde hair was way too abnormal, she turned her head to the side: _'Then again…Kuroko has blue hair and yet no one seems to take notice of him.' _

"Are you hurt?" he questioned her.

Shaking her head, she placed her hand on his and was helped back up onto her feet. A small chuckled escaped the blonde's lips: "I apologize for the sudden…push. Here," he quickly collected her papers only to stop at the title. "Seirin's Basketball Manager?" His golden orbs met her cerulean eyes. "You are the basketball club's manager?"

"Ah, yes," she nodded.

"Oh?" he smirked. Looking over to the flock of his fans, he sent them a smile: "You girls could give me five minutes? I need to go meet up with a friend." He turned back towards the miko: "My friend must be at the gym practicing, do you mind showing me the way?"

"Huh?"

* * *

"A practice game against Kaijou High School?" exclaimed Hyuga as everyone gathered around the coach and gave out her announcement.

"That's right," she nodded. "They won't disappoint us. We will put plenty of first years on the court."

"Disappoint us?" questioned Shinji. "They are way better than us."

"Are they really that good?" asked Hiroshi.

Hyuga sighed: "They're strong at the national level. They play in the Inter-High every year."

"And this year, Kaijou got their hands on one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryouta."

Kagami gave himself a smirk: _'I never thought I would get to play them so soon. What a blessing! I'm getting excited!'_

"Apparently, Kise works as a model," added Hyuga, turning to his members.

"Seriously!? Amazing…," sighed Shinji. "Good looking and good at basketball? That is brutal…"

"Baka," sighed Riko, closing her eyes.

"Ano, where is Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko, catching all eyes. "Isn't she supposed to be here?"

"Hm, yeah," Riko crossed her arms. "She is already late and I just saw her outside with her papers so I know she isn't at the administration office."

All eyes landed on the gym door as it began to open. The miko walked in and turned to team members. Leaving the door open, she clutched her papers to her chest and flinched upon seeing Riko's glare on her.

"You are late!" she yelled.

"G-Gomen…," she whispered. "I was…caught up on something."

"On what?" Riko's eyebrow rose.

"Gomen! It is my fault she is late!"

Seirin's attention was on the tall blonde male coming to stand behind the miko. He gave them a smile: "I didn't mean for this to happen to her knowing she is your manager, but I needed some guidance."

Riko's eyes scrunched, lost at the sight of the familiar person. _'What is the Generation of Miracles' Kise Ryouta doing here?'_

Kuroko gave him a slight bow from his head, realizing Kise's eyes were set on his own. "It is good to see you again."

"Good to see you," he replied back.

"Kise Ryouta…," whispered Hyuga.

Kagome blinked, looking from her team to the blonde behind her. _'Hm? Kuroko-kun seems to know him…a friend of his?' _

Hyuga's eyes blinked a few times: "W-What are you doing here?"

"Well, when I heard our next opponent was Seirin," he walked forward and stopped in front of Kuroko, "I remembered Kurokocchi went here so I thought I would come say hi. We were the best of friends in middle school."

"Not any more than anyone else," he replied back.

"Hidoi!" Kise rubbed his eyes childishly.

"Kise Ryouta. Though he started basketball his second year of middle school, his exceptional physical ability and sense got him on the Teiko team as a regular in a heartbeat. While he has less experience than the other four, he is a rapidly improving all-rounder," Koki read from the magazine he held in his hands, knowing that everyone around was listening.

"That article exaggerated quite a bit," Kise laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm glad to be called part of the Generation of Miracles, but I'm the worst of the bunch. They bullied me and Kurokocchi for it all the time."

"That never happened to me," replied Kuroko.

"Nani!? It was just me?!"

'_So he is part of the Generation of Miracles,' _Kagome walked past him and felt a sudden hand on her head. Trailing the owner of the arm, she noticed the same smile on the blonde. "Um…"

"Gomen," he smiled at her and placed his hands inside his pants' pockets, "I should apologize to you for making you late."

Kagome blinked: "I-It's alright…"

"So what is a kawaii girl like you doing as their manager?" he raised an eyebrow and inched closer to the miko, making her take a step back. His eyes quickly glided to the corner, watching a basketball fly towards him. Kise's hand extended out, blocking it with his palm.

Kise's eyes narrowed down upon realizing the person who had thrown the ball towards him. Kagami's smirk widened along with his glare tightening. "Leave her out of this. I know you didn't come just for a reunion and to flirt your way with this school."

"K-Kagami-kun!" shouted Riko.

"Kagami!" glared Hyuga, surprised that the tiger had thrown the ball to one of the Generation of Miracles.

Kagome sighed, her eyes dropping down to the ball used as a provocation. _'He will never learn…'_

Kise shook his palm: "Itai! What was that for? You almost hit the manager..."

Kagami scoffed: "Why don't you play with me a little, pretty boy?"

"What? I don't know if I am ready," he replied.

Kagome took a step forward: "Oi! Kagami-kun! That was unnecessary and rude! You know you shouldn't be throwing balls like that to people!"

"He blocked it!" he argued back, taking a step towards her. He met her eyes in a glare battle, before blinked as they noticed Kise's hand landing on Kagome's shoulder.

"I appreciate the protection," smirked Kise and moved his gaze towards the tiger. "Fine, let's do it. I have to thank you for that display. Besides, I made your kawaii manager late because of me, so I guess I can cover one of your requests."

"Unbelievable," sighed Riko, as she and the rest of the team moved away.

"This could be bad," whispered Kuroko, catching Kagome off guard. Kuroko grabbed her wrist: "We should leave them be."

"Uh, wait…," she felt her body being dragged away from the middle of the court.

"Kagomecchi?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked over her shoulder, noticing the same serious smirk on the blonde's lips. Since when did he know her name?

"Ah, gomen, I took notice of your name on the forms," he chuckled. "But sorry for dragging you here and having the girls push you like that, I hope you can forgive me?"

"Oi!" glared Kagami, a tick of annoyance pulsed on his forehead. "Over here!"

"Hai, hai!" Kise turned back around and grabbed the ball of the ground after removing his jacket and throwing it out to the side. "One-on-one, then?"

"Keh, bring it," Kagami smirked.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyoi's Notes: **Well Kise has made his appearance. Getting closer and closer to the Generation of Miracles.

Please review and no harsh words, please. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! You are welcome to give suggestions in pairings and ideas! In fact, Kagome's special skill is on for debate at the moment!

Ja~ne!


	4. Finding the Weakness

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: Oh look a little extra long chapter and another one before I go back to school work. Again, I tried to incorporate Kagome some how into this and if you don't like it...oh well. Anyways, remember, Kagome is barely learning the 'ways' of basketball so be patient with her...and me!

I think this chapter will be hated -sigh- but oh well. I worked hard on it. Anyways, thank you all for reviewing and reading this far!

Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 04: Finding the Weakness **

* * *

Kagome watched silently with the rest of the team as Kagami and Kise took half the court to play their one-on-one. Her eyes widen a tiny bit as she quickly took notice of the way Kise's eyes fooled the tiger in the direction he intended to go. _'Baka…watching an opponent's eyes is always important, but you should look at their feet too.' _The miko shook her mental thoughts: _'What the heck? Am I seriously thinking this over like Inuyasha use to fight? Ugh…they are human, Kagome! Human!'_

Riko gasped lowly, watching as Kise copied on of Kagami's moves and quickly jumped upwards to dunk the ball. Kagome blinked: "Did…he just copy Kagami's way of dunking?"

Riko nodded slightly: "It isn't simple imitation…"

Kagami jumped after him, extending his arm upwards to block the ball on for Kise's dunk to push him off his balance and score. The tiger fell to the ground, his eyes tightening as he watched the smug look of the blonde's face.

Kagome was speechless to say the least to the few seconds of game play that she was demonstrated with. She never knew such people had talent and strength for a simple sport. Human nonetheless. "This is…the Generation of Miracles," she whispered. "You sure have some interesting friends, Kuroko-kun."

"I don't know that person," he replied, his eyes focused on the blonde player. "To be honest, I may have underestimated him until just now. It's only been a few months since I left them, but the Generation of Miracles has improved far more quickly than I expected."

Kagome returned her attention back to the two boys, watching as Kagami grunted onto his legs. Kise scratched the back of his head: "I don't know about this. After something so disappointing, I can't just leave now."

'_Disappointing?' _blinked Kagome. _'Is that an insult?' _

Kise's footsteps made their way towards the phantom player, smirking as he did. "Give us Kurokocchi." He stopped in front of the male as he placed his hands inside his pockets. "Come join us. Let's play basketball together again."

The team's eyes widened by his words of persuading the player onto his team. The miko slowly looked over to the silent phantom player: _'Is…he being serious?'_

"I seriously respect you, Kurokocchi," smiled Kise. "It's a waste of your talent to stay here. What do you say?"

The miko's eyes scrunched at his words only to place her hand on Kuroko's shoulder, catching both his and Kise's attention. She sent the blonde a smile: "Gomen, but Kuroko-kun can't leave. You see, because of him, I became part of this club and he made a promise to Kagami-kun and I to work together to become the best team in Japan."

Kuroko's lips curved into a small smile upon hearing her words. If anything, it seemed the girl was already getting attached to them and the team. Turning his head back to Kise, he parted his lips to speak.

"I am honored to hear you say that. I must respectfully decline your offer."

"T-That doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Kise, surprised that the girl and even his longtime friend were both on the same page. "Besides, this isn't like you. Winning was everything! Why didn't you go somewhere better?"

"My thinking has changed since then," he replied back. "More importantly, just as Kagome-chan said, I made her and Kagami-kun a promise. One that I intend to keep. We will beat the Generation of Miracles together."

Kise's eyebrows furrowed: "It really isn't like you to joke around like that."

Kagami laughed behind the blonde, smirking as everyone's attention was drawn towards the grinning tiger. "Oi," called Kagami, "Kagome, Kuroko, stop stealing the words I was going to say."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched: _'Again with that cocky smirk…'_

The miko blinked upon feeling a pair of eyes on her. Looking up, she noticed Kise's golden orbs right on her person paired with a smirk. "Seems like you have something to do with these guys acting this way."

"Huh?" blinked Kagome once again.

The blonde learned down towards her, making her lean back. "It isn't just because of your kawaii looks. What is special about you, Ka-Go-Me-Cchi?" Kise was met with a stack of papers in front of his face, blocking his view from observing the miko.

Kagome's eyes dropped down to a blank and bored expression. "Please don't invade my personal space."

Chuckling on her actions, Kise retreated back and nodded: "I can see why they are fond of you."

Kagome's eyebrow lifted in question. Feeling a hand on her own shoulder, she looked to see the coach smiling: "Kise, if you don't mind, these guys need to return to their practice."

"Hai, hai," he waved them off and turned towards the exit. "Ah! Arigatou again Kagomecchi for showing me the way!"

"Kagome…cchi?" blinked Kagome. She looked towards Kuroko: "Does he do that to everybody? The nickname I mean."

"No. Only people he respects," he replied.

"Respects…?" she whispered before turning back to see the blonde basketball player leaving.

Kise winked at the team: "Practice hard, Seirin! Can't wait until I see you all again!" With one last chuckle, he left the gym, leaving the Seirin team in silence.

"Can't believe you actually spoke back to one of the Generation of Miracles, Kagome-chan," blinked Hyuga, grabbing the miko's attention.

"Huh?"

"Yeah," laughed Shinji. "We expected Kagaom to open his mouth, but not you."

Kagami's eyebrow twitched at the insult: "Oi."

Looking down, Kagome scratched her cheek, confused herself that she had done so too. She felt Riko patting her back, bringing her up from her embarrassment. "Welcome to the basketball club, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome blinked, watching as everyone gave her a smile before turning to see Kuroko and Kagami. Kuroko sent her a small smile while the tiger looked away with a blush. The phantom player looked towards the red head: "Is that another blush?"

Kagami quickly grabbed Kuroko's head: "You little-!"

The miko sighed as the both began to argue. _'And I thought we were progressing with this…'_

* * *

"Sugoi," blinked Kagome, looking at the enormous school ahead of her as she stood at the entrance of the gates. She looked from side to side and could tell the school definitely put in some budget into modeling the school. "Who knew Kaijo High would be…so up there in money. Then again, someone like Kise-kun does attend this place so that says a lot."

The miko looked down at the first aid kit bag. _'Alright, I think I brought everything. First-aid kit, clipboard and pen.' _She sighed: _'The day went by so fast. I wasn't even listening to today's lectures because I was only focused on the basketball game! After yesterday's little surprise visit from Kise, the whole team began to practice as hard as they could. All Riko-senpai told me was to grab these things for today's practice game. Here I thought I go get here early to find the gym for them, but just by looking at this place…I know I will get lost!'_

"Oh? Kagome-chan! You are here early!"

Looking behind her shoulder, Kagome smiled as the team along with Riko walked over to her. Riko gave her a smile: "I am surprised you are here before us."

"Well, I wanted to try and find the gym so I can guide you all there…but," Kagome laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head, "I got so overwhelmed by the size of the school."

"Look at you being so responsible on your first official day as our manager," smirked Riko. "I knew I made the right decision."

Kagome gave her a small nervous chuckle before turning around and began to walk with the team. Hyuga looked around the campus: "This place is huge. You can really tell when a school is devoted to its athletics."

Kagome looked over to the tiger and blinked at noticing his red-shot eyes as she walked in between the two first years. "What the heck happened to you?" she questioned as she held the clipboard near her chest.

"Kagami-kun, the look in your eyes is worse than usual," commented Kuroko as he looked towards the red head.

"Uruse…," grunted Kagami, turning his head to the side. "I was a little too excited that I didn't sleep last night…"

Kagome's eyes drop to 'are-you-serious' stare as the phantom player blinked to reply: "What are you, a kid going on a field trip?"

"What did you say?!" glared the tiger. His eyes quickly widened upon feeling a pair of feminine hands landing on each side of his face and bringing him down to stare into a pair of cerulean orbs. A light tiny of pink dusted over Kagami's cheeks noticing the intent stare the miko gave back to him.

"W-What are you doing!?" he exclaimed as he tried to pull back.

"Hold still," she glared. "I am going to see what is wrong." She stared into his tired eyes: "Maybe some eye drops will help the irritation…"

Kuroko blinked, noticing the blush spreading onto the tiger's expression. "Stop blushing, Kagami-kun."

Kagami pulled away from the miko's hands and glared at the ghostly haired male. "Oi! I was not!"

"Hey, guys!"

All heads turned to see the familiar model running to them with what seemed an over excited smile. He stopped in front of them and smiled: "This place is big, so I thought I would come get you."

"Kise…oi!" Kagami walked forward to speak with the blonde only to be ignored as Kise walked towards the phantom player.

"Kurokocchi, ever since you turned down my invitation to join us, I've been crying into my pillow every night." Kise rubbed his eyes childishly.

"What is wrong with him?" blinked Hyuga, seeing the two males interact.

"Just show us the way," glared Kagami.

"Not even a girl has turned me down before," ignored Kise as he continued to speak with Kuroko.

"Are you ignoring me?" Kagami's tick twitched on his forehead.

"Well, there is a first for everything," Kagome looked down at the clipboard, not noticing as Kise's eyes glided over to stare at her.

"Oh? The kawaii manager came too? I'm glad! I actually wanted to show you my full skills on the court!" he smiled, watching as her eyebrow twitched.

"Uh…why?"

"Could you please stop being so sarcastic?" interrupted Kuroko.

Kise's eyes narrowed as he rested his hand on his hip. Taking a small glance towards the miko, he smirked. "Hm, I am getting even more interested in the people who are making Kurokocchi say things like this."

* * *

Upon entering the court, Seirin blinked at noticing a net dividing the court in half. The miko looked towards the practicing members. "Is the other half being use for practice?"

Kaijo's coach walked in front of them as he noticed the uniforms. He took his eyes away from the clipboard in front of them and blinked. "Oh, you're here. Welcome. I'm coach Takeuchi."

Both Kagome and Riko bow respectfully before is eyes roamed around the team. "Which one of you is the coach?"

"Ah, that's me," smiled Riko.

"Huh? You? You're not the manager?" he exclaimed, shocked at the info.

Riko shook her head: "Nope. Aida Riko and this is our manager – Higurashi Kagome."

"Ano…," Kagome grabbed the male coach's attention, "what is this?"

"Exactly what it looks like," he replied. "We only made simple arrangements for today's game."

"Arrangements?" repeated the miko.

"There won't be enough to learn from this game to make it worth watching for the guys sitting out."

Both Kagome and Riko feel their nerve appear on their forehead as the coach continued to speak.

"We are having the other players practice as usual so we don't waste time. Despite the arrangements, you'll be playing our regulars. I hope you won't let us triple your score."

Riko's fist tightened by her side as she watched Takeuchi walk away. Kagome crossed her arms: "The nerve of him…"

"They think we suck," glared Kagami. "They are treating this like a sideshow to their practice."

"Then show it isn't," Kagome whispered back, catching Kagami's and Kuroko's attention.

Their eyes travel towards the blonde, watching as he tucked in his jersey. "There we go," he smiled.

"Huh?" Kaijo's coach walked over to the model player. "Kise, why are you wearing your uniform? You're not playing."

"Eh?"

"I know we got star players from all the middle schools, but you are on a whole different level."

Kise's eyes widened: "D-Don't do that, coach! Seriously, stop saying that!"

"If I let you play, it won't even be a game anymore," the coach looked over to the Seirin team. He walked towards his bench as Kise was left staring at their opponents with the same glare in each face.

"Just listen to him," spoke Hyuga.

"I haven't been this pissed in a while," glared Shun.

Kise ran towards the team: "Sumimazen! Seriously, gomen! I'll be on the bench." He raised his hand next to his lips as he whispered to them. "If you give his guys a beating, I'm sure he will put me in. Besides…," he smirked, "if you can't force him to put me in, you shouldn't go around saying you'll be the Generation of Miracles."

"Oi, show the Seirin guys to the locker room," ordered the coach.

"Don't worry," spoke Kagome, watching as her team began to leave towards the lockers. "Your coach will have no choice but to bring you in." With a sweet smile, the miko followed behind the boys, leaving the blonde smirking.

'_Well what do you know…the girl sure has fire.' _

* * *

Riko slammed the door to the locker room as everyone had already changed. Riko's eyes fired in anger, remembering the insults over and over again from the male coach. "That coach-!" she growled.

Kagome walks around her and pats her shoulder: "Calm down, Riko-senpai."

"Ugh! I can't!" she pointed towards Shun and began to rant over how each player needs to show Kaijo just what exactly they are made of.

Walking over to Kuroko, Kagome sat next to him on the bench. "Kuroko-kun…"

"Hmm?"

"Does Kise-kun have a special talent to copy others? I noticed that his moves from yesterday were similar to those of Kagami-kun's."

The phantom player nodded, dropping his gaze downwards. "So you noticed."

Sighing, the miko shook her head: "I can't believe a grown man like their coach puts other people down. How about showing some maturity?"

Riko scoffed, overhearing her words. "Trust me…there will be many looking down on us."

Kagami walked in front of Kagome and smirked: "Just as you said…we will force them to the point where they will have to take us seriously."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

* * *

Sitting next to the female coach, Kagome watched as the two teams lined up before the referee to start the game.

"Let the practice game between Seirin High and Kaijo High begin!" he shouted as he held the ball. He blinked as his eyes landed on the Seirin's line of players. "Uh, we are about to get started, so Seirin, please have your five line up."

"Ano…there is five of us."

The referee and Kaijo team backed up as they noticed the ghostly haired player raise his hand slightly to catch their attention.

Kagome chuckled: "I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing other people's expressions once they noticed Kuroko-kun."

"Ouch…," whispered Riko, catching the miko's attention.

"What's wrong?" she questioned, noticing the intense concentration the coach had on the opposite team.

"This doesn't look good," she whispered in reply. "I can't see everything through their clothes, but their numbers are way higher than average. Our physical numbers are way behind. Honestly, it is not surprising for a nationally strong team. I mean, we do have Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun…"

"But how far can they take us?" the miko whispered back. "All players have their limits."

The whistle soon blew, bringing the girls out of their talk and watched as Kaijo caught the ball first in the jump. Catching the ball into his hands, Kasamatsu ran forward to the hoop.

"Let's keep it up!" he shouted.

Kuroko quickly pushed the ball away from his bouncing rhythm, shocking the Kaijo team entirely.

"W-Where did he come from!?" exclaimed Kasamatsu.

Kuroko ran forward as he dribbled the ball and quickly passed the ball behind him only for the tiger to catch it and jump up onto the hoop and dunk it forcefully. Coming down from his score, Kagami raised his arms: "All right!"

The tiger quickly looked over to his hand seeing the hoop broken off from the backboard. Kaijo's team's eyes widened upon noticing the full strength the tiger demonstrated. Kagome buried her head into her palm, shaking her head. _'Seriously…?'_

Shun blinked as he looked at the backboard: "That thing is dangerous. One of the bolts is rusted."

"This thing is bigger than I thought," commented Kagami.

Riko quickly walked over to the over-angered coach and bowed down: "Gomenasai!"

Kuroko and Kagami were met with a light slap behind their heads, making them turn to see the miko crossing her arms. "Bakas! You can't be breaking other people's stuff!"

Kuroko blinked: "But I didn't…," he pointed towards the red head beside him, "he did."

"Oi! Don't be putting the blame on me!" he shouted back.

The miko patted their arms and smiled. "But that should be enough for them to see how serious we are," she whispered before turning her head over her shoulder to see the tick twitching on the coach's head. Walking over to the sitting coach, she bowed slightly: "We are deeply sorry, Coach Takeuchi."

Kuroko walked behind her, followed by Kagami. "We are sorry we broke your hoop." Standing straight from his bow, he continued to speak. "Since we can't play like this, could we use the full court?"

Kagami smirked as he placed the hoop over his shoulder, happy to see the smug of confidence wiped off the coach's face.

As the Kaijo's other players prepared the full court, Kagome watched awed by how fast things were getting done. They caught Kise's light chuckle behind them as they stood and turned to see a small smirk on his lips.

"Now that is what you call a beating," he spoke.

"Huh?" glared Kagami.

"I've never seen the coach like that before," he continued.

Kagami turned around to face the blonde. "You should tell him that is what he gets for underestimating us!"

Walking forward, Kuroko turned his attention elsewhere: "How much do you think a replacement hoop will cost?"

"Eh!? We…have to pay for that!?" exclaimed the red head.

"Of course we do, baka! Why do you think I hit you!?" Kagome shook her head, receiving a glare.

"Because you always do!"

Kagome shrugged as she ignored Kagami's rant of the replacement, leaving Kise staring at the two basketball players and female interacting. His eyes narrowed before turning around and taking a step into the court.

"Let the game resume!" called the referee.

Kise's eyes matched with his smirk: "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"You're finally in," smirked Kagami.

"You are way too intense for a model when you are on," commented Hyuga.

Kuroko turned to face the blonde: "He is not just putting on a show."

"Sugoi…," whispered Riko.

"Can you read his stats?" questioned Kagome as she placed her clipboard on her lap.

"Seeing him again, I can tell he really is a monster," she replied. The two girls quickly caught the noise of females squealing at the entrance of the gym. Turning their heads, they watched as a group of fan girls gathered around calling for Kise's attention.

Kagome's eyes dropped: _'R-Really…? Here too?'_

"Huh? What is all that!?" exclaimed Hyuga, surprised by the fan base.

"Oh, that?" asked Kasamatsu, placing his hands on his hips while watching his blonde teammate wave back to the girls. "This happens every time he plays and…," he ran towards the blonde and quickly kicked him off his balance, "quit waving to them! I'll hit you!"

The whistle soon blew once again, resuming the game. In a matter of seconds, Kasamatsu had passed the ball over to Kise only for him to jump and dunk the ball the same way the tiger had done. Jumping down onto his feet, his captain kicked him once again. "Baka! I told you to break it!"

"Sumimazen!"

Kagome's eyes blinked upon witnessing his power. _'He did it again…that was the same dunk that Kagami-kun performed, but if I am not mistaken…he doubled the power.'_

Kise chuckled under his breath as he stood in front of the tiger, catching his attention. "You know, I always have girls around me and admiring me, but it is quite a nice scene to see you and Kurokocchi having one who sees you more than just a 'model'." Kise's smirk widen as he looked away in thought. "You know…the coach was actually talking about getting and needing a manager."

Kagami's eyebrow twitched, seeing his meaning. "Teme…focus on basketball."

With one last chuckle, Kise walked past him and the game continued on in a fast pace. The miko was awed by the sudden change in pace. "W-What is going on?"

"I…don't know…," blinked Riko as she herself was surprised.

"What is up with this high-paced game?" Shinji spoke, watching as his teammates began to increase in speed and strength. "It's only been three minutes since they started."

"It's like they are playing without bothering to guard," Riko couldn't believe what she was seeing. "The defense is doing everything it can, but both teams' offenses are just too strong."

Kagome blinked, watching as the tiger's eyes began to cloud with anger as he noticed Kise's movements copying his own and if not…better. Turning her head to the side, she looked at the coach: "Riko-senpai…"

"Yeah…," she whispered back, narrowing down her eyes. "We need a time-out."

Riko stands from her bench and walked over to the score board to request the time out she needed. The miko turned her attention back to the court, observing Kuroko and his tired expression. She sighed while her shoulders slumped down: _'Bakas…'_

The whistle blew as the referee signaled the time-out. "Seirin, time out."

Kagome stood from her bench and gathered the water bottles and towels. Her eyes watched the team sitting on their seats, catching their breaths silently. As she handed a bottle and towel to each, she stopped in front of the red head and dropped the towel over his hung head. Looking up, Kagami noticed her handing him a water bottle.

"Calm down…," she whispered to him, watching as he took the bottle and towel to wipe off his sweat. The miko walked over to Riko, seeing her worried expression.

"They are way too tired for playing just five minutes…," she whispered to the miko.

"Well it isn't unreasonable," she whispered back. "You said so yourself. They have been switching back and forth from offense to defense."

"What the hell are you doing!?"

All eyes landed on the Kaijo's coach as he scolded his team. "How many points are you going to let them take!? Is the defense asleep? Huh!?"

Kagome blinked: "Hidoi…," her body jumped slightly as she caught Kise's gaze on her.

"I can't believe Kagami can't handle Kise," spoke Hyuga, catching the miko's attention down to Riko's drawn out plan. "Should we put another guy on him?"

"Hey, wait…please," Kagami whispered the last word.

"Please?" repeated Kagome, hearing the uncomfortableness he held in being polite.

"There is a way," spoke Kuroko, turning all heads to him. "They have a weakness."

"Weakness?" blinked Riko.

"What? You should have told us sooner," spoke Hyuga.

"No, to be honest, I'm not even sure you could call it a weakness," interrupted the phantom player. "Either way, sumimazen. There is another problem. Because of the unexpectedly high-paced play, my effectiveness is already wearing off."

"N-Nani!?" exclaimed Riko.

'_So that is why I saw him tired…,' _Kagome was surprised herself that Kuroko had not mentioned anything.

"Why didn't you tell us something so important sooner!?" shouted Riko as she head-locked the phantom player into her arms.

"Sumimazen. You didn't ask," choked Kuroko as he tried to free himself.

"Do you not say anything unless you are asked!?"

The referee blew the whistle once again: "Your time out is over."

"Ah! All I got to do was hit Kuroko-kun!" exclaimed Riko.

Kagome sighed, watching as the teammates walked over to the court. Kagami stopped in front of them, surprising them both.

"Let me stay on him…please…"

Kagome crossed her arms: "Why are you acting so polite?" Kagome's eyes quickly widened as she looked back at Kuroko and to Kise. _'Wait…if Kise-kun is able to copy what he sees then he obviously can't copy what he can't…meaning-!' _Kagome quickly pulled Kagami, making him blush.

"O-Oi! Kagome!"

She cupped her hands around his ear as she began to whisper something to him. Letting him go, Kagami was left blinking at her. "Baka…that is not going to work."

"Do it," she connected her eyes to his as he read the seriousness in them. "You won't know unless you try…"

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed before he ran towards the court.

"Hey! Wait!" shouted Riko. She looked over at the miko. "What did you tell him?"

"I…don't know…," she replied.

"Eh!?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder as she saw the phantom player tying his shoes. She walked over to stand in front of him: "Kuroko-kun…don't over work yourself."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he replied as he passed by her.

Kagome watched as the game continued, dropping her eyebrow in worry. _'I wish there was a way I could help…' _her eyes landed on the scoreboard as Kaijo made a three-pointer. She watched as Kagami tried passing the ball over to Kuroko only for it to be blocked. _'They are getting use to Kuroko-kun now…'_

The ball was blocked out of the court, making the referee make a call with his whistle. "Out of bounds. White ball."

Kagami's shoulder heaved up and down as he tried to regain some oxygen. His head turned over his shoulder, catching Kise's voice.

"Why don't you acknowledge it already? You are years away from challenging the Generation of Miracles."

"What did you say?"

"The gap between our scores might get bigger, but it certainly won't get any smaller. More than formations or strategies, basketball is about your build. It's a sport of size," Kise gave him a smirk. "The gap between your team and ours is simple too great. You were the only one who stood a chance against us, but I see now how good you are. I'll admit you have potential, but you are still far below me. No matter what you throw at me, with one look, I'll return it twice as good."

Kise chuckled, placing his hands on his hips: "You can struggle, but you will never beat me. The real world isn't that easy."

Kagami quickly caught everyone's attention as his laugh echoed throughout the court. "Sorry, sorry," he smirked. "I'm just so happy."

"Happy?"

"It's been a long time since anyone has said that to me," he replied. "I heard it all the time over there."

"Over there?"

"In America."

"Eh? You lived in America? Sugoi!"

"I thought I jumped the gun coming back here to play," Kagami's smirk widened. "Hearing you say that is encouraging, really. Life is all about challenges."

Kagome's eyes blinked as she heard his words, seeing the determination in his eyes.

"There is no point in living if there is no one strong to play," continued the red head. "It's better if I can't win. We are just getting started," Kagami walked past the blonde: "Don't you think it is a little soon to be saying you won?" He walked over towards the phantom player as his mind replayed back to the miko's words.

'_**This might sound crazy, but I think Kise-kun's weakness could be Kuroko-kun.' **_

"Thanks to you, our manager was able to get a weakness out of you," smirked Kagami.

"Weakness?" repeated Kise as he looked over towards the miko. "What weakness?"

'_**I want you to coordinate with Kuroko-kun. It might work…' **_

Kagami chuckled: "I'm sure it wasn't easy for you to say it yourself. With one look? What if you don't see it? Against a guy who is already invisible, it's impossible." He turned to face the blonde. "No matter how athletic you are, you'll never achieve an invisible basketball style." His hand landed on top of Kuroko's head. "In other words…this guy is your weakness."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **I want to apologize in advance if the chapter...wasn't to your liking. Again, don't have high hopes for me as I am trying hard to get the best written chapters out to you.

Remember, updating my stories comes with popularity. I calculate depending on which is in higher demand with reviews, subscribers, and I even get PMs telling me to update a certain story. So please bare with me.

Anyways, thank you for reading! Feel free to give me your thoughts and ideas! I do take them into consideration.

Please review!

Ja~ne!


	5. Last Second Faith

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: I have brought another chapter to you all and a bit longer. Now, before anyone goes and tells me that Kagome is not putting much into the team, it is barely the beginning. She is learning and making connections with people. She is getting there, don't worry. By the next game, Kagome will have a bigger sense on how to help.

Anyways, this is the rest of the practice game with Kaijo vs. Seirin and then Midorima makes a small appearance.

Remember that I do update based on popularity! At the end of this chapter, I will post the updating order for next week due to popularity as of now. It can still change until Friday. It is based on reviews and subscribers. So if one story doesn't get updated in a while, well it is because people aren't interested (I think?) but it will be updated just will take longer than usual.

So here we go! More Kagome and the Kuroko no Basket family! Also, a little trick on how I write...I listen to the original soundtracks to the animes. Totally recommend it as lame as it sounds!

**Chapter 05: Last Second Faith **

* * *

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed while his lips continued to hold his smirk. _'This better work, Kagome!'_

"K-Kagami is powerless against Kise," blinked Hyuga, watching as Kagami's grip remained over Kuroko's head, "but his weakness is…"

"Aside from passing, the weakest guy on the court is his weakness?" Riko whispered before looking over at the miko beside her. "What exactly did you tell Kagami-kun?"

Kagome sighed, watching as Kuroko's eyes slowly moved to the side to glare at Kagami's hold on his head. "I simply told him what I have been observing. I noticed Kise-kun only copying Kagami-kun's moves, but not once did he try in copying Kuroko-kun's. So…a thought occurred that maybe…just maybe he couldn't." The miko shrugged and chuckled nervously while turning her head to face the coach. "It was gamble I took though…"

Riko's eyebrow twitched before coming to hit Kagome lightly behind the head: "Kagome-chan! We can't be taking gambles!"

"Gomen!" she exclaimed back. "But I thought it was worth a shot!"

The coach sighed before turning her attention over to the court. _'But she is right…and her observation makes sense.'_

"So?" spoke Kise, smirking at the nonsense Kagami was spouting. "It's true Kurokocchi's style is the only one I can't imitate. But what does that change?"

The referee soon blew the whistle: "End of the first quarter! Take a two minute break!"

"It changes everything," smirked Kagami. "We will bring you to tears in the second quarter." The tiger released Kuroko and turned around to follow his team to the bench.

The blonde basketball player changed is view, watching as Kagome handed Kuroko his water bottle with a smile. Narrowing his eyes down, he slowly made his way to his own bench. _'Higurashi Kagome…'_

* * *

Kagome sighed, not liking the feeling of having the whole Seirin team looking at her as she sat on the bench. Even Riko was staring at her. Riko nodded upon hearing the small plan the miko had for the next quarter and she had to admit that it was not a bad one.

"It could work," spoke Hyuga, catching the miko's attention.

"Having Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun coordinate in the court hasn't been practiced though…," she replied. "I mean, it was just a thought…"

Riko sighed: "But not a bad one. Just like you said…we may need to gamble on this one."

"But you said we don't gamble on games," blinked Kagome.

"Forget what I said!" she huffed, crossing her arms. She watched as Kagome handed Kagami another clean towel, making her smirk. "Also, Kagome-chan, good job on making Kagami-kun cool down before he returned on the court."

"Huh?" both blinked over to the coach's direction.

Kagami took a step forward: "Wait…no, I was always-"

"You were really pissed!" exclaimed both Hyuga and Shin, watching as he jumped from the sudden yell.

"But, both of your coordination will be key in this game," Riko placed her hands on her hips.

Kagome looked between the two boys and blinked: _'Why do I feel so uneasy about this though? Everything should be okay, right?' _She stood from her spot and caught their attention. "Can…you both do it?"

Kagami looked away from her gaze and shrugged: "Yeah…probably. I mean, we will try-" he was quickly jabbed by Kuroko's hand on his side, making him crouch down from the pain. The miko blinked, surprised from the bold move. Kagami sent the boy a glare while covering his jabbed area: "T-Teme…where did that come from?"

"K-Kuroko-kun…you didn't have to do that…," she whispered to him, watching as his gaze turned to the tiger.

"You want to beat Kise-kun, right?" he questioned.

Straightening back, Kagami looked ahead: "Of course I do!" his own hand jabbed the phantom player back onto his side, making him crouch from the same impact.

"Stop it," Kagome jabbed both her hands on Kagami's and Kuroko's side, watching as they clutched their pain. "I told you to stop the violence! Stop acting like kids and start working together!"

"O-Oi…," glared Kagami.

"Kagome-chan…that really hurt…," whispered Kuroko.

The miko sighed before turning her head over to see the Kaijo team beginning to stand on their feet. "All of you need to work together. We need to take those over confident smirks away, remember?"

Hyuga stood from his bench and nodded: "Kagome-chan is right. We need to show them to not underestimate us."

With a smirk of her own, Riko crossed her arms and watched as her team walked over to the court: "Well, then, let us see how well your plan works, Kagome-chan."

Kagome looked ahead: _'…I hope this works.'_

"Let the second quarter begin!" shouted the referee.

The whistle caught the attention of everyone around, quickly resuming the game. Seconds and minutes quickly passed by as the score continued to go back and forth. One score to each team as they gained the ball with every bit of strength they had inside.

Kagome's eyes looked over to the scoreboard: "Ten point difference now…," her attention returned back to the game, quickly seeing as Kagami caught the passed ball and ran towards the hoop. Kise trailed beside, ready to block his score.

The miko's eyes widened, noticing Kagami's eyes gliding to corner as he passed the ball behind him, surprising not only Kise, but herself the moment Kuroko passed the ball around the blonde and back to the tiger's grip.

"I-It worked…," whispered the miko, wide eyed as Kagami quickly made the basket.

"Yes!" exclaimed Riko, grinning as the ten point difference quickly decreased to five in less than two minutes as the scores increased on their side with each basket.

The coordination continued, making Kagome smile at the display of team work not only that Kagami and Kuroko were displaying, but team as a whole. _'This really might work-'_

Both females watched as Kagami passed the ball to the phantom player behind him, only to have not read his intention and let the ball roll away. Kuroko looked at Kagami's sweat drop, seeing that their team work still need a little bit more polishing.

Riko's eyebrow twitched: "Bakas!"

Kagome sighed, smiling: _'…well, we are going to need to practice their coordination a lot more.' _Shaking her head, she cupped her hands on each side of her lips: "Come on, Seirin!"

Kise tried regaining his breath while tightening his glare on the wooden court. His ears quickly caught the voice of the manager and looked over to see the girl cheering for her team. _'How on earth…what did she tell them during the break? She was the one that told them my apparent 'weakness'…' _

The phantom player turned his head, noticing the glare sent glare Kise gave towards the miko. "Kise-kun, you're strong. I'm powerless and Kagami-kun can't stand against you, but when Kagome-chan pointed out that we should work together, we all saw a fighting chance."

Kise's eyes narrowed down: "You really have changed, Kurokocchi. We never played basketball like this at Teiko, but you still can't stop me. I will be the winner!" He turned to face his opponents, smirking at their glaring looks: "It's true I can't copy your coordination, but since you will lose your effectiveness after forty minutes, you will lose this game in the second half!"

Kagome blinked watching as the blonde player caught the ball in his hand and began to dribble it over to the hoop. She smiled the moment Kuroko stepped in front of him, making him freeze in his steps.

"K-Kuroko's on Kise?" whispered Kasamatsu, watching the serious look on the phantom player's expression.

Kise's eyes widened, never dreaming of the guy coming head to head against him on the basketball court. A smirk crept on Kise's lips: "I never dreamed we would play together like this, Kurokocchi."

"Neither did I."

"I don't know what that manager of yours told you, but her plan won't stop me, Kurokocchi!" he glared before making it around Kuroko and dribbled ahead. His eyes scrunched as Kagami appeared in front of him, blocking his way.

"Wrong," smirked Kagami. "We aren't trying to stop you."

The miko quickly took notice of Kise's guard dropping, making her cup her hands around her lips once again: "Take the ball, Kuroko-kun!" Her eyes watched as Kuroko quickly bumped the ball out of Kise's grasp, surprising him from the sudden action.

Kise looked over his shoulder: _'Nani?! A back tip!? They took advantage of the second I hesitated!' _

"It doesn't matter how amazingly you play against us," spoke Kagami. "We are trying to let you through!"

The ball was quickly passed to Shun, rushing his way towards the hoop and making it in effortlessly.

Kasamatsu's eyes tightened: "Damn it! A simple double team would have been better!"

Riko looked at the miko beside her: "You caught that his defense was down, huh?"

"Well, no one should get cocky. Letting your guard down can easily affect not only yourself but the team. Kuroko's ability can really be used to our advantage if we just know how…," Kagome's lips curved to a small smile. "Kise-kun couldn't even react in time to an invisible guy coming up behind him."

Riko smirked: "You are really getting the hang of this, Kagome-chan."

The miko chuckled lowly: "Well…I am a quick learner I guess…"

Kise quickly caught the passed ball and dribbled it in his spot. "Fine. I just won't run by you then," he glared. "No one said I couldn't shoot a three pointer!" Placing his hands on the ball, he jumped up to free the ball into the hoop.

Kagami placed his hand over Kuroko's head, using it as a supporter to jump higher and knock the ball off Kise's hands. All eyes widened at the sudden move, making the miko's eyebrow twitch: "Okay…I didn't mean use him as a leverage!" Shaking her thoughts away, she watched the ball bounce off: "Kagami-kun! Get the ball!"

Getting back on his feet, the tiger rushed forward: "Fast break!"

Kise followed suit, anger already beginning to smoke out. The blonde quickly turned around only for his hand to hit Kuroko's side of the head. The phantom player dropped to the floor, shocking everyone around in a frozen state.

The miko stood from her spot: "Kuroko-kun!" she called out, watching his body lay on the wooden floor.

Riko came up: "Kagami-kun! Get Kuroko-kun here!"

The referee quickly blew on his whistle: "Referee time out!"

Kuroko slowly sat up, raising his head to reveal the blood trickling from his forehead. Gasping, the miko shook her head and took a small step forward: _'no…it's my fault…' _

The phantom player stood on his own, wobbling from his stand. Hyuga quickly ran to his side: "Are you okay, Kuroko?"

"I feel lightheaded…," he whispered.

Kagome ran to the boy's side and placed her hands on each side of Kuroko's face, bringing it down gently to inspect the wound. Her eyes shook with worry as her fingers gently brushed away a few of his bangs, making him wince lightly.

"Gomen…," she whispered, seeing the blood slowly come down lower to his eye. "Look at you…"

"Are you okay!?" exclaimed Kagami, running to them and seeing the miko inspect the blood.

"I'm fine," Kuroko sent the miko a smile before trying to pull away from her hands. "The game is just getting started."

"You are not fine!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan," he continued to smile. "We still need to finish this game-" his body slowly dropped down to the ground only for the miko to catch him into her arms and drop to her knees.

"Kuroko!" Hyuga watched as their first year had lost conscious.

Kagome looked over to the tiger: "Kagami-kun, could you please carry him over to the bench?"

"Uh…hai…," he bent down and picked up the male and hurried his way over to their seats along with the captain following behind.

The miko stood from her spot and connected her eyes with Kise's. Her eyebrows dropped in worry, seeing his own regretful expression. Kagome looked down to the ground: "Don't worry…he won't hold it against you…"

Kise's eyes widen a bit upon hearing her whispered words. His sight trailed her as she ran over to Kuroko after he had been laid on the bench.

"Kurokocchi…"

* * *

Kagome opened the first aid kit, kneeling down on the ground as the team crowded around to see how she would help. None of them were confident in helping and with seeing blood…they only freaked out even more.

"Kagome-chan…do you know what you are doing?" blinked Hyuga, quite interested the moment Kagome grabbed the supplies she needed.

The miko began to clean the blood off Kuroko's wound, making Shinji gasp: "Y-You aren't scared by the blood!?"

"I have dealt with blood before…," she whispered, knowing that the Seirin team heard her.

"Y-You have!?" they exclaimed.

"Uh…yeah," she replied, grabbing a bandage. "I have healed injuries before and most of them were open cuts."

"Huh…well that surely is new…," muttered Riko. "I didn't think you were good in healing."

Kagome grabbed the white bandages and gently began to wrap them around Kuroko's head. "Well, it isn't something I tell everybody…," Kagome sighed, her hands backing away from the unconscious player. "Well…I have done what I could. That should stop his bleeding."

"What are we going to do then?" questioned Hyuga, turning to the coach.

Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "How is he, Kagome-chan?"

Standing from her position, she looked over to the team. "Kuroko-kun can't play anymore. He will need to stay out of this game."

Nodding, Riko turned her attention back to her players: "We will have to make do with the members we have left." She looked over towards Hyuga. "The second years will be our offensive core. It's only the second quarter, but we can't let them get too far ahead of us. I know it's early, but it's game time, Hyuga-kun." She turned to face the red head. "Kise-kun will only continue to copy you so don't play offense, Kagami-kun. Focus on defending."

"Are you sure that will work!?" he exclaimed.

Hyuga's eyes dropped blankly: "It'll be fine. Have some faith."

"But-!"

"I said it will be fine, dumbass," Hyuga sent him a forced smile. "Listen to your seniors once in a while or I'll kill you." Hyuga took a glance over to the miko, watching as her eyes continued to glue onto the unconscious player. "Besides, go comfort someone," he whispered to the tiger before turning towards the court as the whistle was blown once again.

Kagami turned his head to the side watching Kagome's head hung low in regret.

Hyuga huffed: "Seriously, first years should show more respect for their seniors! Get on your knees!"

"You're showing your true colors, captain!" spoke Shun. "Don't worry about him. He is always like that during clutch time. Leave the offense to him. You just defend like your life depends on it." He followed the captain behind, leaving the tiger to return his gaze back onto the miko.

Scratching the back of his head, he placed his hand on top of Kagome's head, making her jolt slightly from the sudden weight. Looking up, she noticed Kagami's eyes to the side. "K-Kagami-kun…?" she whispered.

"Stop sulking," he whispered to her. "Your plan worked and Kuroko…was happy that you contributed and helped the team catch up. You did well…it isn't your fault." Removing his hand away from her head, he turned back around towards the court. "Now it is our turn to work as a team like you said. Just watch us become stronger for Kuroko's and your sake."

Kagome was left in blinks before returning her attention to Kuroko's body. _'I could heal him…but I can't make it seem so obvious that he healed with a miracle.' _Kagome's eyes dropped down to her hand. _'It has been a long time since I used my…powers. Maybe…I could give him a bit of my energy and transfer it…at least for him to become conscious again…' _

Kagome's attention was brought back as the sound of the ball began to dribble. She watched as the second years began to score one after another with ease, surprising her with their skills. Gripping into her fist, Kagome quietly knelt down onto the floor beside Kuroko, making sure Riko and the rest of the team were not aware of her actions.

Looking around, she saw the area clear before bringing her hand over Kuroko's bandage and made a faint pink glow under her limb. _'Please work…I can't heal him all the way...'_

"Coach," called out Koichi, "isn't there anything we can do?"

"They don't have any energy left for plays after the first half's pace," she sighed. "If only we had Kuroko-kun…"

Kagome could not help but feel at fault over Kuroko's condition and the team's worry. She was the one who had placed Kagami and Kuroko up on front against Kise and now here he was unconscious. Removing the glow from under her hand, Kagome looked over to Kuroko's unconscious state and sighed: _'Please wake up…,'_ she gently placed her hand over his, closing her eyes in pray.

"Very well…"

Kagome's eyes snapped open as she felt Kuroko's other free hand lay on top of hers. Her attention flew over to see the phantom player slowly sitting up from his spot. "K-Kuroko-kun…?!"

Riko jumped from the name and looked over her shoulder, watching as the ghostly haired male's eyes had opened. The miko followed him as he stood on his feet: _'The healing…worked…?' _

"Ohayo gozaimasu…," spoke Kuroko. He stepped forward: "I'll be going then."

"Chotto matte!" Kagome grabbed his wrist, catching his attention. "You are not going out there!"

"But…coach just said I needed to go…"

"I didn't tell you to do that!" she exclaimed, coming to stand in front of him. "Now, Kagome-chan is right! You can't go back in there in your current state!"

"Then I am going out," he replied back.

"O-Oi!" Kagome walked around to stand in front of the coach and glared at the boy. "You just got hit and regained consciousness…you can't go out there!"

Kuroko's eyes dropped upon seeing the worry in Kagome's eyes along with a mix of guilt. "If I can change anything by going out there, please. Besides…," his eyes landed on the miko's, "I can't let you feel guilty over this. I made you and Kagami-kun a promise in which I would become your guys' shadow."

Kagome was left speechless. She didn't want to let him go back into the court, afraid that he might injure himself again and make it worse. Kagome felt his hand on her hers, grabbing it to his eyes. "You did nothing wrong. This is what basketball is about and…your hands were able to bring me out of my weak state if it weren't for your bandaging. You have supported all of us throughout the whole game."

Kagome blushed slightly from his words before he let go her hand and walked past her and towards Riko.

The coach sighed: "Fine, but if I or Kagome-chan think you are in trouble, I'm switching you out immediately."

Shinji walked over the moment the referee blew his whistle of a member change. Shinji gave the phantom player a high five before he walked over to the bench. Kagome took a step to stand beside the coach, watching as Kuroko made his way towards the tiger in waiting. Kagami's eyes took a small glance over to the manager before setting his attention back to his partner.

"Oi."

"Domo."

"Are you alright?" he questioned.

He received a nod.

"And her?" Kagami's head nudged over to the standing miko.

Kuroko looked over his shoulder: "She feels guilty."

Nodding to his response, Kagami looked ahead to the court: "Well, let's show her it isn't her fault and beat these guys. Let's go!"

"Hai."

The game resumed onto the fourth quarter, all eyes watching as Seirin continued to make score after score with the help of Kuroko's passes. Kasamatsu cursed under his breath: "We were just getting used to him, but now he is back at full power! It must be because he stayed out the last two quarters!"

Riko blinked, noticing Kuroko's passing back to normal. "That's weird…Kuroko's passes are back to when we started…"

Kagome dropped her head down to her hand: _'Did…I recover his stamina?' _Curling her fingers in, she turned her attention to the score board. "Eighty to eighty-two…and with five minutes left." Her eyes caught the determination inside the team's eyes, making her tighten her fist beside her. _'This is basketball to them…it is their life. If I can't coach or play…the least I can do is give them some of my energy for their stamina.'_

Hyuga quickly made a shot, making everyone wide eyed at the tie score on the board. Hyuga smirked, watching as everyone only stood in shock from their sudden catch up. Kagome's lips curved into a smile before calling out their name in a cheer along with the rest of the team on the bench.

Kise's fist clenched beside him: _'We're…tied?' _His immediately glided over to the miko, watching as the same smile appeared on her lips. _'She brought Kuroko-kun back into the court…I won't let them win!' _He quickly ran past Kuroko as Kasamatsu passed him the ball.

"Kise!" he shouted.

"Kuroko!" Kagami signaled Kuroko to steal the ball from Kise's grasp only to miss as Kise switched the ball to his other hand.

Riko's and Kagome's eyes widened the moment Kise made the dunk and landed his feet. "H-How..?" whispered Riko.

"He…got even stronger…," Kagome quickly caught the seriousness in Kise's eyes.

"I won't lose," glared Kise. "Not to anyone! Not even to Kurokocchi and that manager of yours!"

"This isn't good," Hyuga wiped the sweat of his nose with his jersey. "Give it your all, everyone! This will be just like the first quarter from here on out. A back and forth run and gun game!"

The team quickly ran over to the other side of the court, defending their area. Riko cupped her hands beside her lips: "Mitobe-kun, post up! Hyuga-kun! Shun-kun, hurry!"

"Kagami-kun! Kuroko-kun!" shouted Kagome, seeing that a plan would be no good and it was left to the players' will of continuing and winning.

The game continued on a fast pace as time continued to tick away. Two minutes were left into the game and each team scored one after another. Kuroko made another pass onto Kagami, helping him into dunk the ball. The board was lead to a tie once again with less than thirty seconds left.

"These resilient bastards!" grunted Kasamatsu as he held the ball in his hands. "Finish them!"

"There is no time left! Get them!" shouted Hyuga. "If we don't take the ball here, it's over!"

Kagami cursed under his breath, taking a step forward before Kuroko's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko walked past the tiger, watching as the Kaijo team dribbled the ball over. "If we can get the ball, there's one more thing we can do Kise-kun can't copy. It's a simple strategy that will only work once, thought."

Riko uncrossed her arms, her eyes tightening in worry: "There is less than ten seconds left. We don't have the strength to play in overtime."

Kagome placed her hand on Riko's shoulder, catching her attention. Kagome's eyes rested on the first year duo: "I think those two…have a plan. All we can do is have faith in them and the whole team."

"Kagome-chan…"

Kasamatsu jumped up, aiming for the hoop only for Kagami to come to the side and push the ball away from his hands. The ball landed on Hyuga's hand gripping it tightly before throwing it over to the already running tiger alongside Kuroko.

"Don't let them through!" shouted Kasamatsu.

Kise quickly appeared in front of the duo as Kagami dribbled the ball. "Kuroko!" Kagami quickly passed the ball over to the phantom player as they went around the blonde.

Kise's eyes widened while turning his attention over his shoulder: "Kurokocchi can't shoot! With only two of them, he will have to pass it back to Kagami!"

Kuroko passed the ball over to the hoop, catching the blonde by surprise. "H-He shot the ball!?"

Kagome smirked, watching as Kagami quickly jumped up and caught the ball in the air. Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed: "No! He is aiming for an alley oop!"

"I won't let you do that!" shouted Kise. He jumped behind the red head only to see him jumping higher. _'He's still climbing?! How far will he go!? We jumped at the same time, but I'm falling first! How can you stay in the air so long!?'_

Kagome gasped: "He is going for a buzzer better!"

"This ends now!" shouted Kagami as he dunked the ball in the moment the whistle was blown. All eyes landed on the score board as the silence grew.

Kagome blinked: "One hundred to…ninety-eight…w-we..won," she looked over to the first year duo and smile. "We won."

"All right!" exclaimed Kagami, breaking the silence.

Riko nodded, extending her arm out in a thumbs up. A chuckle escaped from Hyuga's lips: "I can't believe we won."

Kuroko rested his hands on his knees, a small smile curving his lips as he looked over to the miko. _'Arigatou…Kagome-chan.' _

The blonde was left in a blank stare, his eyes fixed on the scoreboard. _'I lost? For the first time in my life, I…,' _he felt tears slowly stream down his cheeks. "Huh?" wiping them away, he hid his face into his palm.

"You idiot!" Kasamatsu kicked Kise on his back. "Stop crying and you have to have some balls to say you haven never lost before. I'll hit you for that! You better add 'revenge' to that empty dictionary of yours!"

"Line up!" the referee called out with his whistle. Both teams lined up face to face as the referee spoke: "with a score of one hundred to ninety-eight, Seirin High wins."

Kagome released a breath of worry, watching as both teams headed out to the front of the gym. The miko quickly felt a pair of hands lifting her up in the air. A tint of pink spread across her cheeks watching as Kagami cheered.

"K-Kagami-kun!" she exclaimed, embarrassed at the sudden action.

"We won!" he shouted.

Riko chuckled: "Well, that is a rare sight to see him so happy."

"Kagome-chan did put a lot into the game," spoke Hyuga, grabbing his bag. "She may not think she did, but if it wasn't for her, Kuroko and Kagami wouldn't have put their skills to good use."

The coach nodded: "You're right, but…," she smirked, "seeing him like this really is something I want to see often."

"Kagami-kun. Everyone is watching," commented Kuroko.

Kagami's eyes shot wide, realizing what he was doing.

"Put me down!" exclaimed Kagome.

"G-Gomen…," Kagami set her down before looking over to his grinning teammates. "O-Oi! It isn't what you think!"

"Hai, hai," Riko waved him off before the whole team walked out the doors.

"Oi!" Kagami chased after them after grabbing his own bag and jacket. Kagome sighed, straightening her clothing and grabbed the first-aid kit.

"Kagome-chan."

"Hm?" Kagome looked over to the phantom player. "What is it, Kuroko-kun?"

"Arigatou…," he replied.

Kagome blinked: "Huh? For…what?"

"For becoming the light in supporting and helping us," he continued. "If it wasn't for you, we probably would have given up half way through the game."

"I…I didn't do anything, Kuroko-kun," she smiled. "It was all of you who put the work."

"We don't see it that way," Kuroko walked past the miko. "Your words are enough to encourage to move forward." The phantom player exited the gym, leaving her alone by the bench as the other Kaijo benched members began to clean the court.

Kagome looked at the court ahead: _'…so this is the beginning of a new life.' _A small smile appeared on her lips before she grabbed her clipboard and walked over to the doors.

* * *

Kasamatsu's hand grasped Hyuga's as they met for a handshake outside the gym. With a smile, Kasamatsu ignored the angry air his coach behind him began to send off.

"Because we are in different districts, it we play again, it will be at Inter-High," he spoke.

"We'll be there," smiled Hyuga, feeling the bright shine from his own coach behind him. He turned to his teammates: "Let's go then!"

The team moved forward, only for Kuroko to look over his shoulder to see the miko looking around. "Kagome-chan?"

"Ah, gomen…," she whispered. "I was just wondering where…Kise-kun was."

Kuroko blinked, realizing that the blonde had not come out.

* * *

Letting the water run down his head, Kise raised his hand to turn off the knob as he lifted his head up from the outside sink.

"Gemini's horoscope predicted terrible luck for you today, but I didn't think you would actually lose."

Kise's attention turned to his left as he blinked at the green haired person ahead of him. His eyebrows furrowed: "You came to watch, Midorimacchi?"

"Either way, it was an unfortunate game," the green haired male continued. "Even a monkey could have managed those dunks. It's no wonder fate didn't choose your side."

Kise pouted: "I haven't seen you since middle school. It's good to see you again." Smirking, Kise leaned against the concrete sink: "I see you haven't stopped taping your fingers. Anyway, who cares if I dunk as long as it goes in?"

"That is why you're no good," replied Midorima. "Getting the ball in from up close is easy. Getting it in from far away has true value. Optimal effort makes you worthy of fate's grace. I always do my best and I always keep the Oha-Asa horoscope's lucky item on me. By the way, today's item is a toy frog. That is why my shots never miss."

'_I've never understood that last part, but…,' _Kise's eyes rose back up to Midorima's green orbs, _'this is the Generation of Miracles' number one shooter.' _Kise sighed, resting his hand on his hip: "Shouldn't you be talking to Kurokocchi instead of me?"

"There is no need," he replied. "B-blood types like myself and A-blood types like him never get along. I not only acknowledge his style, but respect it, but I cannot accept his decision to attend an obscure school like Seirin. I simply came because we will be going against them in the division preliminaries."

Kise sighed: "Well, it seems Kurokocchi met some interesting people in Seirin," a small chuckle escaped his lips as an image of Kagome went through his mind. "To think that a girl who is their manager was able to figure out a way to defeat us."

"Huh?" Midorima's eyebrow rose. "Girl?"

"Seirin's manager," he replied. "Seems like Kurokocchi became very fond of her and I finally noticed why." His eyes quickly caught the view of the Seirin team walking ahead with Kuroko talking to the miko. "There she is now."

Midorima looked over his shoulder, watching as the miko checked Kuroko's bandage. "She is the manager?"

"She doesn't look like much. I thought she was just another kawaii girl, but she is very observant and quickly helped Kuroko with his wound," Kise sighed. "Kurokocchi can be only lucky guy. Makes me want a manager like her for our team…," Kise placed his fist on top of his other palm: "Got it! I can just convince her to change to this school!"

Midorima scoffed: "Don't be stupid." His eyes glided back over to see the miko walking ahead, telling the team they need to visit a hospital to check if Kuroko was okay. "Her name."

"Huh?" blinked Kise.

"What is her name?"

"Higurashi Kagome," he replied. "Why?"

Adjusting his glasses in, he narrowed down his eyes on the girl: "Higurashi Kagome."

* * *

The Seirin team waited outside the hospital, watching as Riko and Kagome came out with Kuroko after having met the doctor to make sure Kuroko was truly okay with his head injury. Riko gave them a thumbs up: "Everything is okay!"

A sigh of relief escaped everyone's lungs.

"That's great," sighed Hyuga.

"Sorry for making you worry," Kuroko gave them a slight bow.

"I didn't know what would happen when you fell over," spoke Shun. "But we are glad you're all right."

Riko slapped Kagome's back, surprising her: "If it wasn't for Kagome-chan's quick hands on dealing with the injury, Kuroko would have been unconscious the whole time." She gave the miko a laugh. "Even the doctor said that the bandaging was done correctly and she was able to stop Kuroko from having lost a lot of blood."

"Sugoi," smiled Hyuga.

Kagome scratched the back of her head: "Uh well…I had to do what had to be done…"

Shinji raised his hands up in the air: "And thanks to everyone's hard work…we won!"

Everyone cheered in victory as they walked down the side walk. Kagome blinked, looking to her left as Kagami walked beside her. "Kagami-kun? Are you alright?"

Kagami looked down at her and blushed at her blink: "Uh…yeah…," he looked ahead. "You…did great during the game."

The miko chuckled, seeing that politeness really was not the tiger's forte.

"You are bad at giving compliments, Kagami-kun," spoke Kuroko from beside the miko.

Kagami's tick twitched on his forehead: "Oi! Where did you come from!?"

"I was here the whole time," he blinked innocently.

Both males quickly blinked at feeling Kagome's arms linking under theirs. A blush appeared on both males, a darker one on the tiger's. "Both of you did great. I want to thank you two for believing in my plan although it was something that was just thought of last minute…but I want to thank you for having done your ultimate best in winning for all of us."

The miko set the arms free before walking ahead to the coach. Kagami blinked as she began to talk with Riko. "She…really surprised me to be honest. With her plan and all."

Kuroko nodded: "People can be full of surprises, but I can tell Kagome-chan is a special person who has already been through a lot."

"Hm?" Kagami's eyebrow rose.

Before the tiger could ask what he meant, Shun's words broke out to catch all their attention. "Let's get something to eat on the way home."

"What do you want?" asked Hyuga.

"Something cheap," cut in Shinji. "I'm broke."

"Me too," added the tiger as they all walked by shops and restaurants.

"So am I," whispered Kuroko.

"Hold on," spoke Riko, stopping everyone in their tracks. "How much does everyone have after transportation costs?" Riko gathered their change and showed them only the three-hundred yen (approx. three dollars).

The captain sighed: "Let's go home."

Kagome blinked as she noticed a sign on the restaurant beside them. Walking over to the poster, Kagome read the contents. "Ano…would anyone like steak?"

"Huh?" all eyes landed on the miko.

Making her way beside the female, Riko read the poster before her eyes shined. Her smirk was sent to the boys: "yeah, who wants steak?"

* * *

The miko blinked over and over again, watching as each boy was served with a huge four kilogram (eight pounds) sizzling hot steak on their plate. Kagome's lip twitched as she smiled: _'I know the sign said they have to eat it in thirty minutes or less and it is free…but what if they can't?! They have to pay ten-thousand yen if they don't finish it!' _

Riko smiled brightly: "What's wrong? Don't hold back, right Kagome-chan? They did say they were hungry."

Hyuga sighed as he grabbed his fork and knife: "What are we going to do if we can't eat all of this?"

"What?" blinked Riko. "Why do you think I make you run every day?"

Kagome was left awed as the boys began to eat. Her eyes went over to the phantom player as he sat in front of her, slowly eating from his food. She looked over to the other members, slowly yet hurriedly eating the steak.

Shun stabbed a piece into his fork: "This steak is steakalicious."

Shinji coughed on his food before turning his head over to the pun user: "Gomen, but that shit is really annoying right now."

Kagome chuckled nervously, seeing the male had a sense of humor with his puns.

"Excuse me."

Kagome blinked over to see Kuroko wiping his mouth with the napkin. "Are you okay?"

Hyuga looked to his side: "Do you need some water?"

"I give up."

Everyone's eyebrow twitched: "Kuroko!"

Kagome sighed, watching as everyone began to get full. Looking over to her left, she watched as Kagami wasn't bothered by the size and portion of the food and continued to eat. Looking back at the players in front of her, she grabbed Kuroko's plate: "Then why don't we just give it to him."

"Huh?" all eyes went over to the miko as she placed Kuroko's steak on Kagami's plate after he finished his last piece.

"This is delicious!" he exclaimed soon watching as the miko placed Kuroko's portion onto his empty plate. "Oh, arigatou, Kagome!" He began to stuff his face once again, catching everyone by surprise on how much the male could eat.

Kagome chuckled, grabbing Hyuga's plate next: "You have to admit, he looks like a squirrel stuffing his cheeks."

Kagami sent the miko a glare: "Oi!"

"A cute one though!" she defended laughing as she brought Hyuga's steak over to his plate: "Look! More!"

The team blinked, watching as Kagome served a steak one after another and mentally thanked the girl.

'_Arigatou…Kagome-chan! Kagami!'_

* * *

Kagome came out of the restaurant, chuckling lightly as she was overwhelmed with the amount of plates that were beginning to pile as Kagami continued to eat. She had told Riko she needed some air for a while before she would come back to see Kagami's new record of plates.

Opening the door, Kagome stepped out: "Geez…just how much can that tiger eat?" Her eyes looked ahead, blinking as they landed on a familiar blonde. "Kise…kun?"

Kise smiled at the miko: "Do you have a minute to talk?"

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Alright, that is that. Kise will have a small talk with the miko in the next chapter and I won't say anymore. Also this is the current updating schedule:

+Love Hoop

+Fated Souls

+Dimensional Lovers

+Pure Rukh

+Miko and Shinigami Love

All based on reviews, pms, and subscribers I have been getting. This can change until Friday, but it does depend on people, remember. No I am not demanding you to review. That is your choice, but it does help the updating process FOR EVERYONE if they want their favorite story to be updated first.

Anyways, thank you for reading!

Please review (no harsh words).

Ja~ne!


	6. Fair Kidnapping

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: Here is a quick update! Now, another chapter for another story will be put later tonight. Please be patient. Anyways, I added a little Kise and Kagome moments but there will be more interactions. Also, for those wondering about the pairing...I am still trying to figure it out on my own. Probably until chapter 10 will I make an official decision.

As for people thinking that there is too much Kagami and Kagome. Yes there is. Why? Because that is all we got to work with for now until Kagome becomes more involved with the Generation of Miracles. Now I have a very IMPORTANT question.

Should there be "free" chapters where Kagome goes "out" with some of the basketball members whether it be a date or just seeing them randomly in the city? You decide. Just so that the story isn't fully focused on basketball and relationships between Kagome and the basketball guys do deepen? What do you think? Review me your thoughts.

Well, hope you enjoy this!

**Chapter 06: Fair Kidnapping **

* * *

"Ugh…I think I ate too much…," the team walked out of the restaurant, watching as Kagami held his increased sized stomach.

"You really are a monster," Hyuga shook his head, coming from behind after closing the door. "But you did save us from that dilemma."

The phantom player looked around, already feeling the empty presence of a female. He blinked away while turning his head to the other side, seeing the person was not there. Blinking, his ears caught the voice of his coach.

"All right! Is everyone here? Let us head home!" she smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

Kuroko resumed his search with his head turning: "Where is Kagome-chan?"

The team jumped as Kagami and Hyuga looked behind them and seeing the innocent eyes on the phantom player. They had thought he was at the front! Kagami quickly composed himself: "The girl is probably behind you. She is petite."

The team looked behind and noticed the empty presence. Hyuga scratched the back of his head: "Huh? Where on earth did she go?"

Riko sighed: "Mah…she is learning Kuroko-kun tricks!"

Kagami shared a glance with the ghostly haired male beside him: "Do you know where she could have gone?"

"She said she needed some fresh air," he replied.

The tiger nodded and looked over to the team: "We will go search for her! It shouldn't take too long!"

The first year duo quickly walked off, leaving the Seirin team in confusion. Shinji blinked: "Hm, they really are starting to warm up to her, huh?"

"Seems like it," grinned Riko. "Our new manager might make basketball even more interesting this year."

* * *

The miko blinked silently as she walked beside the blonde. She wasn't sure what led her to follow the stranger. Yes, he was a stranger to her, but she didn't sense anything bad from him and if Kuroko trusted him as a friend…then she would trust Kuroko on his thoughts. But the moment she had laid eyes on the blonde standing outside the restaurant, was one she had never dreamed of.

Had he followed them there? From the corner of her eyes, she took in his features. He literally was the meaning of perfection in a guy…at least in looks from what she could see. Personality was something she was far from knowing.

What really caught her off guard was his question in having a talk. Not with Kuroko. Not even with Kagami…but her. She was curious though and she blamed her curiosity into agreeing for his little talk. What she didn't expect was for him to include her in a walk and talk session down the street not too far from the restaurant.

'_The team will probably be wondering where I am now…ugh…,' _the miko sighed silently under her breath. _'How do I explain I met with one of the Generation of Miracles…? They will flip!'_

"You really look kawaii when you are in deep thought."

Blinking out of her talking mind, the miko's eyes rose to see Kise's own golden orbs on her person. A slight blush tinted over her cheeks as his smile appeared on his lips.

"What are you thinking about?" he questioned, lifting an eyebrow.

"N-Nothing…," she looked away, not wanting to admit she was both worried and curious around his presence.

"Hm, worried that your team will chew your head off finding you with me?" he chuckled. "Ah! Gomen!" He stopped in front of her, surprising her in the process. "I guess I never really introduced myself formally to you. How about we start over? Kise Ryouta!" His smile stretched, making the miko wonder how easily his personality and gaze could change from outside and inside the court.

The miko nodded and bowed her head slightly: "Higurashi…Kagome…"

"Well, Kagomecchi," his eyes narrowed, "I have come to be quite interested in you."

'_That nickname again…Kagomecchi?' _It took a second for Kagome to fully process his words into her mind before she took a step back in shock. "Interested in me? What…do you mean?"

"Huh?" Kise blinked, surprised the girl was a bit dense. Leaning forward, he wasn't surprised to see her lean back at the close proximity, earning her a small grin. "Just as I said. I am interested in you." Chuckling under his breath, the blonde teen straightforward before continuing his walk forward. "I am quite curious how you were able to form a plan during the game. You told Kurokocchi and Kagami about my inability to not copy Kuroko's moves, right?"

"Don't see how that can peak your interest," Kagome followed behind him; slowly as she clutched the first aid kit strap over her shoulder.

"The question is how?" he raised a brow, looking at the girl over his shoulder. "No one could have come up with such a fast deduction to my skills and a way to defeat me."

Kagome sighed, dropping her eyes down to her walking feet. "To be honest with you, Kise-kun, I don't even know how I was able to formulate such a plan with them. Today was my first time seeing a basketball game and be involved in one."

"Oh? Is that so?" he smiled, turning his head over to the right. He took notice of the empty basketball court. "You even bandaged Kurokocchi quickly." Kise turned to face the miko, making her jolt from his energetic turn. "I admire your fast work with your hands! You were unfazed by the blood!" He shook his head: "I do horribly at the sight of blood."

"Is that so?" whispered Kagome. Her cerulean eyes dropped to see the basketball resting under his other hand, supported with his hip.

"Is Kurokocchi okay…?"

Kagome blinked, returning her gaze back to Kise's avoiding eyes. He was worried? A small smile curved onto the miko's lips: "Don't worry. He is back to his normal self."

The blonde looked back down to the petite female in front of him, blushing slightly at her closed eyed-smile. "I-I…see. I'm glad…"

Opening her eyes, the miko looked at his dropped expression. She remembered him saying he had lost for the first time and never having lose a game. The memory of his small streaming tears clicked back. The miko tilted her head to the side: "Are…you okay, Kise-kun?"

"Huh?" he returned his attention to the questioning female. Was he okay? Why was she asking that? "What do you mean, Kagomecchi-?"

"You cried," she cut him off softly. "Men don't usually cry unless something they truly cared about was lost or they came across a bad experience. I am not saying you crying was wrong…but I do admire you for doing that in front of all of us. It shows how much you appreciate the sport and the pride you have in your skills." A small smile reappeared: "I…shouldn't be saying this because I am part of another team, but…practice and train, Kise-kun."

The blonde continued to blink, surprised by her encouraging words. From a female who was part of a team that won over them.

Kagome's eyes narrowed down slightly: "But just as you get better and train…we will too."

Kise's lips curved from the side before he burst into a small laugh. Kagome blinked back, taken back from his sudden reaction. Had she said something wrong?

"Gomen," Kise's finger wiped off the laughing tear hanging from the corner of his eye. "I wasn't laughing at you. I was just…taken back that our enemy, a female nonetheless, was encouraging the team they had just beaten."

Walking over to the nearby bench, he set his bag down before stepping over the wooden seat and sat on the back rest. Holding the ball between his hands, he looked over to the miko standing in front of him. "You know…I told Kagami that we were looking for a manager to manage our basketball club."

Kagome blinked, already knowing where this was going.

"Although Kurokocchi turned me down…I am offering you to transfer over to our school," he smirked slightly. "Become our manager."

The miko gripped the strap over her shoulder a bit tighter before sighing and dropping her head down. "Gomenasai…Kise-kun."

He blinked in return.

"But I am happy where I am," she sent him a smile. "I finally found something I am enjoying and with people that are welcoming me with open hearts. I can't abandon them. I can't bring myself to abandon them."

Kise sighed, looking down to the ball in his hands: "I see. Ah! First Kurokocchi turns me down, then I lose today's game, and now…you turn me down. I didn't expect you to say yes, but…I was being serious." His eyes widened: "Chotto! A girl has never turned me down!" His focus laid on the blank look on the miko's.

"Are you really that full of yourself?" Kagome's eyebrow rose.

She earned herself another laugh: "I like you, Kagomecchi! You really are the first girl to not fall for my looks easily!"

Kagome scratched her cheek, turning her attention to the basketball court: "Well…I have seen better…," she whispered lowly. _'Then again…a demons' looks overrule human looks any day.'_

"Y-You have seen better?!" exclaimed Kise. "Where?!"

"N-Nothing!" she laughed nervously. Her eyes calmed down, watching as Kise jumped off the bench. "Ano…I have a question."

"Hm?"

"You were friends with Kuroko-kun during middle school, right?"

Kise sighed: "Somewhat."

"What happened?" she questioned. "I mean, if the Generation of Miracles were all friends…why did you all go your separate ways?"

"Ah…," Kise looked up at the sky. "Kurokocchi…left right after the middle school championship game."

"Eh?" blinked Kagome, watching as the blonde had the ball spinning under his finger. "He…left?"

Kise nodded: "That is when the team kind of broke off. But then again…we all weren't that united," he laughed lightly. He turned his attention to the girl: "And you? What is really the reason you decided to join the basketball club?"

"Me?" Kagome quickly caught the ball in her hands after Kise gave it a gentle throw.

The blonde chuckled: "There must be more to it than just joining to be in a club and feel special."

Kagome's eyes landed on the ball in her hands: "I…am not sure. I guess…"

* * *

"Sheesh, where did that troublesome girl go to?" grunted the tiger, looking left and right as the phantom player walked in front of him. "Now the whole team is looking for her. Oi, Kuroko, does she have a cellphone? Maybe we could call her?"

"I don't have her number," he replied.

"Dammit," cursed Kagami. "We might spend the whole freaking night looking for her!"

Kuroko stopped in his tracks, his eyes set on a particular duo out near the wooden benches. The tiger scratched the back of his head before setting his eyes on the basketball court now occupied with three males. "Oh? Street ball. It's been a while since I have seen that in Japan."

"I found them."

Kagami blinked, looking down at the shorter male in front of him. Tracing his line of sight, he noticed the female they had been looking for with- "K-Kise?!"

Kuroko placed his finger on his lips, telling him to keep it down. He walked around the basketball court and tried to walk silently closer to overhear the talk along with the tiger behind him.

* * *

"I guess…I just want to be able to help others."

"Huh?" blinked Kise. "Help others?"

"I…want to be able to help and support others in their goals and their passions," she continued. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but with Seirin's smiles over their win…I felt warm myself. That I was able to contribute to their happiness made me feel content. Fully content."

"Well, sports is all about winning," Kise placed his hand on his hip. "It is normal for them to act happy that way after they won."

Kagome nodded to his logic: "Yes, you're right about that, but…I felt something different from their win. Their smiles were not of confidence, but modesty. Basketball and any other sport and hobby should be done because you like it and you are able to share it with your teammates." Her eyes landed on his questioning gaze. "Simple as that."

The miko chuckled to herself, remembering back how she had met both Kagami and Kuroko. "To be honest, I was quite impressed when I met Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun. Their love and ambition for the sport really had me questioning it until…I witnessed what they could do. They weren't doing it mainly to win for themselves…but to share their victory with their teammates."

"I don't get it," whispered Kise. "I will tell you this, Kagomecchi. I truly respect you and the way you see things, but…if you continue to think highly of Kagami and Kuroko because of their passion for basketball...no doubt all of you will grow apart."

Kagome's eyes narrowed down in worry at the meaning behind his words.

"You see, Kagomecchi, the biggest difference between me and the Generation of Miracles isn't our physical abilities. They all have a special ability not even I can imitate. I realized during today's game that both are still learning. Just like the Generation of Miracles, Kagami has a unique ability."

'_An ability?' _blinked Kagome.

"For now, he is still an immature challenger. He is enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents. However, someday he will achieve the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. Do you really believe he won't be a different person?" His eyebrow rose in question. "Kurokocchi will see this before any of you do and he will disappear just as he disappeared to us."

A sigh passed the miko's lips: "I appreciate your concern, Kise-kun." Controlling her boiling anger, Kagome sent the blonde a smile. "I truly believe he will get at the level of the Generation of Miracles, but because he has Kuroko-kun and I at his side…we will make sure he doesn't lose sight of what is truly important in the sport. His teammates."

Kise blinked; quite surprised. He wasn't expecting such a calm response from the girl. Chuckling under his breath, Kise took a step towards the miko: "Well…it looks like I wasn't wrong in being interested in you, Kagomecchi. My offer still stands to join our school-"

"There you freaking are!"

Kagome was quickly pushed by the tiger's hand slapping her shoulder away, making her drop the ball. "Why the hell did you disappear?"

The miko rubbed her shoulder: "Itai…"

"Kagami-kun, you shouldn't treat a woman like that," Kuroko came around the tiger and walked towards the miko. He placed his hand on her shoulder: "You need to learn to be gentle."

"Uruse! It is her fault we are looking for her like a lost puppy!"

"Who is the lost puppy?" glared Kagome, continuing to rub her shoulder. "You? Or me?"

Kagami's eyebrow twitched before feeling the stare coming from the blonde. Turning his head, he faced the male: "Yo."

"Were you listening?" smiled Kise.

"I sure as hell was," he took a step forward. "What the hell are you kidnapping Kagome for? Because of you, all of us have to be looking for her!"

"Huh?" blinked Kise. "Who cares if I talk with her a little bit? You have her in your school every day!"

"Because we can't go home!" he shouted back.

Kuroko looked over to the female: "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah…," she turned her gaze to Kuroko. "Gomen…"

The phantom haired male looked over to the two males and sighed. Walking over to the basketball players, he tried calming down the tiger, watching him argue about not having the right to take away their manager without letting them know. A small smile appeared on the miko's lips, watching their interaction before hearing the sounds of a grunting male.

"Damn it, looks like there is some trash over here."

Looking over to the court, Kagome blinked, watching a group of five guys talking to the three students playing basketball. The male wearing a green jacket scoffed, smirking as he took a step forward: "Come on, you have had enough. Give someone else a turn."

"We just got here! Wait your turn!" shouted one of the students.

"Our turn!?" exclaimed on of the thug followers wearing a yellow sweater.

"Now, now," smiled the male behind them. Patting his comrade, the brown haired male smirked at the three students. "Why don't we settles this with some basketball?"

"Who are those thugs?" glared Kagami, turning to see them play.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed, watching as the three students played against three of the thugs, dribbling the ball through the court. They quickly made a basket, making the leader of the group smirk: "Wow, not bad. We might lose."

Before one of the students could dunk the ball, he was quickly thrown back and pushed to the ground by a fourth guy. The innocent male looked up: "Huh? Hey, what was that!? It's three-on-three!"

"What?" questioned the leader. "I said we would play basketball. I didn't say anything about three-on-three."

"What are you saying?" the student barked back, really pissed to see the smirk spreading on the thugs' faces. "That's not fair!"

He was quickly met with a kick in his gut, making him cough from the impact. "Huh? What did you say!?" laughed the leader. "Sorry, I didn't hear you!" his foot rose to kick his face back.

Narrowing down her eyes, the miko made her way to the basketball court: _'Bunch of bullies.' _She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the leader the moment he turned around to face her. He blinked, surprised by her appearance. Since when had she arrived?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" glared Kagome.

"Huh?" he raised a brow. "I'm sorry…but who are you?"

"That is none of your concern," she met held her stare strong. "You shouldn't be bully people like that and especially when you are older! Now apologize!"

The leader's eyes narrowed down as they matched a smirk. "Oh? But this is our territory-"

"Territory my ass!" she spoke, surprising everyone with her choice of words. "Now apologize, you bakas!"

She quickly felt his grip on her uniform's collar and brought her close to his face: "Oi, what your pretty mouth, wench. I wouldn't want to ruin it."

"Try it," she glared. "All you can do is bark about being tough and only bite when cheating! You were playing unfair with them, so if you are not going to apologize, leave them be!"

Kagami's eyebrow twitched, watching the scene unfold: "W-What the hell is she doing!?"

Kise's eyes widened, seeing the exact same thing: "Kagomecchi?!"

"We don't want to, wench," he brought her closer as his grip tightened on her collar. "Now, since you aren't going to shut up, I will silence you myself!" A ball quickly was thrown to his head, letting go of the female in his grip.

The male gripped the side of his head, trailing the orange ball as it rolled back to its owner's feet. "You shouldn't be treating her like that. A woman deserves respect and she is right…there is nothing fair about this."

Kagome blinked: "K-Kuroko-kun…"

"Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?" grunted the leader.

"This isn't basketball," continued Kuroko. "Besides, violence is bad…especially on a female."

The male with the yellow sweater grabbed Kuroko from his jacket and brought him up: "What do you think you're doing!?"

Kagome swatted his hand away from the phantom player and stood in front of him: "Hey! I told you to leave if you aren't going to play fair!"

The leader chuckled as he walked towards the female: "There are still people like this these days. You really are picking a fight with us, aren't you? How about we settle this with basketball. You two against us?"

Kagome's eyes glare lowered before she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. Looking to her left, she blinked to see a smile on Kise's face. "Hmm, what is this? Are you guys bothering my girl?"

'_Your girl?' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched.

"Oi. She is not your girl," glared Kagami, placing his hand on top of the miko's head. His eyes landed on the group of thugs while Kuroko grabbed the ball into his hand and stood beside Kagome.

A chuckle escape Kise's lips: "Well, either way, mind if we play too? You see, you can't possibly think in having the female to your advantage." Kise's smile turned to a more threatening one.

Kagami turned his gaze downwards to the girl under his grip: "Why did you get involved, idiot?"

"Kagome-chan, it could have been dangerous," added Kuroko, looking to his side.

The miko simply sent them a smile, watching as the group of thugs silently awed in fright at the height of the boys. With a sigh, Kagami let go of the girl's head: "Five-on-three is fine. Bring it on."

"What did you say?" glared the leader of the group.

Kagome felt her hand grabbed under Kise's grip as he dragged her behind the hoop with the other three students. Blinking, she watched him send her a wink: "Stay there, Kagomecchi! Just keep your eyes on me, alright?"

"Eh?" she blinked again, quickly seeing the game begin right after getting a small punch on his arm by the tiger for his comment. The game speeded up in fast pace with Kuroko's passing and both Kagami and Kise doing the scoring. Not once did the thugs make a point as their ball was always passed with the help of the phantom player.

"Sugoi…," whispered one of the students standing outside the court line.

Kagome looked over to her right, seeing the excitement and thrill in their eyes to see the trio play against the thugs with little to no effort.

"They are great, huh?" smiled Kagome, catching the attention of the boys beside her. She turned her eyes back to the game, watching as Kise made the shot. "I really wanted to see them play together as a team on the same side…I sure don't regret it," she chuckled while Kuroko passed the ball to the tiger. "I will sure get a scolding after this," she sighed.

The game ended with all the thugs down on the floor defeat to their last sweat of energy. The students blinked in unison: "They…destroyed them."

Kagome grabbed the abandoned ball off the court and walked over to the trio. Handing the ball to its original owner, Kise, she walked forward to grab her things from the bench. Knowing the followed behind, she turned around from the bench and noticed the three looking at her with a glare and their eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" exclaimed Kagami.

Kagome winced at the scolding, averting her eyes to the side. Kuroko came to stand beside her: "Don't need to yell at her. That is why I came between before that guy could harm her."

"And what!?" he shouted back. "Did you think you could win if it turned into a fight?"

"No," he replied with a blank look. "They would have beaten me up."

"Teme!"

Kuroko raised his arm to flex – or at least try. "Look at these guns."

"You don't have any!" his tick appeared on his forehead.

Kagome chuckled at his innocence, catching their attention. Kagami pointed his finger to the miko: "Stop laughing!"

Kise sighed, placing his hand on his hip as he looked at the girl: "Kagomecchi, you sure are beginning to amaze me, but he is right, Kagomecchi. You shouldn't have put yourself in the middle of that."

She blinked: "Huh? But you three came anyways."

"Huh?" all three blinked at her back.

"I know you three would come anyways," she smiled. "Besides, I can't stand watching others bully the weak just because they think they can and have authority. I felt like I need to tell them."

"You should have considered the consequences first!" exclaimed Kagami.

"She forgot to," replied Kuroko.

"Don't help her!" he shouted back.

"Yeah, I will go with that," added Kagome.

"Don't give me that crap! Both of you could have been beaten up!"

Kagome and Kuroko pouted as they looked down and replied: "Gomen…"

Their attention drew over to the blonde as he grabbed his school bag. A smile stretched onto his lips: "Well, I should get going. It was fun playing with you, Kurokocchi. Ah!" He wrapped his arm around the miko's shoulder, catching her off guard to a blush. "I almost forgot! We should exchange phone numbers."

"Why the hell should you two exchange phone numbers?" Kagami's eyebrow crooked up.

"Well, to take her on a date of course," he winked.

Kagome blinked as the blush darkened and spread. Kuroko grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him: "Please stop with your games, Kise-kun. You already have enough girls over you."

"Aww," he whined, "but I am serious about Kagomecchi." His eyes narrowed down to a serious tone. "I will convince you to come to us, Kagomecchi. I will find a way to get your number!"

The miko was left with her eyebrow twitching: "A way…to get my number? Wouldn't that be…stalking?" she whispered to herself.

"Also, don't think I have forgotten about my revenge, Kagamicchi!"

Kagami jolted to the nickname: "K-Kagamicchi!?"

"Ah…so Kise-kun has come to respect you," nodded the miko.

Kuroko turned to the tiger: "Kise-kun adds '-cchi' to the names of those he acknowledges."

"Congratulations!" chuckled Kagome as she patted the tiger's arm.

"I don't want that!"

"Don't lose in the preliminaries!" exclaimed Kise as he began to walk away and soon disappeared from their line of sight.

"Seriously, you knew better than to get into it too, Kuroko!" glared Kagami as the phantom player turned to face him.

"Ano…"

Catching the faint voice of the female in front of them, both males turned to face the miko. "Can I ask you both something?" she questioned to them. Turning to their eyes, she looked straight into their silent stares. "Did…both of you hear my conversation with Kise-kun?"

Kagami raised his eyebrow: "About parting ways? We all don't even get along in the first place."

A small smile appeared on the phantom player's lips: "We did hear and…we appreciate your words. We all can't do it alone if we want to beat the Generation of Miracles."

Kagome blinked before nodding slowly as her head dropped. She felt a light pat on her head and looked up to Kuroko's sky blue eyes: "Don't worry. We will stick together…no matter what."

"Besides," cut in Kagami, "we decided to be Kuroko's light, remember? Since that is his basketball way."

A small smile appeared on her lips as Kuroko's gaze remained on the tiger. Kuroko blinked: "Kagami-kun, you say some pretty deep stuff."

"U-Uruse!"

* * *

"There you are! Sheesh!"

Kagome flinched upon hearing the coach's voice as she and the two boys behind her walked out the park's entrance. Kagome was quickly pulled by Riko's hand and yanked away from the first year duo. Riko glared at the miko: "Where the heck where you!? We were looking for you!"

"G-Gomen!" Kagome closed her eyes, feeling the intensity of the coach's glare.

"Ah, there you are," blinked Hyuga with the rest of the team behind him. "We were worried you got kidnapped or something."

"She was," scoffed Kagami. "That idiot Kise took her away."

"K-Kise!?" exclaimed the team, watching as Riko let go of the girl, surprised herself.

"K-Kise-kun spoke to you?" blinked Riko.

Kagome scratched her cheek: "Uh…well just a bit."

"He wanted to take her as his basketball club's manager," spoke Kuroko.

"Eh!?"

Riko quickly grabbed the miko in her arms: "No way! He is not taking her away! She is ours now!" She huffed, linking her arms with the manager. "Now let us go before he comes back and kidnaps you!"

She glared at the road ahead, dragging the miko to the bus stop. The Seirin team followed behind, chuckling as the coach was beginning to become over protective of the girl.

* * *

"Well, that should do be enough copies," Kagome looked at the stack of papers in her hands as she stood in the copy room in the school building. It had been two days since the practice game and Riko was determined to train their stamina, seeing the team had been tired from just that one game.

'_I guess that is the post-result after going against one of the Generation of Miracles,' _a sigh passed Kagome's lips. _'And Kise-kun mentioned himself being the weakest of the other four...' _Her eyebrows furrowed upon seeing the name 'Shutoku' on the sheet of paper. _'Riko-senpai had told me to research some of the school and couldn't help but read up on this school. Not only are they in the top eight in the nation, but…apparently one of the Generation of Miracles is in that team. I just wonder who…' _Looking at the screen of the copy machine, Kagome sighed: _'Maybe I should contact Kise-kun and ask him?'_

Shaking her head, she grabbed the last copy from the machine and straightened them out before leaving the room. Walking towards the gym, the miko opened the doors to the gym and noticed the team practicing their runs with Riko blowing the whistle as they reached the end over and over again.

Kagome walked next to the coach, catching her attention. "Oh, Kagome-chan! Are they done?"

"Huh?" she blinked. "Yeah, I was able to organize them the best I could."

Riko grabbed a sheet and looked it over: "No, it looks fine. Did you read the information that I gave you about the preliminaries?"

The miko nodded: "Yeah, I was able to understand the information about the tournament."

"Great! So you explain to the boys!"

"Eh?" blinked Kagome.

"Don't worry, Hyuga-kun will help you in the explanation if you need it!" Riko grabbed her whistle and blew on it to catch the team's attention. Motioning them over to circle around them, Kuroko blinked to see the miko looked over at the papers in her hands.

"What are those?" he questioned.

"Oh, these are the tournament stats. I was able to contact the Inter-High and district committee to give me the schools that will be participating," Kagome handed everyone a sheet. "From here, you can see who you will be going up against." She sighed, returning to stare at the boys as their attentions remained on the sheet of paper. "The preliminaries start as a tournament, obviously."

"In other words," cut in Hyuga, "if we lose, we are out. We can't let our guard down for a single game."

Nodding to his words, Kagome returned back to the paper in her hands: "Correct me if I am wrong, Hyuga-senpai, but as far as I understand it, Tokyo has blocks A through D. The winner of each block goes on to play in the championship league. The top three teams from the championship league participate in the Inter-High." Her hands dropped to her side: "Only three schools are chosen out of three hundred participating schools. Only the chosen one percent will stand on the main court which is the Inter-High."

Riko patted the girl's back: "Wow, you really got it down! I am so proud of you!"

"A-Arigatou…"

Kuroko blinked: "How long until the preliminaries?"

The miko smiled: "Three weeks."

Hyuga took a step forward: "We fell short last year, but we will definitely go this year. We will be facing a lot of strong schools, but our biggest and strongest opponent is Shutoku High. Last year, they were in the nation's top eight."

Kagome sighed: "I did a bit of research on Shutoku…just like Kaijo, they have one of the Generation of Miracles on their team."

"Eh?" blinked the team, a bit surprised on the news that they would be competing against another Generation of Miracles member so soon.

Riko lowered the sheet from her person: "If we can't beat them, we won't make it to the Nationals."

"Hm, do you know which Generation of Miracles it is?" questioned Kagami.

Riko shook her head: "Unfortunately, no. But, we have a bigger problems to worry about."

Kagome looked over to the coach: "Oh, did you go to see our first opponent's practice game?"

"Hai," she sighed, "but, we shouldn't be worrying about Shutoku when our first match isn't looking good. One of their players might give us trouble. You can watch the video later." She handed Kagome her phone to show everyone the pictures she took of the practice match. "Take a look at this picture."

Kagome blinked before flipping the phone and waited as the team stood around her to see the screen. Kagome's eyes widened a tiny bit at the picture of cat.

Hyuga blinked a few times: "T-This is…"

"Kawaii," smiled Kagome.

"Ah, gomen," Riko shook her head and waved her hand: "It's the next one."

"The next one?" Kagome clicked for the next picture and all eyes focused on the picture of a tall dark skinned basketball player.

"His name is Papa Mbaye Siki," explained Riko. "Two meters tall and weight 87 kilograms (191 lbs.)."

Kagome looked over to the coach: "Is he foreign student?"

Riko nodded: "Hai, he is from Senegal."

"Senegal?" repeated Hyuga, grabbing the phone from Kagome's hand to take a closer look. "He is huge! Two meters!?"

"Is this even allowed?" blinked Shinji.

"He is studying abroad?" questioned Shun. "Ah, gomen, but where is Senegal?"

Kagami crossed his arms: "He is just big."

"Papa Mbaya- ah wait…what was his name again?" Kagome stuttered, already having forgotten the pronunciation.

"Papanpa?" blinked Shinji. "It's Papa Try-Hard."

Shun jumped slightly as a pun entered his mind: "Papa…Papaya Ito."

The team began to converse between each other, more worried about the name. Riko sighed: "We are not getting anywhere."

"Tell me about it," chuckled Kagome. She looked over to the phantom player: "Ah! Kuroko-kun, why don't you give him a nickname?"

Kuroko placed his fingers under his chin in thought. "Hm…how about 'Dad', then?"

Shinji shrugged "Where is your naming sense?"

"Dad?" blinked Shun. He quickly pulled out his small notepad and pencil. "Dad's company is a dud."

Everyone began to laugh under their breath over the nickname leaving Kuroko blinking at the confusion on the humor. Kagome sighed: "Hm, so for this Dad, we will have to…"

She watched as the team continued to laugh, making her sigh again: "They aren't listening."

"That is why you need to be in control," smirked Riko.

"Huh? I can't do that," blinked Kagome. "I'm not the coach."

"Eh, we can share the job," she chuckle. She turned her glare onto the team: "Oi! Listen!"

The team quickly jumped and froze at the sound of her threatening voice. Seeing their attention was now focused, Riko placed her hand on her hip: "He is not just tall. His arms and legs are long too. Everything about him is big. More and more schools are inviting students from abroad to increase their power."

Kagome looked down at the sheet of paper again: "Hm, so our next opponent, Shinkyo High, will be a tough start."

Nodding, Riko faced the first year duo: "So, Kagami-kun, Kuroko-kun, starting tomorrow, the two of you will have your own training regimen and since it was Kagome-chan who had made this combo…she will keep an eye on you two."

"Huh?" Kagome blinked away from the paper, seeing all the stares on her. "C-Chotto matte…I can't train them!"

"Yes you can!" Riko placed her arm around her shoulders. "Besides, those two listen to you very well!"

"Ah…wait-"

Riko faced the team with Kagome under her arm: "The preliminaries start on May sixteenth. Until then, you won't even have time to complain!"

Kagome sighed; defeated. She knew she couldn't win under the coach's orders. Feeling Riko's arm come off from her, she blinked upon seeing Kuroko standing in front of her. "Kuroko-kun?"

"I look forward to working with you, Kagome-chan," he nodded.

Kagami came from behind the male, looking down at her: "Hope you can keep up."

Kagome smirked back: "Hm, we will see."

"Alright, so for the rest of today, continue to what you were doing. Real training starts tomorrow," Riko blew her whistle.

Watching as the team walked back to the court with balls in their hands, Riko looked to her side and noticed Kagome grabbing her school bag. "Where are you going?"

"I…am going to do some research," she answered.

"Research?" blinked Riko.

"I am going to ask…a friend about Shutoku," she replied before smiling at the coach.

Riko's eyebrow rose: "Oh? Who is this friend?" she had a sense on who the friend was. A small smirk appeared on her lips: "Could it be-!" the coach blinked as Kagome placed her hand on her lips before she could release the name.

Kagome sighed, slowly releasing the coach's lips. "I mean…I don't want to bother Kuroko-kun with this since he is trying to concentrate on this team now and now that he is working together with Kagami-kun, I don't want it to be a distraction."

"Hm," Riko crossed her arms. "Very well. You can go." She gave the girl a wink: "I will make sure those two don't find out where you were."

"Arigatou," smiled Kagome, clutching the strap of new basketball equipment bag, she turned around.

"Make sure you tell me what you find out," smirked Riko.

"Don't worry, I will," she waved her off and headed out the door before checking her phone. "Hm, he should still be at Kaijo practicing." Kagome walked out the school gates and headed towards the bus stop. "I should really start getting people's numbers…"

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well, that is the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed.

Hm, can you guess who Kagome will be meeting with? Probably. Now I am trying to see if Kagome should meet with Midorima. What do you think? Also, I couldn't help myself by adding the whole Papa Mbaye part. I loved that part in the anime. I actually had to re-watch the episode to get Shun's puns. I am not very good with puns haha.

Anyways, please review and tell me what you think.

P.S.: There will be another update on another story later tonight!

Thank you for reading and hope you all enjoyed and review! (Read my note from the beginning to tell me what you think!)

Ja~ne!


	7. Blocked Fate

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes**: An extra-long chapter for all the love that this story has received, this is my gift to all of you and the reviewers! Now, another reason it is extra-long is because I will be leaving the state this coming Sunday for my one-week Spring Break from school, so I am not sure if I will be able to update next week. Depends. If I can write the chapters before Sunday and save them during the week, I will. If not...I am sorry if I do not update next week.

Okay, this chapter goes through the preliminaries pretty quick, because let's face it...we don't want to see or read all that. We want the Generation of Miracles, right? Anyways, so I got a few requests and I was debating whether I should go along with them and at the end, I said yes to those requests. So to **kakashixangela, amy1945, SilverStar56! **I have added Takao and Kasamatsu into the mix!

Why? Because after watching Kuroko no Basket so many times, I learned to love not only the main characters, but the side characters as well. I know I am not the only one. No, they won't have the whole "romance" with Kagome, but a few interactions wouldn't hurt, right? Sorry if some people disagree, but these boys deserve some "show" time as well!

Anyways, I do listen to some request and consider them! So feel free to voice out your ideas!

Hope you all enjoy!

**Chapter 07: Blocked Fate  
**

* * *

Clutching the strap of her school bag around her shoulder, Kagome gave herself an encouraging sigh as she closed her eyes. _'You can do this…this is just to get information.' _Opening her vision ahead, she noticed the empty school campus with only the few students walking around due to after school activities.

Oh, she was definitely the odd one out with her uniform giving away her foreign status. Deciding it was now or never, the miko stepped into the campus and walked towards the gym she had her mind set on. "I do hope he is still there."

Her ears caught the sound of balls echoing through the practice court as she peaked her head inside the open door. Blinking, she noticed the Kaijo basketball team beginning to clean and pick up the equipment around the court.

The miko set herself inside, watching the team place some of the basketballs onto a basket along with some members cleaning the floors for the next day.

"Make sure the hoops are put up before we leave!"

Catching the voice, her eyes were set on the male with short black hair as he pointed over to the hoops. He bent down to pick up a few empty water bottles and turned around only to jump slightly at the sight of the miko standing before him.

"Ah…hi," she smiled; at least to the best of her ability. She wasn't invited her so it was a definite awkward situation to be on Kaijo's campus, nonetheless, seeing the basketball team. Her eyes set onto the Kaijo's basketball captain as she scratched her cheek: "Um, am I interrupting anything?"

Blinking, she noticed the slight blush appearing on his cheeks: "A-Ah….y-you're Seirin's manager…," he coughed out the lump in his throat, really taken back by her sudden appearance. "W-What are you doing here?"

Why was he stuttering? Kagome shook her mental thoughts away and looked down in embarrassment seeing that her reason could be taken another way. "Um, sorry for intruding but I was wondering if I could speak with-"

"Kagomecchi!"

Both teens turned their heads to the side, watching as a familiar blonde dropped the two orange balls in his hands and flung himself towards the miko. Kagome took a step back, seeing the intended tackle only for his captain's foot to kick him away.

"Oi! Don't just drop things when we are supposed to be cleaning or I will hit you!"

'_I think…he already hit him,' _Kagome gave herself a mental twitch, watching as Kise rubbed the side of his ribs.

"Aw, Kasamatsu-senpai, I was only greeting Kagomecchi," the blonde teen stood onto his feet, setting his eyes on the miko behind his captain.

Kasamatsu glared at the first year before turning his attention to the staring female behind him. The same dust of pink sprinkled over his cheeks as her eyes met his. "G-Gomen...I know that having him tackle you isn't…what you would w-want…"

Kagome tilted her head to the side with a light chuckle: "Oh, don't worry about it, I probably would have done the same."

"Hidoi!" Kise released a few forced tears as he rubbed his eyes.

Kaijo's captain fully turned his attention to the female, scratching the back of his head while avoiding her stare: "So…w-what is Seirin's manager doing here?"

Kise made his way to stand beside his captain, smiling down at the miko: "Hm, you came all the way from Seirin? Did they send you here? Shouldn't they be practicing right now?"

"Uh, no. Not really," the miko came to scratch her cheek again, dropping her eyes onto her feet. "I came to talk to Kise-kun."

Both males blinked at the sudden request. Kise's grin appeared while leaning towards the female: "Oh? Came to ask me out on a date now?"

Leaning back, the miko's eyebrow rose: "Don't flatter yourself. I am here…to ask a few questions."

"Questions?" straightening up, the blonde placed his hands on his hips. "Well, what are these questions Seirin's kawaii manager has for me?"

"Baka!" Kasamatsu smacked the back of Kise's head. "You still have to clean up or did you forget?! Don't think you can get out of this just because she is here!"

Kagome blinked, realizing that she had interrupted their time in finishing their club's tasks. "Ah, gomen!" she gave them a slight bow. "I-I don't mind waiting for the team to finish." She sent the captain a close-eyed smile, not noticing the faint blush appearing once again on his features. "Um, that is if you don't mind me waiting here?"

Clearing his throat, Kasamatsu rubbed the back of his neck with his hand: "W-Well…I don't mind…"

Kise quickly grabbed the dropped balls into his hands: "Kagomecchi! I will come back in no time and we can go on our date, alright?"

The miko's eyes widened: "It isn't a date!"

The blonde began to gather everything off the benches and piled them all up into one basket only to be kicked on his back by Kasamatsu himself. "If you are going to clean up, do it right, baka!"

"Mah…," sighed Kagome, smiling as she watched the lecture the captain gave to the first year, "basketball players are sure a handful…"

* * *

"Oi, coach!"

Riko looked ahead from her clipboard as she held the whistle between her lips. Blinking, she noticed the tiger drenched in sweat while drinking from his water bottle.

"What is it, Kagami-kun?" she questioned. She could already feel where this was going.

"Where is Kagome?" he raised a brow, looking around the gym to see no presence of her around. "Did she go home already?"

Riko gave out a nervous laugh, remembering the miko having gone to visit the Kaijo territory to speak with none other than Kise himself. Both females knew the Seirin team would question and flip if she had gone by herself and Kagome had trusted her into keeping that a secret.

"Ah, y-yeah," the whistle dropped down to the hanging necklace around her neck, quickly dropping her eyes to the clipboard in front of her. She only hoped that Kagami would take the answer and leave it be, but a tiger's curiosity was far greater than that.

"Hm, she usually waits for Kuroko and I to walk back home," Kagami took a gulp from his bottle, before jumping from Kuroko's voice.

"She seemed to be in a hurry," commented Kuroko, scaring both the tiger and coach as he _appeared _beside the red head.

"Oi! I told you to stop sneaking up like that!" glared Kagami, lowering his bottle to his side.

Kuroko tilted his head up to give him his attention: "I was here before you, Kagami-kun. I had asked the same question to the coach, but I guess she didn't hear me…"

Riko's lip twitched: _'more like I didn't see you...,' _shaking her head, she smiled at the phantom male: "Ah, gomen. I guess I was just really concentrated with the training plan."

Kagami scoffed: "Well, I just hope that girl doesn't run into any more trouble! That girl looks for it, I tell you!"

Kuroko grabbed a clean towel from the bench, clearing the sweat from his forehead. "Hm, coach, do you have Kagome-chan's number by any chance?"

"Huh?" Riko blinked before nodding. "Yeah, I do. I got it from her contact information sheet when she signed up to be the manager."

Kagami watched as Riko flipped through the papers on her clipboard and showed them the sheet with the miko's name written on it. "See?"

The tiger quickly snatched the paper and handed it to the ghostly haired male: "Here, text her and ask her where she is."

"Oi, you should be getting her permission to have her number," glared Riko. "I had to ask her if it was okay for me to put into my contacts!" Her head turned towards Kuroko, hearing the sounds of buttons being clicked onto a keypad. "Oi! She is going to kill me!" She lunged forward and snatched the sheet back.

Kuroko looked up from his screen and blinked: "Arigatou, coach."

"W-Wait! You already got it all?!" her eyes widened.

Kagami gave a low scoff again, placing his water bottle back on the bench: "Her fault for not sharing her information with her teammates. She is the manager after all." Turning back to face his partner, he spoke: "Did you text her?"

He gave him a nod: "Hai. I asked where she was."

The tiger walked towards the court, shaking his head: "As long as that Kise bastard doesn't come across then, I am fine wherever she is at."

"Kagami-kun, Kaijo is nowhere near Seirin. She would have to take a trip through the bus," commented Kuroko, following him behind to return to practice.

Riko's eyebrow twitched: _'They…got her number…just like that.' _With a heavy sigh, the coach crossed her arms: _'And if only they knew it was Kagome-chan who went to see Kise-kun. They would surely flip the moment they found out.' _Shaking her head, she grabbed her whistle between her fingers: _'But it is all for research. She is helping the Seirin team evolve.' _

Blowing the whistle between her lips, she directed everyone into a sit-up position.

* * *

The miko sighed as she leaned against the outside gym's walls. After Kise and the team had finished cleaning for the day, he had told her they just needed to shower and change before they could go on their 'date' as he would word it.

She shook her head: _'Seriously, it is just a talk. That boy really gets his hopes high.' _

Hearing a nearby door open, her attention drifted to the side seeing the captain come out from the locker room in his gray school uniform while patting down the shoulders of his coat. Leaning away from the wall, the miko made her way to him, catching is his attention.

"Oh? Is Kise-kun not ready yet?"

Kasamatsu leaned back at her presence; the miko quickly catching on his uncomfortableness around her. "N-No…he is barely changing."

With a nod, the miko slowly dropped her eyes to the floor: "Oh, well, I can still wait."

The captain scoffed, turning his attention towards the closed locker room door. "Oi! Kise! Hurry up!"

"W-Wait!" he shouted back from his inside. "I have to look good for Kagomecchi!"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched: "Seriously…it is just a talk…," with a sigh, Kagome adjusted the strap of her school bag on her shoulder and turned her attention towards Kasamatsu's tie. "Um…your tie…"

"Huh?" seeing her eyes locked onto his black tie, he noticed the crooked look it held. His blush made a comeback, realizing the disorder image he was giving off. "A-Ah…g-gomen…," his fingers shook and fidgeted as he tried to correct the necktie only to have no victory over the black fabric.

Seeing his distress over the tie, Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at his nerves getting the best of him. Why he was nervous…she didn't understand? He seemed composed and confident when he was playing against Seirin and when he spoke to his teammates, so what had changed outside the court?

"Here," Kagome's fingers came to his tie, freezing his body in the process upon realizing she was beginning to fix his trouble. In a quick second, the miko had the tie to its supposed position and smiled at the captain who was definitely taller than her. "There, all fixed now."

Kasamatsu could feel his blush increase in hue, quickly averting his eyes away from hers. "A-A-Arigatou…"

Kagome's index finger came to scratch the side of her cheek: "Gomen, I guess I should have asked if you wanted help, but your hands were shaking a bit." A light chuckle danced into his ears as she continued to speak. "Gomen, I know I shouldn't be here and probably making you uncomfortable."

Seeing the many apologies she was giving to him, Kasamatsu turned his attention back to the miko. "A-Ah…no…it isn't that-"

"Kasamatsu-senpai just gets nervous around girls."

Both teens turned to see Kise smiling while placing his own school bag around his shoulder. He smirked, seeing the glare on the blonde's face: "He doesn't do well around them."

"Kise, uruse!" Kasamatsu quickly kicked the blonde's side, making him grunt from the impact.

Kagome blinked: "Ah…I see. Well, gomen, again."

Kasamatsu looked towards the miko and sighed: "R-Really…its okay."

Kise crossed is arms while pouting: "But really, taking advantage that I wasn't here to get closer to Kagomecchi, Kasamatsu-senpai? That isn't fair!"

Kasamatsu's eyebrow twitched: "I am going to hit you!"

The blonde quickly set his hands defensively before: "Gomen! Gomen! I will stop!" His eyes landed back on the miko: "So? What did you want to ask about?"

The miko sighed, before wrapping her fingers around the strap of her school bag. "I came to ask about Shutoku High."

Kise's and Kasamatsu's eyebrows rose, confused as to why the girl would be asking about another school. Kise blinked: "Why did you come here to ask about Shutoku High?"

"I know one of the Generation of Miracles is there," she replied, setting her eyes on the golden orbs of the blonde. "Which one is it?"

The captain looked over to the blonde: "Hm, do you know?"

Kise released a sigh, before nodding: "Of course."

"What's his name?" questioned Kagome.

"Midorima Shintaro," he smirked.

Kagome blinked upon hearing the name: "Midorima…Shintaro? Could you…tell me what you know?"

"I would be happy to!" he smiled.

Before the miko could part her lips to ask her next question, she was met with Kise's phone screen and the keypad ready for her.

"But I won't give the information for free," he tilted his head to the side, keeping the grin on his face.

Kasamatsu glared at his first year: "Oi!"

Kagome sighed, looking back at Kise's grin: "My number, I suspect?"

Kise said nothing more but continued to smile, taking it as a yes. He opened his eyes, watching as the miko grabbed his phone and began to dial her number for his contacts. She knew doing this was going to get her into a whole different dilemma, but she needed the information for Seirin. She even felt bad because not even her own teammates had her number except for Riko! Sighing lowly, she typed in her name and handed him back his phone.

"There."

Nodding, Kise placed his phone into his pocket, raising an eyebrow: "Should we talk somewhere else, then?"

"Ano…do you mind if it is closer to my home? I can't really go home too late," she scratched the back of her head.

Kise blinked before turning his head over to the side towards his captain. With a smile, he nodded: "I don't mind. Besides, I hear you have a Maji Burger near there. I have been wanting to try it."

* * *

"Did she reply?" Kagami swung his school bag over his shoulder, watching from the corner of his eyes as Kuroko looked at his own phone screen.

"No," he replied, clicking to see if his eyes had missed her message, but the reality was that there was no reply.

"Tch," Kagami shook his head, "that girl!" Walking towards the exit of the school gates, he and Kuroko had been the last ones out of the locker room after practice, hoping to get a reply from the girl.

"She probably ignored it, seeing that she doesn't recognize my number," concluded Kuroko, following the tiger beside him.

Scoffing again, Kagami placed his hands inside his pockets: "Well, tomorrow we can question her."

Kuroko continued to look ahead, blinking as he did: "She isn't a criminal."

"Never said she was!" he exclaimed back. "Just wondering-"

"Worried," cut in Kuroko.

"Wondering!" he shouted his correction. "Wondering why she left early," his hand was laid on his stomach. "I am starving! Coach really isn't playing around with training."

Kuroko nodded to his statement: "Let's to Maji Burger."

"Sounds good to me," he replied. "I could really go for ten burgers."

"When can't you."

Kagami's eyebrow twitched at his words, turning to the phantom player beside him: "T-Teme!"

* * *

Kagome sipped from her shake feeling the intense and lovable stares they were getting on their table, well…Kise was anyways as he sat across from her. She could feel the envy of some girls stabbing into her person. It wasn't like she wanted to be here!

Kise smiled, crossing his arms: "I never thought I would be with a kawaii manager so soon, but…," he quickly turned to his side with a teary expression, "why are you here, Kasamatsu-senpai!? This was supposed to be a date between Kagomecchi and me!"

Kasamatsu took a bite off his fry: "Get over it. She said it herself – this isn't a date."

"Why are you two so mean?!" Kise turned his attention back to the miko, watching as she jumped slightly from the sudden stare. "Tell him he isn't allowed to ruin this date!"

"He is more than welcomed to join," she blinked; innocently as she placed her shake down onto her tray.

"Besides," cut in Kasamatsu, "I am curious about Midorima Shintaro as well. No doubt they will be going to the Inter-High tournament so it benefits me to know."

Kise sighed, coming back to steal one of Kagome's fries from her tray: "Well, to be honest, I have no idea how much he has improved, but I saw him right after our practice game with Seirin."

"Huh?" Kasamatsu blinked, surprised that the blonde had kept that information. "He came to Kaijo?"

The blonde nodded before biting into the fry: "He was watching our practice game apparently."

"He was there?" questioned Kagome. "How did I miss him?"

"It is easy to miss him, really," chuckled Kise. "He likes to blend in with the crowd and doesn't like all the attention on him. Instead of consoling me after the practice game, he pretty much stabbed me with cold harsh words." Kise shook his head, sighing while resting his cheek on his palm. "The coldest tsundere I have met."

"T-Tsundere?" blinked Kagome, taken back by the sudden description.

Kasamatsu took a sip of his drink before speaking again: "And his skills?"

Taking a pause, Kise closed his eyes before opening them into a more serious gaze. "He is Generation of Miracle's number one shooter."

Kagome blinked: "Number one shooter?"

"A prodigy in making three-pointer without missing," continued Kise. He waved his hand up and down: "He is a threat to most players if they can't find a way to defeat his skill, but I never took him seriously. He has this obsession with _lucky items._"

"Lucky…items?" questioned Kasamatsu, seeing the chuckle escaping Kise's lips.

"Believes in horoscopes and all that," he explained. "So why the sudden interest on Shutoku High, Kagomecchi?"

Kagome sighed, before grabbing her cup in her hand: "The preliminaries will start soon and in our district, we will be going against Shutoku High…but only if we win the games we have beforehand."

"R-Really?" Kasamatsu turned his attention to the girl.

With nod, Kagome brought the straw to her lips: "Yeah, so I wanted to know about the Generation of Miracles' member that joined the school there. If you say he is a prodigy in three-pointers I can already sense a bit of trouble."

"You may not take Midorimacchi seriously at first because you will be taken back by his _items, _but Seirin will have trouble. He never misses."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed: _'Never misses…'_

Before Kagome could take a sip from her milkshake, the trio on the table jumped slightly as a tray of burgers were dropped in between the blonde and miko. Kagome blinked, seeing the mountain of burgers on the tray.

"Oi, is this why you weren't answering your phone?"

She could hear the anger in the tone. Tilting her head up, her eyes slightly widened at the sight of the tiger's glare on her. "K-Kagami-kun?"

The tiger's eyes were set on the two Kaijo members only to have his eyebrows furrow in further. "What are you doing here? Isn't Kaijo far from here?"

Kise smirked: "Why, Kagomecchi visited us after practice and said she wanted to talk to us."

"Is this why you left early?" Kagami's eyebrow rose.

Kagome pouted with a glare of her own: "…you make it sound like I am not allowed to go anywhere."

"T-That isn't what I meant!" he exclaimed. "Why are you even with this guy!?"

"Kagami-kun, please sit down. You are attracting too much attention."

All three at the table jumped at the sight of Kuroko sitting next to the miko as he sipped on his vanilla milkshake. Kasamatsu blinked multiple times: "O-Oi…when did you get here?"

"Kuroko-kun?" blinked Kagome, seeing his head turn to her direction.

"You should have told us you were going to see Kise-kun," he spoke, seeing the confusion on her face. "You shouldn't trust him that much."

Kise's eyes widened before releasing another round of fake tears: "Hidoi, Kurokocchi!"

Kagami set himself at the edge of the table and began to unwrap one of the burgers: "Well, why didn't you at least answer your phone, Kagome?"

"My phone?" she whispered. Her hand quickly dove inside her bag, finding the device and noticing the silent icon at the edge. "Ah, gomen…it was on silent the whole time."

Kagami sighed before taking another bite from his food: "Put it on sound next time."

Kagome's raised her eyebrow: "Hai, okaa-san."

"O-Oi!"

Kuroko watched as Kise and Kasamatsu commented on the amount of burgers the tiger was going to eat and noticed the blank look on the miko's face as she stared at the tray in front of her. Why was she lost in thought? Or what was she lost in thought about?

"Kagome-chan?"

"Huh?" Turning her attention to the phantom's whisper, she noticed the seriousness on his features.

"Are you alright?"

Blinking, she sent him a smile: "Of course…never been better."

He took it – for now. Resuming to his milkshake, he spoke once more: "Chocolate milkshake?"

With a light chuckle, she grabbed her own cup: "No. Decided to go with vanilla today."

* * *

The miko watched from the bench as Mitobe began to teach Kagami the basics of making one miss their shots. She was surprised that after the night before, Kagami and Kuroko had seemed to taken it pretty well that she had gone to speak with Kise. She was predicting chaos, but was glad that Kise and Kasamatsu had said their goodbyes early as they needed to catch the bus as soon as possible.

That left her with a silent Kuroko and an eating Kagami, not that she minded. The company was enough for her to enjoy. Looking down at her notes, she saw the scribble of the name that continued to cloud her mind all morning during lessons and lunch.

'_Midorima…Shintaro,' _Kagome sighed, her pen once again coming to draw a basketball and the number three. _'An expert in three-point shots. What should we do? Is there a way to defeat them or him in general?' _

"Oh? Who is Midorima Shintaro?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing the female coach leaning over to see the clipboard on the miko's lap. "Riko-senpai."

"So? Did you have a talk with Kise-kun?" she questioned, coming to sit next to the miko, watching as her team continued the intense training.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I was able to find out the Generation of Miracles' name that was in Shutoku High and his special ability."

"Ability?"

"Three-pointer…," whispered Kagome. "Kise-kun said his skills were at the top and is the number one shooter in the Generation of Miracles."

"I see…," Riko rested her fingers under her chin in thought. "Well, three-pointers can be a problem…and if he is skilled in that area, we might run into trouble."

Kagome nodded to her words before setting her sights on the first year duo. "I wouldn't know what to do unless I saw him play myself."

"You mean Midorima Shintaro?" Riko turned her attention to the miko beside her.

"Hai," Kagome sighed, dropping her head down. "All this thinking hurts my head. I don't know how you do it, Riko-senpai."

With a light chuckle, Riko looked back to her team: "You get used to it even if it is stressful. In fact, you come to love it."

"Well, I am not complaining," smiled Kagome, seeing Kuroko scare Kagami once again with one of his sudden appearances. _'I am learning to love this…'_

The miko's eyes furrowed upon noticing one of Kagami's dunks. Something was off and she felt his aura increase slightly. "That's weird…"

"What is?" questioned Riko, seeing the questioningly look on the miko's face.

"Kagami-kun's legs…," she whispered back. "I don't know if it is just me, but have you noticed that Kagami-kun has skill in his blocks when he is up in the air?"

"Hm, well, I just thought it was because of his height," Riko replied, turning back to see Kagami wiping off his sweat with his shirt. "But now that you mention it, he begins to jump higher and higher with each practice."

The miko's eyes landed back onto her lap and the three she had written on the paper. _'If Kagami-kun can master his jumps and Kuroko-kun's passes…then maybe-' _her attention was drawn back to the coach. "Riko-senpai, this might sound crazy, but do you think you could train Kagami-kun's legs and have Kuroko work together until the preliminaries start?"

"Train…his legs?" blinked Riko.

"I know it sounds crazy, but perhaps that could help with the three-pointer problem…but again, I could just be talking nonsense," Kagome scratched the back of her head.

Riko looked back to Mitobe blocking Kagami's movements: "Hm, well Mitobe-kun is currently training him in pressure defense, but I see where you are getting at. Possibly stamina is what he needs and along with Kuroko-kun, they need to work on their passing."

Nodding, Kagome looked at her paper once more. _'Wonder what this Midorima Shintaro looks like…'_

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Kagome walked through the city's streets, watching as people went on in their daily errands along with some students coming in and out of restaurants and shops. Riko had told her she was keeping the boys later than usual today due to the next day already being the start of the tournament and wanted to get some last minute training.

She didn't know where the idea of Kagami's legs came from, but something told her that Kagami's legs were barely at an amateur state and needed the training. _'And like Kise-kun said…he might even reach the level of the Generation of Miracles if he continues to train.' _

A soft chuckle escaped her lips, remembering the struggle both Kuroko and Kagami had before she left as they worked in their teamwork. She only hoped that they would get it together before the tournament's beginning.

The miko shook her head, adjusting the strap of her bag once more as she made her way home only to stop at the sight of a bicycle connected to what seemed like a wooden wagon. Blinking, she trailed up to the person on the bicycle seat holding an extreme boredom expression.

"Mah, why does Shin-chan take so long~?"

Light silvery eyes traveled to the corner realizing that a female had been staring at him. Blinking, he straightened up and smiled: "Oh? How can I help you, miss?"

Kagome continued to blink, watching as he got off his seat. "Um, you are kind of blocking the path…"

"Huh?" the black haired male looked behind his shoulder, seeing the transportation he parked did indeed block the whole side walk. "Ah, gomen! Gomen!" he scratched the back of his head. "My friend is currently buying something so, he left me in charge of this."

Kagome's eyebrow rose: _'And what exactly is that? Is that normal to be riding around?'_

"He shouldn't take long," he laughed. "He knows what he is getting so he should be coming out any second now."

With a small nod, Kagome looked over to her left, seeing the shop he had pointed at. _'Oha-Asa…?' _She read the advertisement banner down below. _'Have luck at the palm of your hand…'_

"Eh? Your eyes are very blue."

"Huh?" Kagome returned her attention to the black haired teen in his all black uniform.

"This is my first time seeing a girl with such blue eyes!" he leaned in, not surprised to see the miko lean back. "Takao Kazunari," he extended his arm out for a shake.

Looking down to the introduction, the miko simply blinked. Who was he? He had already introduced himself just like that? She didn't even recognize the uniform.

Takao blinked, retreating his hand: "Gomen, it is probably weird to introduce ourselves when we haven't even really talked. I was just intrigued by your eyes."

"Um…right," she whispered although she did see it rude that she had not given back her name. With a slight nod, the miko spoke: "Higurashi…Kagome."

"Kagome-chan? Is it okay to call you that?" he smiled.

"Um…"

"Oi, what are you doing, Takao?"

Both teens turned their heads to the side, watching as a green haired male walked towards them wearing the exact same black uniform as the male in front of her. What really caught her eye was the wooden carving sculpture of a fox.

"Shin-chan! You took too long! I even blocked this kawaii girl's way because of this stupid wagon!" Takao blinked, watching as the miko leaned towards the object on the male's hand.

'_A fox?' _she blinked, seeing the little details of the small fluffy tail. _'It almost resembles…Shippou…' _

"Oi."

Kagome looked up, seeing the intense glare of the male's green eyes on her. Seeing she was close to his person, she retreated back. "G-Gomenasai…I was just…interested in your item."

"Huh?" blinked Takao, seeing the girl continue to stare at the wooden fox. "You are interested in these stupid 'lucky' items?"

"They aren't stupid," glared the much taller male. "This is fate, nanodayo."

Kagome raised her eyes to see the seriousness on his expression. _'Fate? Was this guy…serious?' _

"Mah, whatever," Takao quickly turned towards the miko, surprising her. "So? What school do you go to-?"

Before he could question her any further, a ringing sound echoed throughout. Blinking the confusion, Kagome quickly opened her school bag and took out her phone and noticed the incoming call from the coach. "Gomen, but I have to take this." Turning towards her path, the miko made her way around the bicycle wagon and headed back to her home. "Moshi-moshi?"

Takao sighed: "There you go again ruining my moment to get a cute date. I didn't even find out which school she went to."

"Seirin."

"Huh?" Takao looked over to his partner, seeing the intense glare he had as he watched Kagome's back.

"Higurashi Kagome."

"You know her?" smirked Takao. His eyes scrunched, watching as the green haired male set himself on the wagon. "Oi! It is your turn to pedal!"

"Cancer's horoscope today said I shouldn't over work and prepare my mental state for the upcoming events."

Scoffing, the black haired male sat on the bicycle seat: "Next you are doing it! Girls are beginning to give me the weirdest looks!"

* * *

"Kagome-chan!"

Looking to her side, Kagome blinked with a smile watching as Riko ran to her in excitement while holding her bag over her shoulder.

"You are here early," smiled Riko. "You must be excited to be playing over two games in one day today."

"I just got here myself and I am excited, but I am worried the team might get tired towards the end," she smiled back. After having encountered the weird duo in front of the lucky item shop, Riko's call had ringed her out of the conversation and told her to meet in front of the main building for the tournament before eight in the morning. She was surprised herself that she was able to sleep and wake up after a restless sleep of being worried over a way to see if there was any plan she could come up with.

"Why do you look so worried?" questioned Riko, noticing the spaced out look on the miko's face.

"Oh, nothing," Kagome looked down to the held clipboard in her hands. "I was just thinking about the whole Shutoku situation."

"Hm," Riko crossed her arms. "Well we can worry about that after we are done with our first few games. It will be awhile until we come across Shutoku."

The miko nodded, looking back to the tournament chart and seeing that Shutoku and Seirin had long ways to go before they would meet in a court together. "How do you think the team will do with 'Otou-san'?"

"The nickname really stuck in, huh?" sighed Riko. "Well, if Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun can get their coordination together, then I think we will be fine, but the real problem is being able to deal with Otou-san's height."

Kagome sighed watching as her phone rung once more with a message. Riko blinked: "Hm, who texted you so early in the morning?"

"Don't know…," she whispered back before opening the message and couldn't help but feel her eyebrow twitch at the sight of the hearts after the actual message.

Riko looked over, seeing the silence covering the girl and noticed the message. "Huh? Why the many hearts?"

_**Ganbatte, Kagomecchi~! Tell Seirin to do their best so I can see you at the Inter-High!**_

"From Kise-kun?" blinked Riko, seeing the girl shut her phone off.

"Just because I gave him my number doesn't mean he has to text me so many hearts," she groaned, placing her phone inside her bag.

"Why did you even give it to him in the first place?" Riko smirked. "Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun were quite worried over you the day before and wanted your number."

"Oh yeah, I saw that text message from Kuroko-kun. How on earth did they even get my number?"

Riko sighed: "They stole the paper of your contacts and got it off from there."

"Eh!?" Kagome turned her attention to the coach. "You let them see it!?"

"They took it from my hands!" she exclaimed back.

A cough broke them off their dispute as they looked to their side seeing their team in their jackets and sweatpants. Hyuga raised a brow: "Are we interrupting something?"

Kagome shook her head, embarrassed that the team had seen her freak out: "N-No…not at all."

Composing herself, Riko turned to her team and smiled: "Yosh! The gang is all here."

"Let's go!" smirked Hyuga as he led the team forward.

Catching her breath, she noticed Kuroko coming to walk next to her. "You don't look well, Kagome-chan."

"Ah, I couldn't really sleep last night," she chuckled. "But I promise you I am fine."

Kuroko looked at her eyes before setting his sight on the red head on the other side of the miko. His eyes giving the sign he had no sleep with the red around the white. "At least you got some sleep. Kagami-kun couldn't sleep again."

Kagome blinked, turning her attention up to see Kagami's red shot eyes. "Again? Seriously, can't you control your excitement?"

"U-Uruse…"

* * *

"Shinkyo Academy," whispered Kagome as she looked over the sheet in front of her. Her eyes came up watching as her team warmed up on half the court as their opponents did so as well on the other side.

Hyuga grabbed an extra ball inside the bin next to the miko and looked around the court. "Otou-san doesn't seem to be here."

"Now that you mention it…," whispered Riko. "Where is he?"

Kagome lowered the paper to her side, looking around as well. "We can't miss someone that tall…right?"

A bang against metal was heard, catching their attention to the doors.

"Ouch…," a tall male with dark skin crouched down from the door frame and made his way inside the court. "Everything is so short in Japan."

"H-He's huge!" exclaimed Shinji. "And kind…of long."

The foreign made his way to his coach, apologizing in fluent Japanese. His teammate ran towards Papa Mbaye, smirking as he teased the foreigner for only being fluent on his apologies.

"Hm, who is he?" questioned Riko, watching the male wearing a number four on his jersey.

"Tanimura Yusuke," replied Kagome, looking down at her sheet. She felt the surprised stares of her team on her. "W-What?"

"You got their names?!" exclaimed Shinji.

"Well…Riko-senpai told me to do some research…and I did," she pouted looking down at her sheet. "I only researched their names though. Nothing more."

"Hm, you really are well prepared," smirked Riko. "But…names alone are not enough to know about their skills."

The miko nodded, quickly noticing Hyuga _accidentally _rolling the ball over to Yusuke's feet, catching his attention. Hyuga made his way towards the orange ball to retrieve it, waving at the brown haired male. "Oh, my bad!"

Yusuke blinked, looking over his shoulder as Hyuga grabbed the ball in his hands. He eyed the team on the court and smirked: "Oh, Seirin…did you guys really beat Kaijo?"

Hyuga blinked: "Uh, it was just a practice game."

"I see," Yusuke smirked, watching as the foreign teammate of his walked behind him. "I guess the Generation of Miracles isn't as strong as we thought."

"The Generation of Miracles lost?" blinked Papa. "They brought me here to beat them. I'm disappointed they are so weak."

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed and quickly felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking down, he noticed the miko staring at the tall teen walking away. "Don't let it get to you. They shouldn't be talking if they haven't gone a game against them."

"Hmph," Kagami sighed and returned his stare back to Papa, seeing as he had bumped into something to his confusion.

Papa quickly looked around to see the source of his stop and finally lowered his vision to see Kuroko looking up at him with a blank stare. Taking a step back, Papa couldn't believe that he had not noticed the boy. Composing back to his normal self, his hands came under Kuroko's armpits, surprising the team as he was easily lifted up to eye level.

"No, little boy. Children shouldn't be on the court," he instructed before noticing the lift of Kuroko's white shirt and revealing the jersey. "You're a player?" Placing him back down, both continued to stare at each other until Papa scoffed and turned away: "They lost to a child like him? Are all the Generation of Miracles children?"

Kagome quickly heard the blocked off laughs of her team, seeing as they saw the humor in his accent and Kuroko being called a child. Sighing, Kagome looked over to Riko, seeing she was in the middle of forming a plan on her board. "Oi…minna...you shouldn't be laughing."

"B-But-!" Kagami shook his head, letting his laugh get in the way of his words.

"Honestly, I am starting to get annoyed," spoke Kuroko, breaking everyone's laugh and straightening up.

Kagami looked over to the phantom player and took one last laugh: "you don't like to lose, do you?" He quickly took off his white shirt along with everyone else in revealing their jerseys. "I guess we better show Otou-san why he shouldn't piss off kids."

Kagome sighed: _'I don't think that is the problem…Kuroko is angry he was called a child, Kagami-kun.' _Shaking her head, she sent the team a smile before Riko made her way towards them.

"Yosh! Give it your all and show me that all your training has paid off!" she sent them a thumbs up as they ran over to the line-up in the middle of the court to meet the other five opponents. Kagome sat beside the coach on the bench, knowing that from then on out, basketball was beginning to start on different level.

* * *

"Let the game between Seirin High School and Shinkyo Academy begin," spoke the referee, watching as both teams stared at each other. The buzzer soon sounded off, starting the timer of the first quarter. With the whistle blown, both Papa and Kagami jumped up to tip the ball only for the foreign to easily catch it and having thrown it over to his team.

'_Seriously?! I don't believe it!' _Hyuga's eyes widened, witnessing the long jump Papa had given compared to Kagami. _'Kagami lost to him in height!'_

Yusuke quickly caught the ball and passed it back to Papa as he ran over to their hoop. Kagami made his way to the front for a block, watching as Papa jumped up to shoot. Kagami's eyes narrowed: _'A jump fade without faking?! He is mocking me!'_ Jumping up to block his throw, Kagami's eyes widened in shock at the easy height Papa had made the shot, not even his own fingertips brushing against the ball. _'H-He's huge!'_

The ball was made into the basket, making the referee blow the whistle for the first shot. Kagome sighed: "Shinkyo took the first point…"

Riko rested her hands on her lap: "Let us not worry about it just yet. We can still get it back."

Seirin quickly passed the ball to Hyuga as he tried to shoot a three-pointer of his own only to see Papa extend his arm up and block the ball. Hyuga's eyes widened: "S-Seriously!? H-He can reach that?!"

Yusuke chuckled, running beside the Seirin captain and stopped only a few feet away. "Are you one of those hard-working teams?"

"What?" Hyuga turned to face the brown headed male.

"We see a lot of those," smirked Yusuke. "Guys say it is not fair that we have a foreign player. We are not breaking any rules."

"Well, you can have up to two of them on your team," spoke Hyuga, seeing that he was beginning to mock them.

"Right?" Yusuke sent him a smile. "What is wrong with getting strong players? It's real easy. All we have to do is pass the ball to him and we can't help but score."

Hyuga's eyebrows narrowed down: "I don't know how easy it is, but if that is your policy, you better not complain. Besides, we have our own ridiculous first years. We didn't have to invite them, though."

Riko snickered under her breath: "Ho? Hyuga-kun seems to be annoyed."

"Huh?" Kagome looked over to the two captains talking to each other on the court. She was confused by what she meant but quickly noticed the look on Kuroko's and Kagami's faces. "Riko-senpai?"

"Hm?" Riko continued to look to the game, watching as the ball continued to be passed around.

"How…did Kagami-kun's and Kuroko-kun's practice go?" she questioned.

"Well," Riko looked over to Mitobe, "Mitobe-kun was able to teach him about the pressure defense, but if Kagami-kun is able to execute what he learned…then we stand a chance against Otou-san."

"What about Kuroko-kun's passes?" blinked Kagome.

Riko sighed, coming to cross her arms: "We will see…"

Both females quickly noticed the miss Papa made in his shot as the ball rebounded from the edge of the hoop, surprising him in return.

"He…is missing…," whispered Kagome.

Over and over again, Papa missed his every shot, making him and his teammates confused on the sudden change in his game.

Yusuke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion: _'His accuracy is declining…what is going on?'_

Riko smirked: "It won't be so easy to score, because…," all eyes landed on the tiger as he blocked the foreign from behind with his arms stretched around him, "Kagami-kun won't let Otou-san make his plays."

"Plays?" blinked Kagome.

Riko nodded, seeing that it was only right to teach Kagome some of the tactics. Maybe in this way, the miko herself could find a way to formulate plans with her keen observations. "Even if he can't reach, there is still a way Kagami can 'block'." Her eyes landed back on the tiger: "Mitobe-kun's way."

Kagome looked over to Mitobe and Kagami: "So you were training his way to make someone miss when they tried making a shot."

"Exactly," smirked Riko. "And it works perfectly when it is done with someone much taller than you."

All eyes watched as the tiger continued to push his way to make sure Papa was uncomfortable in the game. Kagome's eyebrow rose: "Talk about pressure…," her eyes landed on Kagami's legs, watching as the jump became higher than usual. _'I know I am not seeing things…Kagami's jumps become higher and higher…'_

The ball rebounded once again, making Papa wipe away his sweat from his chin. "What the hell is this?! I'm pissed!"

"Don't let it get to you," glared Yusuke. "He is not blocking you."

Kagami scoffed with a smirk of his own: "This method is stressful for me too." Running over to block the tall foreign, Kagami sent the smirk to him: "Oi, let me tell you two things. First, I will block one of your shots in this game."

Papa's eyebrows furrowed; annoyed: "There is no way you can do that. I will not lose to a team with a child on it."

"Second…," Kagami made his way around Papa and towards the hoop. His attention drew over to Shun's pass directly towards Papa, making the foreign smirk in triumph.

'_Lucky!' _Papa smirked, raising his hands to catch the ball, only to see the ball being passed away from his direction to the tiger's hands and dunking a score. Papa's eyes went over to the phantom player, seeing he had been the one to pass the ball away from his hands.

Kagami gave out a low laugh: "This kid might give you some trouble."

"Could you please stop calling me a child?" blinked Kuroko.

Jumping back down onto his feet, Kagami smirked as he made his way back into position the moment Yusuke passed the ball over to his teammate. Kuroko made his way through and pushed the ball away towards the tiger and quickly dunking it again.

The buzzer sounded off the moment the first quarter ended, signaling everyone back to their benches. Kagome handed a bottle over to Hyuga, watching as Riko stood in front of them: "Alright, Kuroko-kun since you have a time limit, we are swapping you out of there. Because we have to start reserving Kuroko-kun's strength, we will lose some power during the mid-game so don't let them close the point gap."

Kagome came around the team and set herself beside the phantom player: "They don't have any dangerous players besides Otou-san, so really," she patted Kagami's shoulder, making his eyes drop to the corner to see her smile as he sat on the other side of her, "it depends all on how you handle him."

"Thanks for the pressure," he raised a brow.

"You can't do it?" she raised her own eyebrow to him.

A scoff escaped his lips, looking over to Papa as he spoke to the coach: "just leave it to me."

The game soon resumed, leaving the miko with the coach and phantom player along with the other benched members. Kagome looked over to the ghostly haired male: "Are you doing alright?"

He nodded slightly, watching as Kagami continued to push pressure onto the foreign player. His eyes were set as Kagami continued to jump higher and higher than Papa, not only surprising the coach, but Papa himself in fear.

Kagome sighed, seeing the serious play Kagami was beginning to put: "Are you thinking about, Kise-kun's words?"

Catching his attention, Kuroko looked over to the miko. With a small smile, Kagome watched as the tiger intimidated the foreign into passing the ball elsewhere with his own intense glare and jump. "Kagami-kun…will get to the level of the Generation of Miracles, but…you are afraid that it might get to his head, right?"

Kuroko noticed the moment Kagami blocked off Papa's shot once more. "Hai…"

Kagome placed her hand on top of Kuroko's shoulder: "Then…during his road of getting to that level, it is our job to make sure he doesn't let strength and winning get to his head. Right?"

"Will you stay by our side?"

Kagome blinked, taken back by the sudden question.

"Kagami-kun needs…people beside him in order for him to see that winning isn't everything."

A small smile graced her lips: "Kuroko-kun…I will stay in the team as long as you all need me."

Kuroko blinked at her person as she turned her attention back to the game.

"Ano…don't you think he is trying too hard?" questioned Riko, bringing their attention to her.

Time flew as the fourth quarter came in and left Riko staring at the last five minutes on the score board. "Kuroko-kun, can you go the last five minutes?"

Kuroko stared at her blankly: "actually, I have been ready for a while."

"Gomen," she chuckled nervously, before standing back up and pointing over to the court: "Then, go!"

Within five minutes, Kuroko quickly returned back to his passes, catching the Shinkyo team off guard once more. Hyuga ran towards their hoop in defense: "Don't let your guard down until it is over! Let's get them!"

The ball was passed once more towards Papa, quickly being pressured by Kagami's body again. "No! I don't want to lose!" he glared at the tiger.

Kagami returned the glare: "You said you were disappointed in the Generation of Miracles, but you overestimated yourself! Compared to you," he jumped up, he blocked Papa's shot and pushed it over the court, "they are way stronger!"

The buzzer sounded off, signaling the end of the game with the referee blowing on his whistle: "Game over!"

"We did it," sighed Riko; relief washing over.

Kagome smiled, watching the boys gather in victory before lining up towards the Shinkyo team. "Sixty-seven to seventy-nine, Seirin!" exclaimed the referee. The miko looked at her clip board and highlighted the team's line over to the next game. _'We won the first game.'_

* * *

The miko collected the water bottles along with Riko as the boys gathered their things into their bags inside the court. Kagome quickly noticed the foreigner walking towards Kagami making her poke the tiger's arm.

"What?" he questioned, stopping from zipping his bag.

The miko pointed over to his other side, making him turn his head as he faced the tall teen. They all waited in silence, watching as Papa stared at the tiger.

"I lost," he spoke. "Please play hard for me in your next game."

Kagami blinked, unsure how to reply until the miko nudged his side to response. "H-Huh…uh sure…"

A smirk appeared onto Papa's lips: "I mean, you are a baka! Baka!" He was quickly grabbed by Yusuke from behind his collar and dragged away. "Aho! I won't lose next time!"

"T-Teme…," Kagami's tick appeared once again.

Kagome chuckled under breath, watching as Kuroko helped her with the items. "Ah…arigatou."

He nodded while grabbing his bag: "Who do we play after this?"

"Oh," Kagome placed her index finger on her chin, "if I remember correctly, it should be Jitsuzen High."

"Alright!" smirked Riko, catching the team's attention. "One step closer to the Inter-High!"

* * *

Kagome was awed by how fast the games had been going with just one day. She had thought the team would have been exhausted, but surprisingly, they had so much energy after each win. _'After the second game against Jitsuzen High…the team went off against Kinga.' _

Kagome sat at the bench, highlight their course against the next team. _'Although…I am surprised Kuroko-kun was placed aside during the whole game.' _Sitting up, Kagome noticed the fourth game about to begin and noticed the Seirin boys already warming up in their shirts. Her eyes continued to stare at the clipboard in hand as she made her way to the other bench Seirin had been assigned. _'Hm…we are going against-' _Kagome stopped in her tracks as she bumped into a chest.

Looking up from her paper, her eyes blinked, noticing the five guys dressed in green jackets and sweats staring at her with curiosity. A grin glued onto the captain's lips: "Oh? Aren't you the woman from that afternoon?"

"Huh?" blinking again, Kagome's mind quickly flashed back to the day she had stopped the thugs from bullying the other three teens. Taking a step back, she noticed him lean in.

"Eh? Did you come so I can show you a lesson?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed down, lowering her clipboard to the side: "The only lesson that needs to be taught is how not to be an idiot."

"What was that?" he glared back.

"Kagami-kun."

The tiger looked over to the phantom player as he held the basketball in his hands. "What is it?" he questioned.

Kuroko continued to stare ahead: "Kagome-chan is looking for trouble again."

"Huh?" Kagami turned his head over his shoulder, watching as Kagome held her ground against the five thugs they had gone against with Kise. "It's those guys from the other day." A sudden tick erupted on his forehead: "That girl...seriously! She needs to stop looking for trouble!"

"You heard me. Now, back off," she took a step to the side only to have the captain block her path.

"You aren't going anywhere," he glared. "We still have business with you!"

"I never had business with any of you to begin with," she raised a brow. "I don't deal with people who pick on the weak."

"You-!" he took a step towards the miko only to knock against a chest, making him step back. Looking up, his eyes widened at the sight of the familiar red head.

"Yo. We meet again," he spoke, glaring at the five.

Kagome blinked, surprised that the tiger had come in between.

"Konnichiwa."

All eyes landed on the phantom player beside the tiger, watching as he spun the ball on the tip of his finger. The miko watched as Kuroko caught the ball on his palm and grabbed her wrist, dragging her away from the tension.

"Ah, Kuroko-kun-"

"Don't worry, we will deal with them," he spoke.

Kagome sighed: "I was fine…"

Turning back around, she watched the terror in the other team's faces as the game soon began. _'Do they really think I can't handle myself?' _Shaking her head, she looked over at Riko's questioning gaze.

"Do you know them, Kagome-chan?"

"Ah, well…we sort of ran into them when they were picking on a few guys on the basketball court…we sort of just…went against them," Kagome scratched her cheek, seeing the game easily being won over by Seirin as the others from Meijo Academy were too afraid to move from the sight of Kuroko and Kagami.

"Huh…well, it worked out for us anyways," smiled Riko.

Although the game had ended quickly, Kagome checked her clipboard once again and highlighted down to the next game. "Are you okay?"

Looking up, she noticed both Kagami and Kuroko looked down at her. "Huh? Yeah…why?"

Kuroko sat beside her and grabbed his water bottle: "Kagami-kun was worried."

"Oi! I was not!" he shouted.

"Yes…you were."

"Teme!"

Kagome chuckled as the rest of the team sat on the bench, quickly trying to get some of their strength back. Hyuga sighed, as he sat between Kagome and Riko and looked over at the clip board in the miko's hands. "For the last ten years, the same three schools have moved on to the championship league from Tokyo. King of the East, Shutoku. King of the West, Senshinkan. King of the North, Seiho. They are evenly matched, so the top team changes every year, but they never let anyone else get better than fourth place."

Riko nodded: "They are the three immobile kings of Tokyo."

The miko placed the cap of her highlighter and continued to stare at the remaining teams: "After our fifth match are the semifinals, then the finals."

Hyuga sighed again, resting his elbows on his knees: "In the finals, we will most likely come up against…the King of the East, Shutoku, which acquired Midorima Shintaro of the Generation of Miracles."

Koichi blinked, cutting into the conversation: "But you guys made it to the championship league last year, didn't you?"

The team remained silent with all the first years blinking in curiosity. Hyuga nodded before anyone else could answer: "Yeah, but we didn't stand a chance."

'_Midorima Shintaro,'_ Kagome closed her eyes, unsure what the plan was now. If anything, the tension around them was thickening as they got closer to the goal.

"Look!"

"They are here!"

All ears caught the sound of the audience above the court, quickly making the Seirin team look ahead towards the entrance.

Hyuga's eyes narrowed: "looks like they came."

Riko nodded to his words: "It is better to see something for yourself than hear about it." Standing from her spot, the coach sent her team a smile: "First years, prepare yourselves. You're going to see something amazing today. They are supposed to be even more amazing this year."

Kagome blinked, watching as the team dressed in orange sport uniforms walked in while she read the school's name on their jacket: _'Shutoku…'_ Her eyes immediately landed on the familiar green hair on one of the members.

"One of the three kings of Tokyo, Shutoku High," Riko crossed her arms, seeing that her team was watching their future opponents closely.

The miko slowly stood from her seat, recognizing not only the green haired member, but the black haired male who had been on the bicycle the other day. Kuroko looked up to the shocked expression on the miko's face.

"Kagome-chan?"

Kagome quickly took notice of the wooden fox on the green haired male's hand. She recalled having bought that at the lucky item shop. Her mind flashback to Kise's words, mentioning Shintaro Midorima having an obsession with lucky items.

'…_no way. It was him all a long?'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well, that marks the end of this long chapter. Next chapter will have Seirin observing Shutoku's game and a bit more obviously. Now, should I keep the idea of some side characters interacting with Kagome as well? Not ALL will be in a romance way. Please don't think EVERYONE will be liking Kagome.

Remember, I am open to ideas!

Hopefully I can update next week!

If not, please be patient! I love you all!

Also, I have a fun poll on my profile right now! Go check it out!

Review please!

Ja~ne!


	8. Fate Within Us

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Finally I was able to bring this chapter up after having a bit of trouble in writing in the Kagome parts and her interactions. Well, this one doesn't have much basketball match scenes, but it does bring out Kagome's character in how she is becoming more involved with the team and finally being able to help. Her discovery on Seiho will be explained by her personally in the next chapter when Kagami and Kuroko ask...again (hahaha). You will see! I know it might sound confusing, but please trust me when I write! I do things for a reason! Kagome will have her reason how she found out about Seiho's trick! Just be patient!

So a bit of interaction with Takao and Midorima, then Kise and Kasamatsu, and then Midorima. Well, you will see. Anyways, if you have any ideas or favorite characters you would like to see interact with Kagome whether it be romantically or friend-wise, don't hesitate to tell me. I don't know how I did with Midorima, but if I disappointed anyone, I am sorry. I mean, Kagami and Kuroko are obviously becoming closer to the miko because they have spent more time with them, but the others will too! Also, Kagami and Kuroko will begin to show slight...liking...to the girl! Woo hoo! They will hide it first though! Hahaha! Because you know...boys.

Hope you enjoy...it took me a long time to finish this haha.

**Chapter 08: Fate Within Us **

* * *

"Shutoku! Shutoku! Shutoku!"

The echoes of cheer rung into the ears of both Seirin's and Shutoku's ears as they stood on either side of the court. Seirin could feel the tension and pressure between the two teams even though they knew coming against them would be later in the future – if.

"They're here…," whispered Shun as he sat on the bench.

With a smirk appearing on the tiger's lips, Kagami stood from his seat as he removed the towel over his neck: "I'm going to go say hi."

"Sure," nodded Hyuga, watching the tiger slowly make his way towards the green haired male. "Eh?" his eyes finally followed the male, his words making sense into his head. "O-Oi!"

The miko was baffled that the tiger even had the guts to go say 'hi'. She knew very well his typical kind of hi was more than a greeting. What the heck was this guy thinking? Did he ever just stay put?

"K-Kagome-chan!"

Jumping to the sound of her name, Kagome turned to see Hyuga looking at her and pointing over to the tiger: "Stop the baka!"

"Why me?" she blinked, raising a brow. Was she suddenly the tiger's tamer or something? He went on his own! Let him be taken care of!

"The baka never listens to his seniors that is why!" he exclaimed, noticing that Kagami had finally stopped in front of Midorima.

Kagome sighed to herself as she held the clipboard in her hand and looked down in blinks. _'Huh? Where did my marker go?' _She looked around her person and onto the bench seeing the object was missing. _'Wait…did I misplace it?'_ Her eyes landed forward, seeing that the tiger held it in his right hand. _'Oi!'_

"Yo," greeted Kagami, seeing as Midorima shifted his body to face the Seirin member. "You're Midorima Shintaro, aren't you?"

Holding to his item on his left palm, Midorima raised a brow: "Yes, but who are you?"

Takao chuckled to himself as he stood behind the tall first year and placed his hand over his lips: _'You know who he is. Why are you being so proud?' _He really wondered just how much pride his green haired friend held.

Kagami rose his left hand for a handshake, making the male in front of him question it. Midorima's eyes rose back to meet the red gaze on him. "You want to shake hands?" With a sigh, Midorima shifted his item onto his other hand and held out his free hand for the shake.

The tiger noticed his taped fingers before grabbing his left hand and began to write in his palm with a black marker. Midorima blinked at the written words on his palm and held the twitch on his eyebrow from showing.

**Seirin Number 10; Kagami Taiga.**

Midorima looked up to see a glare hovering over Kagami's eyes as he spoke. "You look like the kind of guy who would claim he doesn't remember me if I introduced myself normally. I want the guy who I'm about to get revenge on for my seniors to remember me."

"Oi!" Kagome quickly hit the back of Kagami's head from the back with her clipboard, surprising him and Midorima from the sudden violence. Taking back her marker, she glared at the tiger: "Don't be taking my stuff and then using it to write on people!"

Kagami's hand came to the back of his head, rubbing the pain away before glaring at the girl: "Oi! That hurt!"

"Good," she placed the marker back into the clip of her clipboard and quickly felt an arm around her shoulder. Trailing the arm, she blinking to see the black haired male she had met the day before smirking at her as they both stood between the two tall basketball players.

"Oh! I didn't know you were part of the basketball team!" Takao grinned, bringing the girl closer as he kept his arm around her shoulder locked in. "I was surprised that Shin-chan knew your name after we met even though you didn't tell him you name!"

"Huh?" Kagome blinked, shifting her gaze over to see an angry glare on the green haired male's face. "You…knew me?"

Takao released a laugh: "He said his friend from Teiko, Kise Ryouta, told him about you!"

"Eh…?" Kagome blinked, surprised that Kise had said something about her to another member of the Generation of Miracles.

"Takao, stop spouting out nonsense," Midorima adjusted his glasses with his taped fingers, catching the miko's attention. His eyes shifted back to the tiger's questioning looks between them; obviously curious how the miko knew them. "About your so called revenge…," he spoke, "you're rather reckless, aren't you?"

"What did you say?" glared Kagami.

"Well, you guys are from Seirin, right?" smiled Takao, cutting into the conversation. His eyes glided to the corner, noticing the confusion on the miko's face: "Haven't your seniors told you first years anything?"

"What are you talking about?" blinked Kagome.

Takao chuckled under his breath: "Last year, the three kings destroyed Seirin when they tripled their score."

Both Kagami's and Kagome's eyes widened at the information they had not known. Tripled their score? There was…no way.

"Say what you want," continued Midorima, "but the difference in strength is absolute. Even if we meet again in the championship, history will only repeat itself."

"No."

The three males and female turned their attention to the phantom player's appearance beside them. Kagome blinked: _'Kuroko-kun?' _

"You can only speculate based on the past," spoke Kuroko as he looked over to his middle school teammate. "You won't know what will really happen until you play, Midorima-kun."

Midorima's eyes narrowed down at the sight of the familiar male: "Kuroko, I don't like you. I can't tell you what you're thinking especially from your eyes. There is plenty I would like to say to you, but telling you now would be meaningless. Join us in the finals first."

"We will."

All males shifted their gaze onto the miko, seeing her determination reflect within her orbs. She quickly received a tight stare from the three-pointer male: "Is that so?"

"I promise you that whatever you have to tell us, you will do it on the court when we go against you," Kagome sent him a small genuine smile. "History can repeat itself, but sometimes…there are people in fate that make changes."

"Kagome-chan has contributed a lot into the team. Thanks to her and the whole team…we have made it this far," cut in Kuroko, surprising the Shutoku duo.

Takao released a whistle as he kept his arm around the miko: "You sure got a mouth on you. You are one of those girls, huh? You know, I like a girl who doesn't get intimidated easily especially by Shin-chan's stares. He can be scary, huh? Well you know…being a tsundere and all." Chuckling under his breath, he smiled at the girl: "He is actually really interested in you after he found out about you after the practice game with Kaijo and Seirin. It seems he was told by his friend that Kuroko had taken an interest in you."

"You shouldn't make up so many stories, Takao," glared Midorima.

"How long are you going to keep talking!?" shouted Shutoku's coach from the bench.

Kuroko's hand reached over to Kagome's wrist, pulling her away from Takao's arm. Blinking, she stood beside the phantom player and noticed the chuckle from Takao's person before nodding to the miko: "Well, I do hope to see you at the finals, manager. Keep your promise to bring Seirin up to the top."

Walking away, he placed his arms behind his head, resting them comfortably as he headed to his bench. Kagome took a glance over to the green haired player, seeing his own eyes resting on her person.

"I wouldn't talk, Higurashi, until you have reached our level. I will show you all just how naïve your thinking is," Midorima walked past the miko, only to be stopped by the girl's words.

She knew his thinking was definitely over confident, but she couldn't help but feel…excited over the challenge. "See you on the court soon, Midorima-kun," she smiled before grabbing Kuroku's wrist and pulling Kagami by his ear and back towards their bench, missing the mild shock in Midorima's eyes.

Riko sighed with a smile on her lips as she placed her hands on her hip: "Looks like those three really gave them an earful." She laughed lightly at the sight between the miko scolding the tiger from heading out so rashly and stealing her things.

"Who cares?" smiled Hyuga, standing from his seat. "They didn't say anything we weren't thinking…they just were the right people to say it. They have…guts."

The coach crossed her arms: "Well, let us see how good they are."

* * *

"You want to start?" Shutoku's captain, Otsubo Taisuke, eyed the green haired male as he stood in front of him. "Didn't you say you didn't want to play because your fortune was bad?"

Takao laughed behind them as he sat on the bench and removed his jacket: "I bet you're excited after meeting an old friend and having had a girl talk back to you!"

"I've had enough of your wild speculations," glared Midorima, looking over his shoulder to see his black haired friend chuckling at his anger. "I just wanted to test my shooting."

Taisuke sighed, holding the ball to his hip: "Sure, but don't forget the coach is only willing to let you get away with what you want three times a day." His eyes tightened towards the first year: "Two more times and I will be pissed."

Midorima gave him a slight nod, seeing his senior's intense features.

"As long as you make your shots, I don't have a problem with it," continued his captain. "Using your poor fortune as an excuse isn't worth shit." He turned and walked away towards the court, leaving the two Shutoku first years near the bench.

Removing his white bandages from his fingers, Midorima's eyes landed back onto the miko standing on the balcony: "I cannot miss. Today's lucky item is a wooden carved fox. I have compensated for my bad luck. I will show her that she spoke too soon to think her team could reach my level."

* * *

"Shutoku! Shutoku! Shutoku!"

Kagome looked over from the balcony of the stadium and turned to see the enthusiastic cheer squad for the Shutoku team. "They sure have a large fan base," she spoke, resting her hands on the rim. The team had decided to watch Shutoku's game to grab a sense of their game play. But she couldn't help but also feel the want in observing Midorima's style and see if she could catch something to make a plan. She only hoped that she would.

"Oi, you interrupted my talk with the guy," Kagami crossed his arms as he stood behind the miko, watching as Takao had been passed the ball.

The miko rolled her eyes: "Then don't go taking my stuff away and write on people's hands. Besides, I…kind of wanted to see him for myself."

"Huh?" he raised a brow, watching as the miko intently watched the game.

Kuroko looked from the corner of his eyes to see the manager having a concentrated look on Midorima. He was actually surprised that the girl had gone against him with his words. Only a few had the guts and never really women did due to his cold appearance. But he was surprised Kagome had a hidden fire within.

Riko sighed, bringing her team's attention as Shutoku was taking the lead in the game: "They're already 30 points ahead with four minutes remaining in the second quarter. I'm not surprised."

Kagome blinked, tilting her head to the side: "But…they are not doing anything that differently from us, but they…make it looks so easy. I wonder what exactly is different in their moves…"

"Because they don't make mistakes," answered Hyuga, resting his elbows on the rim of the balcony. "In basketball, the ball is always moving back and forth at high speeds. Without exception, strong schools always have solid basics like passing, handling, and running. They make it look easy because their fundamentals are so solid, but those are only the fundamentals. Naturally, there is another reason."

"Another reason?" questioned Kagome, looking over to their captain.

With a nod, all eyes watched as Shutoku's captain caught the rebound and dunked it back in even with two opponents being there to block.

"They have an infallible scorer," sighed Hyuga, seeing their score increase.

"He got even stronger," whispered Riko, seeing Taisuke help the other fallen opponent back up on his feet.

"You guys went against him last year?" asked Kagome, seeing the game resume.

With another nod, Hyuga sighed: "we couldn't do anything about him last year."

Kagami uncrossed his arms, coming to stand beside the miko to see the ball being passed to Midorima. "Looks like Midorima is playing well…"

"Is that right?" questioned Kuroko, turning his attention to the red head.

"I don't know," he glared. "I was just guessing! Shouldn't you know?"

Kuroko sighed, turning his head over to the game: "I don't know. I've never seen him miss."

"Never?" Kagome blinked; surprised. "He had to have missed…once, right?" The miko returned her sights back to the game, seeing the green haired male standing at a great distance from the hoop. _'Never…missed? I am sure…he is just…overreacting.'_

Midorima caught the passed ball into his hands, eyeing the hoop from his distance: "This is why you cannot win." Ready with his aim, Midorima released the ball up in top height, making everyone in the stadium follow the ball up in the air.

Hyuga blinked, tilting his head high to see the ball: "Seriously? What is with the high arc? Most people won't have any sense of distance shooting like that."

Midorima began to turn around and walk away from all the other players as they waited for the ball to fall back down. "Let's head back, Takao. We're on defense."

With a pout, Takao followed his partner: "If you miss, I'll get yelled at too."

"Don't be stupid, Takao," replied Midorima before adjusting his glasses. "I follow fate. I do everything I can. That is why I never miss my shots." Before he completely made his way to the other side of the court, he took a glance from the corner of his eye to see the miko's eyes widening the moment the ball directly went into the hoop.

Kuroko blinked, unfazed by the accurate shot: "As long as Midorima-kun doesn't lose his form, he makes one hundred percent of his shots."

"Seriously?" blinked Shin.

The miko traced back to see Midorima's short stare onto her person before pushing his glasses back in and taking his defense position. "He….headed back to defense before he even made his shot. Talk about confidence…," Kagome gripped the rim under her palms: "I noticed that the time until he actually makes his shot is abnormally long."

"You noticed that too?" whispered Riko, crossing her arms as her eyes landed back on the scoreboard. "If anything…it really gets you mentally."

All the attention drew back to Midorima's three pointer shots as they happened over and over again as the game continued on. The miko sighed: "I have to admit…he is amazing at what he does. Very different from what Kise-kun did." Kagome watched as the ball once again was made into the hoop: _'He makes every shot without a miss or mistake…is there really any way to stop him?'_

The buzzer echoed throughout the stadium, signaling the end of the game. The miko's eyes widened slightly: _'One-hundred fifty-three to twenty-one…this is the power of the number one shooter…'_

Leaning away from the rim, Kagome blinked upon noticing Midorima's stare on her once more. She quickly felt her eyebrow twitch: _'Why is he staring so much? I haven't even done anything…!'_

"He sure has a staring problem," commented Kagami, taking the words out of her mind.

"I haven't even done anything!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Midorima-kun probably didn't like it that you talked back to him," cut in Kuroko, seeing the green haired male beginning to walk towards his bench.

Kagome closed her eyes, not seeing the logic: "Well, that is his fault for being too prideful and thinking of us as weak."

Kagami and Kuroko smiled to themselves, seeing that the girl was now becoming more protective of the team and its members. With a sigh, Kagome turned to the first year duo and smiled: "Well anyways, shall we go?"

* * *

Hyuga pushed the door open, smiling at his team as he headed out: "Okay, let's go home."

"Don't!" shouted Riko, pushing the team out forcefully with her hands.

The miko held the strap of her school bag as she stood at the door and blinked as all the members tried to regain their balance from her sudden outburst. Chuckling, she watched as Riko placed her hands on her hips, glaring at her team.

"We have another game today!" she exclaimed. "Are you stupid? Are you!?"

Hyuga quickly rubbed the back of head as he looked over his shoulder: "I was kidding. The mood just seemed really gloomy."

"Everyone checked the tournament bracket that Kagome-chan gave us," smiled Shun, coming to stand straight from his push.

"Huh?" blinked Kagami. "We have another game? Seriously?"

The team twitched at his sudden words, turning their eyes towards the red head. Hyuga blinked a couple of times: "Kagome-chan…would you please?"

"Don't need to tell me twice," she sighed before raising her clipboard once again and hitting the tiger's head. He quickly covered the hit spot and turned to the miko in annoyance for the second time of being abused by the clipboard.

"Oi! Told you to stop!"

"Stop being a baka," she sighed and turned her full attention to the red head. "Did you even check the tournament bracket I gave you? I gave it to all of you for a reason."

"Uh…well…," Kagami rubbed the back of his head, looking away from her suspicious eyes.

Kuroko clutched the strap of his bag over his shoulder before turning his head to see the embarrassment on Kagami's face: "You should learn to pay attention, Kagami-kun."

"Uruse…"

"You really are a baka, Kagami-kun!" shouted Riko, turning over to face the tiger. "Always check the bracket!"

Kagome chuckled under her breath, seeing his sudden fear over the coach's yell. "Baka-gami…," she held her laughter along with the team only to see Kuroko twitch from wanting to release his own laugh at her nickname for the tiger.

Kagami's tick appeared on his forehead, having heard the new name and quickly turned his head to the side: "Oi! Stop it!"

"Gomen! Gomen!" she laughed, holding her stomach while her other hand waved him off up and down.

Riko sighed and took out the paper of the tournament teams and showed it to the tiger: "We play two games on the day of our fourth game and the last day! Our fifth game starts at five!"

"Two games in one day is too much," Shinji released a heavy sigh, shaking his head at thought.

Shin nodded to his words, watching as Kagami took the paper in his hands to see the teams. "Yeah…even if we get a break, we are still tired."

"The semifinals and finals are both in one day?" questioned Kagami, blinking at the paper. "Does that mean we're playing a game before we play Shutoku? Wait…the three kings are Shutoku and…"

"Seiho and Senshinkan," finished Kagome, taking the paper from his hands and showing the team the true reality they had to see. She had seen the horror of the tournament as she highlighted her way through the bracket and noticed something that would be heavy on the players' strength. "On the last day, our semifinals opponent will most likely be Seiho. After that, we will play Shutoku in the finals. We are playing against two of the kings in a row….or so Riko-senpai and I noticed."

Kagami quickly released a chuckle: "Two games in a day and both of our opponents are strong. I couldn't ask for more."

"Who the heck are you trying to impress?" blinked Shinji, taken back on how easily the tiger was taking the information.

The miko turned her head to the side, seeing the phantom player looking at the sheet he took it from her hands: "And you, Kuroko-kun? How do you feel about this?"

"I'm…actually excited too…," he replied, catching the team a little off guard from his sudden words.

"What?" Shinji took a step towards Kuroko. "Did you get Kagami germs too?"

"Ha…Kagami germs," chuckled Kagome, before getting another glare from the tiger.

"I hope not," added Kuroko, returning the sheet to the miko.

"The way you denied that pisses me off," Kagami's eyebrow twitched as his eyes landed on the phantom player.

Eyeing the tournament bracket one last time, Kagome's lips curved into a smile: "Don't difficult situations light a fire in you guys?"

The team couldn't help but smile at the girl's words, seeing her own excitement being projected in her features. Kagami's smirk appeared before he placed his hand on top of the miko's head and ruffled her hair: "Yosh! I'm on fire! I'm going to go practice!"

"Don't!" shouted Riko. "You should rest! You unbelievable basketball head!"

Kagome chuckled under her breath, watching Riko beginning to pull Kagami from his ear. With a low sigh, Kagome shook her head: "Baka-gami…"

Kuroko nodded to her words, watching the coach pull Kagami away: "Hai…Baka-gami."

* * *

"What are all these?" questioned Kagome as she blinked to the open box of stacked DVDs in her arms. Looking to her right, Riko smiled at her while holding another full box of videos as they walked in the hallway to put the videos into the video room. Minutes before had she been pulled away from her lunch with her friends by the coach asking for her help to carry the box of videos to the video room. She had not even taken a bite from her bento before being brought to help.

"They are videos of all the teams in Tokyo I have managed to get my hands on," Riko smirked, taking one out with her fingers. "It was a hassle to bring them all the way from home."

"These…are yours?" blinked Kagome, setting her eyes back down to each labeled video.

"Of course! I use them to study!"

"Study huh?" Kagome nodded, sighing as she remembered that after witnessing Midorima's skills, she could not help but feel uneasy of the upcoming games. Even with knowing that before going against Shutoku they had to go against Seiho.

Riko continued to walk ahead and quickly noticed the worrisome expression on the miko's features. "Are you worried about the upcoming matches?"

"Who wouldn't be," she replied back, balancing the box in her arms again.

"Hm, well then why don't you take a few videos so you could study?" Riko smiled at the miko and rummaged through the stack before pulling out a specific title. "Here. I have many on Seiho. Maybe watch one or two and you could learn a few more things about the sport. I know how much you want to help in making plans. You can take my laptop for today so you can watch them. I will be keeping the team today and have them watch some of Seiho's game plays and tomorrow instead of practice. You can go on ahead."

Taking the video case in her right hand, Kagome read the label before smiling at the coach: "Arigatou, Riko-senpai."

With a slight nod, Riko blinked upon noticing a familiar red head and phantom player sitting inside their class eating their lunch as they spoke to each other. A smirk slowly appeared on the coach's lips: "Oh? Kagome-chan…do you feel tired after carrying all of these?"

"Huh?" blinked the miko. Her eyes traveled back down to the box in her arms: "Not…really…"

"Well, I don't train basketball players for nothing," huffing to herself, the coach took a few steps to the open class door and called for the boys.

* * *

Bite after bite, Kagami unwrapped a new sandwich from his desk as he drank from his milk. Kuroko leaned to the side, noticing the amount placed before the tiger's body seeing he was eating a lot more. "You are eating more than usual, Kagami-kun."

"Huh?" the tiger looked over his shoulder and noticed the lack of food on Kuroko's desk. "I'm surprised that is enough food for you. We played two games yesterday. I'm so hungry!"

"I'm sore at least," replied Kuroko, holding his food in hand.

"What does that mean?" Kagami raised a brow in question. "Well, I guess I am too."

"Kagami-kun! Kuroko-kun!"

Looking out the door, both boys blinked as both Riko and Kagome stood in front of their class door holding a box in their arms. The tiger blinked, noticing the suspicious smile on the coach's lips. "Huh? What are they doing?"

"Carrying boxes, Kagami-kun," replied Kuroko, quickly receiving a glare from the taller male.

"I know that!"

Riko faked her struggle, quickly pulling Kagome by her uniform sleeve to pretend her weak state. "Perfect timing! Come with us and help!"

Kagome blinked, trying to stand straight from Riko's tugging: "R-Riko-senpai…really I am fine-"

"Nonsense," whispered Riko. "They are men! They need to help!"

With a heavy sigh, Kagome returned her attention ahead as she felt the weight literally off her arms the moment Kuroko took the box into his own hands. "Ah…arigatou, Kuroko-kun."

"No problem," he replied, turning his head to see the tiger quickly shoved with Riko's box into his own arms.

Resuming their walk ahead, the boys followed behind the girls, only leaving the red head glaring at the two females: "But we are sore. What are you two doing?"

"It was Riko-senpai's idea," Kagome admitted as she placed her given video in her pocket uniform.

"Eh?" blinked Riko, innocently hiding her lie. "Kagome-chan they shouldn't make maidens carry heavy boxes. That's the boys' job."

Kagami sighed: "I don't see any maidens anywhere."

Riko quickly jabbed her hand into the side of his ribs, making his body twitch from the sudden pain. Kagome sighed, looking over her shoulder as Kuroko came to walk by her: "I am offended, Kagami-kun."

"O-Oi! I didn't mean it like that-!"

"What is this?" questioned Kuroko, cutting off Kagami's chance from apologizing.

Kagome blinked and looked at the box in Kuroko's arms: "Riko-senpai said they are DVDs from other teams' games. She wanted to take them to the video room so we could see them later."

Riko sighed, focusing her attention ahead: "We are going to be playing two games in a row against the kings in the semifinals. There is no such thing as over analyzing."

* * *

Holding onto the strap of her bag, the miko's eyes traveled down and eyed the borrowed laptop from Riko after classes had been done for the day. _'Hm, I don't know how good I will do with observing things like this, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try.' _Turning her head to her side, she blinked at the small café and quickly felt her stomach call out for food.

With a sigh, the miko walked towards the café's door: _'Riko-senpai pulled me away from lunch and I didn't eat anything. I guess I could eat something and watch the videos.'_ Making her way through, Kagome looked around the area before setting her eyes on an empty table. The miko walked forward before placing her bag over the table and pulling the chair out for herself.

"Kagomecchi!"

The miko quickly twitched at the familiar voice and name on her person before slowly turning her head over her shoulder to see a blonde teen waving at her from his seat as he sat in front of his black haired captain.

"Come over here, Kagomecchi!" he called out once more, grinning even more at the sight of the miko grabbing back her bag off the table and making her way towards them.

Kagome stood at the edge of their table and blinked: "K-Kise-kun…what are you doing here?"

"Oh, just having a bite to eat!" he grinned. "I am surprised to see you here too! Is this fate?" he tilted his table slightly from his excitement, quickly receiving a kick on his shin from under the table. "I-Itai…Kasamatsu-senpai! Hidoi!"

"Don't tilt the freaking table!" he shouted back before grabbing his glass of soda pop.

Kagome blinked over to the Kaijo captain and bowed her head slightly: "Ah…konnichiwa, Kasamatsu-senpai."

His eyes met hers, quickly covering his cheeks with the pink hue as he nodded back in acknowledgement: "K-Konnichiwa…"

Kise patted the chair beside him: "Sit by me, Kagomecchi!"

Sighing, the miko did not feel like arguing back from the lack of food energy and set her body down onto the chair. Placing her bag over her chair, she looked at the menu in hand, hearing Kise's questioning voice.

"Hm? No practice today?" he blinked.

"Nope," she replied, "our coach wanted the team to look at some videos for research."

Kasamatsu set his drink down, watching as the girl ordered her food from the waitress before he could speak: "Seirin is up against Seiho…right?"

As the waitress took away the menu from the miko's hands, she returned her attention to the captain and nodded: "Yeah…so the coach wanted me to take some videos and do some observations of my own."

"Oh?" smirked Kise. "I guess you do have an eye for players and basketball."

"I…wouldn't say that," Kagome averted her eyes from the two boys and looked inside her bag to bring out the Seiho DVD and laptop. "I mean, I just wanted to gain some knowledge on the sport since this is my first year ever being involved in one. Riko-senpai suggested I look through Seiho's games in the videos to see if I could find anything…"

"Would you like us to watch with you?" asked Kise, raising a brow. "Kasamatsu-senpai might help you in giving you some knowledge on the sport, right senpai?"

"O-Oi…K-Kise-!"

Kasamatsu jumped back slightly as he felt the stare from the miko, seeing she was asking him for some assistance.

"Could you?" she questioned.

A dust of pink sprinkled over the captain's face, quickly making him look away in defeat: "I-I….."

"You don't have to," she chuckled, seeing his nerves getting the best of him once again. She guessed Kise's words were right about Kasamatsu's slight nervous wreck when being around girls.

"N-No…I don't mind…," he stuttered, coming back to sip on his drink.

"That settles it!" Kise moved his plate away and grabbed the laptop and helped the girl set it up to place the DVD inside. "Hm, do you know anything about Seiho, Kagomecchi?"

The miko shook her head, happy to see her plate of fries came along with her fruit smoothie. "I mean, all I know is that they are one of the three kings."

Kise clicked on the video to play and placed it ahead for the three to watch it comfortably from their seats. Minutes passed by as the video continued to play before them, showing them the practice game Seiho was demonstrating. Taking a bite of her fry, Kagome chewed quietly and couldn't help but feel uneasy on her meal after seeing the strong defense Seiho was performing.

"I can see why they are considered one of the kings," Kasamatsu crossed his arms, watching the video carefully.

The miko nodded: "Their defense…is strong, but I can't help but feel that their movements are kind of…weird."

"Weird?" questioned Kasamatsu.

"I don't know what it is," she replied, sighing before taking a sip from her smoothie. "The whole rhythm of basketball seems different."

"Hm," Kasamatsu nodded, seeing where she was going. "Apparently this school holds special practices. Don't really know how they do it, but their mobility is exceptional. They run the best defense in Tokyo."

Kise blinked, watching a bald player defended strongly against his opponent: "Oi…I know this guy."

"Huh?" the miko took a glance over to the blonde, seeing his eyes scrunch in irritation of seeing the guy. "You know him?"

"His defense is pretty tough," commented Kasamatsu. "How do you know him?"

Kise sighed, grabbing his drink in hand: "I played against him in middle school. He…actually gave me a lot of trouble as he continued to stop me from moving forward during our game."

Kagome couldn't help but blink to hear his words of actually being stopped by someone else other than the Generation of Miracles. "Is he that good?"

"His defense puts a lot of pressure," Kise groaned lightly, remembering his past of the guy's persistence during his middle school days. "In fact, I would get yelled at by my teammates during middle school because of him…Tsugawa Tomoki…, " fake tears ran down his cheeks as he lunged himself over to the miko: "Even Kurokocchi was angry!"

"Tsugawa…Tomoki," whispered Kagome, returning her eyes back onto the game after pushing Kise's head away from her person with her hand placed on his forehead.

"To be honest, he seemed sort of sadistic," Kise shook his head and looked over to the miko. "Stay away from him, Kagomecchi! He is not good at all!"

With a light chuckle, Kagome waved him off: "Don't worry, Kise-kun. I can handle myself just fine." She blinked, noticing a slight detail on the players as they moved. _'Huh…? Their feet…'_

"Hm, I can't seem to find a weak point," added Kasamatsu, sighing as the game was near its end.

Kise shrugged: "Well, their defense is at a national level almost. Their movements are definitely high," returning his attention back to the miko, he smiled: "What is Seirin going to do?"

The miko quickly took out her notebook and jotted down a few words, receiving blinking stares from the duo. Kise tilted his head to the side: "What are you writing, Kagomecchi?"

"I think I found something on their way of playing," she replied as she closed the notebook and placed it back inside her school bag. "It is just a hunch, but their movements…I have seen them somewhere."

"Somewhere?" he repeated. "Where?"

"Gomen, Kise-kun, Kasamatsu-senpai, but I am afraid that is my secret," she smiled at the two and shut the laptop off before putting it away and leaving her money on the table. "I have to do some research! It was nice seeing you two again!" With a slight bow, she placed the strap of her bag over her shoulder: "I really do appreciate your help, Kasamatsu-senpai, Kise-kun. Arigatou."

With another bow, the miko left the café and headed home on her own: _'It is just a hunch, but their foot work is very familiar...'_

Kasamatsu sighed, coming back to cross his arms: "That girl…she sure holds a special talent to this sport."

"You think?" blinked Kise, his eyes gliding back to stare at his captain. "I found it weird Kurokocchi was interested in a girl, but I can see why. She holds…positivity and care for her team. That sure must be nice," Kise sighed, placing his cheek on his palm as he watched the girl cross the street. "I am surprised Kasamatsu-senpai…you are doing fairly well in front of her. If I wasn't interested in her myself, I would give you her number, but obviously it isn't going to happen, but at least you don't stutter as much-!"

The blonde flinched from the kick under the table as Kasamatsu glared at the first year: "uruse, Kise!"

* * *

Flipping the page, Kagome's eyes scrunched as she read the context of the book while walking through the halls of the school. After arriving home the day before, she gathered some old books her grandfather held in his storage room and was surprised that after so many years, she finally found some worth in them. Although he only had two of her want, she had spent most of the night reading over one and decided to bring the second to school.

'_Hm…their way of playing is similar to this…,' _Kagome flipped the page again and heard the call of her name behind her.

"Kagome-chan!"

Turning her body slightly, Kagome blinked, watching the Seirin coach walking towards her with a smile. "Ohayo, Kagome-chan!"

"Ohayo, Riko-senpai," she smiled back while holding the book in her hands.

"Huh? What are you reading?" Riko tilted her head to the side to see the title under Kagome's hand. "A martial arts book?"

Kagome looked at the cover of the book and chuckled nervously: "Uh yeah…it belongs to my grandfather."

"Why are you reading about martial arts? Suddenly want to change teams?" Riko's eyebrow rose while placing her hands on her hips, suspicion covering her stare.

The miko shook her head and closed the book: "No! No! I…was just researching! That is all!"

"Researching? Researching what?" blinked Riko, really confused now on where the miko was going with this. "Did you see Seiho's video last night?"

"Actually, yes, I did," nodded Kagome, returning back to stare at the cover of the book in her hands. "I was confused first on their game movements, but I noticed a small detail towards the end. It is just a hunch on the way I am thinking, so that is why I am reading about martial arts."

"Martial arts?" repeated Riko. "Seiho and…martial arts?"

The miko rose her head slowly to face the coach and inched closer: "I believe Seiho uses some kind of martial art movements with their game play, but I am going after school to get more books about this topic…for now could you talk to the team about it? At least let them observe on this after school?"

"Hm," Riko placed her hand under her chin, "actually, Seiho is…a team that destroyed our team last year and in fact, they would like to regain their pride back."

"Huh?"

"I will relay this message to the second years, don't worry about Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun," Riko sent her smile. "They have their own skills to worry about since they are first years, but this game against Seiho is one our second years want to definitely win…to move forward from the past."

"Move…forward from the past?" whispered Kagome.

Riko patted the miko's shoulder: "You go on ahead and do your research and just text me anything you find out about this. I am actually surprised you are thinking outside the box. I would have never caught on that. I will see for myself today after school with the guys as we watch the videos."

* * *

"Oi, where is Kagome?" Kagami sat on the pulled out chair and crossed his arms, watching the coach turn on the TV after having everyone inside the video room after classes had been done for the day.

Riko turned on the DVD player and placed the video inside: "She went to do some research," she replied. "Don't worry, I gave her permission." An evil smirk appeared on the coach's lips while turning her head over her shoulder: "What is this, Kagami-kun? Worried about Kagome-chan?"

Kagami jumped from her speculation and looked away: "A-As if!"

"Hai. He is worried," replied Kuroko, sitting on the chair beside the tiger.

"Teme!"

"Alright, guys, let us calm down and watch this video," Hyuga sighed and leaned against the wooden desk. "But I am curious about this research. I thought Kagome-chan would be joining us today since she didn't come yesterday."

Shinji blinked, turning his head towards the female coach: "Is this research for a class or for-"

"For our team," she cut in with a smile. "That girl caught on something while watching Seiho's videos although she isn't really sure about it, but she will text me the information when she finds it."

"She caught something?" blinked Kagami, quite surprised himself. "What did she find?"

"Huh, she sure is working hard for this team," Hyuga's lips curved into a smile and looked at the started game on the screen.

Riko nodded: "We all should be. Also, after this, I would like to have a word with the second years."

"Huh!?" exclaimed Kagami. "Why not us?"

"Because this is about last year's game with Seiho," Riko sighed and crossed her arms. "The information that Kagome-chan gives us…I will only give to the second years."

"W-Wait-!"

The phantom player blinked and noticed the seriousness across the coach's expression. Although he felt a bit left out from the information that would be passed, he understood the reason. Kuroko placed his hand on Kagami's shoulder, stopping him from saying anymore. "Let's trust the coach and Kagome-chan. This game…is important to our senpais."

The tiger blinked at the phantom player before releasing his sigh and leaning back into his seat: "Fine, but I don't like that this girl is keeping secrets from us." Kuroko smiled slightly before returning his gaze towards the TV: _'I am sure Kagome-chan is doing everything she can.'_

* * *

Kagome walked into the bookstore and looked around the aisles to see for her wanted topic. Looking up at the sign, a smile appeared on her lips as she read the words on the aisles description: _'Ancient Topics.'_ Taking a step forward, the miko quickly stopped in her tracks as her eyes landed ahead on the person reading a book in his hands.

'_W-What is he doing here…?' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched, quickly recognizing the green hair.

Feeling eyes on his person, the male turned his head to his left and blinked upon seeing the Seirin's manager standing at the end of the aisle. Adjusting his glasses, he watched the girl slowly walking towards him and stopped beside him – ignoring him.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, not liking that the girl had brushed him off knowing exactly who he was.

"Looking for a book, Midorima-kun. It is a bookstore," she replied and definitely felt the tightened gaze on his eyes.

"I can see that," he glared and observed her hand grabbing onto a martial arts book. "Martial arts?"

Kagome nodded slightly and opened the object: "Hai."

Midorima sighed and returned his attention back onto the book in front of him while holding his lucky item in his left hand. "Shouldn't you be with Seirin practicing? Are you dropping your promise about meeting in the same court?"

"I never said I was breaking my promise, Midorima-kun," she smiled at the male and noticed the bonsai tree on his hand. "Is…that your lucky item of today?" She didn't know what was bringing her to ask questions and have a talk with the male, but she didn't feel threatened nor defensive. She saw it as an opportunity to…know the guy.

With a simple nod, Midorima's eyes landed to the miniature tree in his palm. "Hai."

"Do you really believe in luck and these items?" she blinked, quite confused that someone so talented really relied on such things. "I don't see why you need them."

"Everything must be done perfectly," he replied, closing the book with one hand before placing it back into the shelf. "Ignorant people wouldn't understand."

Kagome pouted at his insult and returned her eyes back onto her book as she flipped through the pages: "Well, it isn't that people don't understand, just some people believe in fate while others believe in hard work. I…sort of believe in both. It is a mixture."

"Mixture?" his eyebrow rose in question. Where was this girl getting at?

"I don't know you very well, Midorima-kun, but I will tell you this. I think…it was fate that brought me to meet Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun and to join the Seirin team, but I think hard work is what is brining me closer to the team and supporting the team to move forward. You…know what I mean?"

Midorima stared at the girl for a few seconds before scoffing at her words: "The world is run by fate alone. If you win it is because fate brought it so. If you lose, it was not your destiny to win."

Kagome brought her eyes back up to meet the green orbs intently staring at hers. The miko sighed and nodded: "I won't disrespect what you believe in," she smiled at the male, surprising him slightly that the girl was not going to argue back with his words. "If that is what you believe makes you strong, then so be it." Her eyes glided back to the context of the book. "Although…I think you are just naturally talented without luck."

Midorima turned his attention away after seeing her sent smile on him again. "Well, it doesn't matter. I will acknowledge you just this one for agreeing that…fate does have some part in life."

"Oh?" she blinked. "I feel honored a member of the Generation of Miracles acknowledges me." She chuckled lightly under her breath as she heard the slight scoff from the male. "Midorima-kun?"

He took a step forward and stopped at the call of his name. Without looking back, he continued to hear the girl speak.

"See you soon," she nodded and returned her attention to her task.

Midorima looked over his shoulder and smirked slightly at the confidence the girl held. The male turned his attention ahead and walked away from the miko, leaving her in the aisle alone. Kagome sighed and looked at the entrance of the shop: "That guy…will break if fate doesn't go his way, but all of us need to go through hardships to improve and move forward."

Kagome flipped the page once again and her eyes widened as she found the wanted information. _'This is…this is exactly how Seiho moves!'_ Sitting on the floor, Kagome quickly took out her notebook and began to write down some notes on the context. _'I have to text Riko-senpai this information soon.'_

* * *

Kagami dribbled the ball over to the hoop and quickly dunked it in. Setting his legs down on the ground, his eyes traveled over to stare at the green haired male standing on the other second court. The day had finally arrived for them to go against Seiho and he was just as pumped as ever to be going against two strong teams.

"Are you sure you are warming up? Don't be wasting too much energy."

Kagami looked over his shoulder and noticed the miko looking at him with a tilt of her head. His eyebrow rose and flicked the girl's forehead.

"Itai! What the heck, Kagami-kun!?" she exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot.

"Where have you been?" he questioned. "I haven't seen you since you and the coach made us carry the boxes."

"It was only two days ago," she pouted, lowering her hand down.

Kuroko held another ball in his hands as he stood beside the miko: "He missed you."

"Teme! I did not!" he shouted in defense.

"You didn't?" she pouted in a fake sadness. "I am hurt."

"O-Oi! Don't use that act on me!"

Kuroko chuckled lightly under his breath and turned to face the miko: "But I am surprised you have missed our meetings, although coach did say you have been doing research."

"Somewhat…," she looked away, scratching her cheek. _'I do hope Riko-senpai relied the message to the second years on what I found.'_

"Care to explain?" eyed Kagami, grabbing the ball from the floor.

Kagome shrugged and looked away: "I don't know. I wasn't missed remember?"

Kagami's eyebrow twitched before feeling another gaze on his person. Turning his head to the side, he noticed the slight stare Midorima held before his green orbs moved onto Kuroko's and Kagome's persons. All three stared back in silence, not knowing what to think about the staring tension.

"You three are staring down the wrong guy, bakas!" shouted Hyuga, slapping the back of Kagami's and Kuroko's head.

"Ah…Hyuga-senpai," Kagome jumped slightly as their captain came over to them.

Hyuga placed his hands on his hips, sighing: "No matter how hard you three stare, if we lose this next game, you will all look like idiots."

"We were just looking at him!" exclaimed Kagami. "I am focused on our next game."

The four watched silently at the warm up Seiho presented on the other half of the court, not surprised to see them mildly showing their skills. Kagome blinked: _'I do hope I am right on what I am saying…but it really is left on the second years if they are able to catch on it…'_

"Ha? You're Kagami-kun, aren't you?"

Heads turned to see Seiho's bald player smiling at the red head and pointing to his hair.

"Your hair is so red! Scary!" he exclaimed with a huge grin.

The miko blinked, quickly recognizing the male: '_Tsugawa Tomoki…the guy Kise-kun mentioned.'_

"What did you say?" glared Kagami.

"Captain!" shouted Tomoki. "This is the guy, right? Seirin's really weak, but they have one strong guy!"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched at his sudden statement: "W-What?"

Riko clearly heard his yell and glared at the player: "You have done it now, you little shit!"

"Ow!" Tomoki was quickly hit behind his head by his captain, throwing off his balance.

"Quit messing around, you idiot," spoke his captain, Iwamura Tsutomu. His eyes landed on the Seirin's members and sighed: "Sorry about that." He bent Tomoki down onto a forced bow. "This guy can't read situations, so he just says what he is thinking."

"That can really get him in trouble," Kagome placed her hand on her hip. _'I can see why Kise-kun was…annoyed over him.'_

Hyuga blinked, furrowing down his eyebrows: "You don' need to apologize. We are going to win. If you look down on us like you did last year, you'll end up in tears."

"That won't happen," replied Iwamura. "Besides, we weren't looking down on you. You were just weak. That is all." He walked turned around with Tomoki's head under his grip and walked away from the Seirin's stares.

Kagome sighed heavily and turned her attention to the team as they huddled around her and Riko the moment she walked into the court.

"That guy will definitely be annoying," glared the coach.

The miko noticed the silent stare Kuroko gave off onto Tomoki's person and blinked: "Everything okay?"

Kuroko nodded slightly: "…just a bit worried."

* * *

Kasamatsu placed his hands inside his pockets, looking to his side as the blonde basketball player looking through his phone and smiled. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh?" he grinned. "I am actually sending Kagomecchi a text to tell her we are heading to the match. I mean, aren't you curious what she found during watching the videos with her? She wouldn't even tell us." Kise clicked on an app and noticed the questioning look on his captain's face. "Also, I am listening to a recording of this morning's Oha Asa. When this thing is good, Midorimacchi is good."

"Ah, the guy from Teiko," sighed Kasamatsu. "What is his sign?"

"Cancer," smiled Kise, scrolling to his recording and clicked on it. "Kurokocchi is an Aquarius. Oh! I should ask Kagomecchi what she is and see if we are compatible!"

Kasamatsu jabbed his hand on Kise's side: "I doubt she would tell you knowing you were going to see if a relationship would work."

"You are so mean, Kasamatsu-senpai!"

Kise blinked upon hearing the recording play.

"_First place goes to Cancer. Congratulations! You will have no complaints today. Last place goes to Aquarius! Play it quite today!"_

"Uh-oh…," Kise stopped at the top step of the stairs after listening to the horoscope.

"What?" blinked Kasamatsu, confused on his sudden stop.

"This is terrible…," he sighed, his eyes dropping in worry.

* * *

Riko sighed as she leaned on the lockers while watching her team silently either stand or sit. Nothing but the gloom of their worry taking over the atmosphere. The ticking of the clock echoed around the room, bringing her eyes down concern over the team's spirit. Of course, she could not blame them. Seiho was after all their humiliation of last year and they still tried to put them down during their warm up.

'_Everyone is a little tense…hm, I think I know what will perk them up,' _she closed her eyes before clapping to bring their attention onto her as an idea struck her mind. "You're all a little too uptight. I thought of a reward to cheer you up!"

Turning her body slightly to the side, Riko's eyes dropped in a seductive stare in a chuckle and blinked innocently to the boys: "If you win the next game, I'll give each of you a kiss on the cheek. What do you say?" Her wink was quickly sent to him after her last words.

Shun's blank expression quickly came out: "Why did she laugh…?"

"You can't be serious," blinked Shinji.

Riko quickly dropped onto her knees, seeing the rejection of her reward. Hyuga came into her defense and glared at his team: "Bakas! Pretend to be happy if you have to!"

The coach dropped even more at the shouted force of being happy and shook her head in defeat: "bakas…," her ears caught the sound of the door opening and turned her head to see the miko coming in with a few folded towels in her arms.

"I brought more towels for later," she smiled and closed the door behind her.

Riko ran to her person and leaned in: "Kagome-chan!"

"Uh….hai?" she blinked, leaning back from the close proximity. Feeling Riko's arm around her shoulder, she was brought to her side while facing the team.

"Alright! If you don't want the reward from me…then Kagome-chan will give it!"

"Eh?" blinked the miko once again, very confused on this…reward. "Reward? What reward? What am I giving?"

"A kiss," winked Riko, chuckling at the wide eyed expression the miko gave. "Just a small one on the cheek. Nothing big."

"N-Nothing big!?" she exclaimed. "You have to be joking with me!"

"Yosh!" Shinji pumped fist up in the air. "Let's defeat Seiho!"

Kagome quickly turned her attention to see Shinji and Shun giving each other a high five. Kagome's shoulder slumped down, not believing that the guys had been convinced. Why the heck did Riko even suggest an idea!? Her eyes landed on the first year duo: "O-Oi! Tell the guys no!"

Kuroko scratched his cheek and looked away from her eyes: "…Kagami-kun…we should try our best to win."

"Eh….?"

Kagami coughed out his lump of nerves in his throat and hid his blush while turning away: "I wanted to beat them from the beginning anyways."

Riko laughed evilly under her breath: "He-he, you better do it, Kagome-chan. It was a promise. It was the only way to pump them up and get them away from their gloom."

"By using me!?" she exclaimed. "I am sure there were other ways to get them pumped up!"

Riko shrugged: "Don't worry, they will probably forget by the end of the game of their reward! So don't put too much thought into it!" Her eyes landed back on the team, seeing their spirits coming back up: "Alright! But also think about the game overall, Seirin! Don't you want to pay them back for last year? It's got to be quite a lot with a year's worth of interest!"

Hyuga nodded and caught his team's attention: "All right, before we start, I will tell you again. I am sure you will feel it as soon as the game starts, but first years, prepare yourselves for the worst. Seiho is strong. After last year's massive defeat, we hated basketball so much we nearly quit, but we got over it and we are better now." A smile appeared on the captain's face. "If anything, we are happy. This won't be the same as last year. I'm confident we have become strong enough to be sure of that…and with the help of the first years…we will go far! Now we just have to win. Let's go!"

Hyuga patted Kagome's shoulder as he walked by her and smiled at the girl: "arigatou. Now just leave it to us."

The miko looked over her shoulder as the second years walked out the locker room and left her with the red head and phantom player. Sighing, Kagome came out with the towels in hand and smiled as the Seirin team walked off towards the court's entrance.

Kagami sighed, catching her attention: "I have never seen the senpais so determined."

"Well, they are about to go against a team that humiliated them," she smiled at the tiger. "They want to move forward."

Both teens looked over their shoulder to see the phantom player looking up at the glass ceiling of the stadium. Kagome blinked: "Kuroko-kun, is something wrong?"

They noticed his blank expression of almost having been remembered of something from Hyuga's words. Kuroko sighed: "Kagami-kun, Kagome-chan, have you two ever hated basketball or something you loved?"

"What?" blinked Kagame, confused from his sudden question. "No, I haven't."

"I have," he replied.

Kagome's eyes dropped in question from his words: "You…have?"

"I believe my reason was different, but I know the feeling. They are cheerful now, but hating something you love is a painful feeling," he explained without looking at them. "I think this game is important for our seniors to get over the past as Kagome-chan mentioned. So…more than anything, I want to win."

* * *

Kagome sat on the bench, watching as the two teams lined up on the court facing each other before the referee as he held the ball. The speakers were sounded off as they announced the start of the game. After Kuroko sudden explanation, she felt that Kuroko definitely had an experience where basketball was his hatred during his Teiko years - she only wondered what.

"Let the first A Block semifinals match between Seirin High and Seiho High begin."

The miko clutched her clipboard and eyed the phantom player along with the tiger: _'Please do win for our senpais…' _

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan," smiled Riko. "Hyuga-kun and the rest of the second year players…were pretty amazed at your idea and stayed long hours to catch on the movements you sent on the text."

Nodding, Kagome returned her attention to the ball being thrown up in the air as the referee blew his whistle for the start of the game. "I just hope…they can catch on it and read the movements…"

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Alright, the game starts in the next chapter along with Shutoku's game! Hope everyone is excited...because I am...and I am writing the story hahaha. Also, anyone noticed we are slowly getting closer to Too making its appearance?

I am making Kagome getting comfortable to Kise and Kasamatsu and vise-versa and Midorima along with with Takao will too. So if you have any side characters or main characters you would like Kagome to interact with, don't hesitate to tell me!

Hope you enjoyed!

Please review.

Ja~ne!


	9. Peaceful Anger

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Quick update on Love Hoop since this was more requested in PM and reviews compared to Dimensional Lovers, Pure Rukh, and Fated Souls! So, here is chapter nine!

Now this chapter holds the match with Seirin and Seiho. Quite difficult to write about the matches, but they are fun at the same time. Am I the only one who got annoyed at Tomoki Tsuwaga, but I cannot seem to hate any of the Kuroko no Basket characters. Is it just me? Even Makoto Hanamiya...I can't hate although I know how much of a jerk he is hahaha.

Anyways, Kagome incorporated more of her abilities her a tiny bit, she is trying to get used to them and use them in "replenishing" energy to the members. Along with that, Sango's teachings came in. Please keep in mind, I had these ideas added in so that Kagome could be incorporated in. Moving on from that, will Kagome give her reward?

We will see...

Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for helping this story pass 200 reviews and not even ten chapters in!

Again thank you!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 09: Peaceful Anger **

* * *

Kasamatsu sighed, glaring from the corner of his eyes as the blonde basketball player walked beside him – annoyed. "You took so long buying a drink, the game has already started." A light punch was aimed over Kise's shoulder, watching as he stumbled a bit forward. "So much for promising Higurashi-san to be there on time, Kise."

"Ma, ma, she doesn't need to know we got a little late," chuckled Kise, scratching the back of his head as they made their way inside the balcony doors. "Besides, why the formal name? I don't think she would mind if you called her 'Kagome-chan'." A smile curved onto Kise's lips, soon meeting another slap behind his head.

"Uruse," Kasamatsu walked past him, placing his hands inside his pockets. "Unlike you, we all know we ask permission to call someone on a first name basis."

Kise's lips pouted, watching his captain walked forward onto the rim of the balcony. "I still don't think she would mind…," shaking his head, he met with the black haired captain and looked over to the court. Both their eyes widened at the scoreboard ahead. With six minutes left in the first quarter, they clearly saw that Seiho was ahead by twelve points while Seirin had not even scored once.

"W-What…?" stuttered Kise, quite shocked at the results.

"Oi, oi, seriously?" questioned Kasamatsu, surprised himself.

The blonde's eyes landed onto the Seirin bench, watching the miko as she gripped her knees in worry: "What is going on? How come Seirin hasn't even scored yet?"

Kasamatsu crossed his arms: "Seiho…must be that tough…"

"But it looked like Kagomecchi had discovered something or had a plan," Kise's eyes narrowed, watching the miko intently watch Kagami struggle with Tomoki. "Did it not work?"

"It probably isn't that," replied his captain. "Perhaps she did discover something, but as their manager, she cannot play for them. She simply sent the message to them…"

"So Seirin…has to put her advice into a strategy," finished Kise.

Kasamatsu nodded with a sigh: "This game…will definitely be tough. I thought so when we played them, but Seirin is a slow starter. Kagami is usually the one to put his foot on the gas, but without that, they can't hit their stride…"

* * *

Kagami cursed under his breath as he held the ball in his hands, watching the amusement in Tomoki's expression from being able to pressure him this much. _'Bastard. This guy's defense is at least as good as Kise's!'_

"Kagami, you are holding the ball too long! Pass it!" Shun quickly made a run around the tiger and caught the ball in his hands, going forward for a shot to the hoop. Making a jump, the ball was quickly blocked and thrown away from his grasp. Shun's eyes widened, realizing Iwamura had been his blockage. _'I thought I was wide open. He appeared out of nowhere!'_

"How naïve," whispered Iwamura, watching the shock on Shun's face. "Your offense will never crush our defense at that level."

Seirin ran back to defend their hoop, all realizing the defensive pressure Seiho was beginning to give them. Kagami caught the passed ball into his hand and dribbled in place, seeing from the corner of his eye as Tomoki blocked his passage behind him. _'Kuso!'_

"Tsugawa, it's fine if you are excited, but don't wear yourself out before the second half!" shouted Omuro, smirking as he blocked Hyuga's own path.

"I'm fine!" smiled Tomoki. "They're not as good as I thought, so this should be easy!"

Kagami's eyes tightened, catching the guy's insult on the team. _'What did you say?!'_ He charged forward, bumping into Tomoki's shoulder and quickly stopped at the referee's whistle.

"Charging! White 10!"

"What!?" exclaimed Kagami.

Riko stood from her seat, glaring at the tiger: "Just how easily does that baka get angry!?"

The miko's shoulder slumped, releasing a held sigh: _'Kagami-kun…calm down…,' _her eyes set onto the clipboard on her lap, seeing the notes she had taken from her research. _'Did my advice not work?' _The first quarter was coming to an end and Kagami had already been placed with another foul before. She knew that the tiger easily got angry and his head would swell with annoyance, but that didn't mean that Tomoki's provoking was fair. The guy had to shut up!

"Kagami! Calm down!" shouted Shinji from the bench, taking the miko out from her inner thoughts.

Kuroko walked behind the red head, blinking towards him: "Kagami-kun, you already have two fouls. Get five and you are out."

"I know," he glared, feeling his shoulders shake. His eyes glided over to see Seiho's amusement: "Somehow, their movements are impossible to play against."

Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "This is not starting well at all…"

"We can't even pass," spoke Kagome. "Their defense is too sturdy for even Kuroko-kun to make passes."

The coach nodded, watching as Kuroko was passed the ball and still no wide open member for him to pass to. Riko cursed under her breath, seeing Kuroko hesitation: "There it is again…he can't pass!"

Kagome looked at the clipboard once more: "From watching their videos, Seiho's defense is man-to-man. They create pressure by staying right on the guys the whole time. It can't be easily broken even if Seiho's opponents knew their technique."

"And our second years do know their technique…but it must be more difficult to catch on than we thought," Riko's eyes tightened. "With this defense we are only playing with half power. I will call a time out."

"Time out?" blinked Kagome.

"I think you should explain it yourself about Seiho's technique. After all, you were the one that found it," Riko walked towards the scoreboard table, leaving the miko to stand.

"W-Wait-!" Kagome was left standing as she held the clipboard to her side. Her eyes shifted back to see Kuroko's aura in stress. _'What can I do…?'_

Upon hearing the time out call, the teams divided up to their benches, both Riko and Kagome letting the players sit on the benches as they cleaned their sweat and drank their thirst. Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "Seiho uses old martial arts techniques." She cut straight to the point, seeing that they had to.

"Old martial arts?" questioned Kagami. He quickly made a karate pose along with the sound effect, receiving blinks from his teammates. "You mean this kind of thing?"

Kagome sighed, crossing her arms: "That's not old martial arts, baka."

"I think you should explain it thoroughly, Kagome-chan," Riko closed her eyes, letting the miko take the stand.

The miko looked at the Seiho team as Tomoki continued to hold his smile: "Well, to explain, Seiho incorporates movements from old martial arts. One of the techniques I read on that they us is called 'namba running'."

"Namba running?" blinked the tiger.

With a nod, the miko continued: "usually your arms and legs move in opposite directions when you run, but when namba running your arms and legs move together. I read that by avoiding twisting you reduce the strain on your body and the energy you spend." Kagome looked the clipboard in her hand: "they use all sorts of martial arts techniques for effortless strength, moving quickly without missing a beat, and other basic movements."

"That is how Seiho moves," finished Riko, seeing the silent attention from the team.

"So that was the feeling I was getting…," whispered Kagami.

Kuroko blinked, observing the miko silently as she looked through her notes. "You…caught all of that in their videos?"

"Huh?" blinked Kagome, looking up from her papers.

"I am surprised as well," commented Hyuga. "It would have taken us a long time to catch on that. How did you even notice their style?"

Kagome tapped her chin with her finger: "well…I was confused on their movements at first, seeing it strange, but I quickly noticed their foot work and it seemed very familiar to how a friend use to…fight."

"Fight?!" exclaimed Shinji. "Like a delinquent friend!?"

"No! No!" chuckled Kagome. "She was um…," she looked away, not sure on how to put her words together. _'How do I put that Sango-chan was a demon slayer and knew basic martial techniques? Ugh…'_

"She knew how to fight?" blinked Kuroko, taking her out her inner thoughts.

The miko scratched her cheek: "More like she thought me defensive moves."

'_I should definitely leave out that the defensive martial arts were to fight demons…'_

"Ma, although we already knew about this, it is more difficult than I thought," sighed Hyuga, grabbing his water bottle.

"But…they are still human," replied Kagome, catching the males' attention. "They are still playing basketball. I know their technique may be hard to grasp on, but they make mistakes too."

The coach nodded, a smile coming onto her lips: "She's right. They will fall for fakes and they will lose their balance if you catch them off guard. Continue to observe and play. I am sure we will catch their technique. This isn't over yet!"

The referee blew the whistle once again to resume the game, all players standing from their benches. Kagome looked ahead, watching as Seiho made their way calmly to the court. Her hand gripped the clipboard to her side, but loosened it as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Trailing the arm, she blinked upon seeing the blue orbs on her.

"Kuroko-kun…"

"Don't worry," he nodded, "we will win."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, watching as Kagami stood on her other side: "You two…please be careful." Her eyes lowered to a glare as she sent it over to the tiger: "and you, stop letting your anger the best of you. Calm down."

The miko closed her eyes as she saw the tiger's palm coming towards her, but blinked as she felt his hand lay on her head and pat it lightly. Trailing his form, she noticed his eyes focused on the court: "….I know, I know. I will…try. Just as you said, they are human just like us. I just have to be faster than them."

She watched him head to the court, leaving her with the phantom player. "What…is he saying?"

"Trust us, Kagome-chan," whispered Kuroko, leaving her shoulder. "Kagami-kun…does what he has to do for us. Just leave it to us now."

The game resumed; the tension rose. Kagami jumped and caught the passed ball from Shun and lowered to the ground. His eyes tightened as Tomoki blocked his path once again with that grin of his.

"One-on-one?" smirked Tomoki. "Bring it on!"

"I don't care about your martials arts or whatever. Basketball is basketball!" Kagami's eyes tightened into a glare and he faked his path around Tomoki, quickly making a left to a right and passed him in a blink of an eye. The tiger dunked the ball in, surprising everyone from his score.

Jumping down from the hoop, Kagami watched as the ball bounced into Kuroko's hands. Kagome's lips reflected the smiles of her coach and senpais as they were thrilled to have made a point. Her shoulders relaxed, feeling a bit of the tension coming off: _'…we will win this.'_

"All right!" shouted Riko, jumping with excitement.

"That's the first time I have seen anyone get past you," whispered Ryuhei as he walked past Tomoki.

A smirk appeared on Tomoki's face while staring at the first year duo. "The fun and the pain are just getting started."

Kagome blinked, feeling the rise of an aura in the court. Her eyes landed on the first year Seiho member, seeing his aura increase. _'His…aura…,' _she quickly looked over to Kuroko and Kagami, seeing them speak before the game resumed. _'Please be careful…Kuroko-kun…Kagami-kun…'_

* * *

The ball was quickly passed from one Seiho member to the next in a blink of an eye until it landed into Iwamura's hands. Kagami cursed under his breath: _'these damn passes! They are so quick to pass the ball again after they get it!'_

"Mitobe! He is going your way!" shouted Hyuga, once again being block by a Seiho member.

Iwamura passed the ball to Tomoki, but was quickly blocked away by Kagami's palm. All ears caught the sound of the referee's whistle.

"Foul! White 10!"

Hyuga blinked, looking over his shoulder: _'Oi! Oi! Isn't that his third one already?'_

Kagami glared at Tomoki, wiping the sweat from his forehead: _'Damn it! It's not that they are fast, they just don't use many movements!'_

Riko clicked her tongue, standing up once again from her seat: "Kagami-kun! Calm yourself down!"

The miko rested her cheek on her palm, having seen the quick passing from the Seiho team. "They are passing the ball without ever catching it."

"Is it another one of their martial arts techniques?" questioned Riko, looking over her shoulder.

"Well, they have to have quick reflexes and thinking skills to do that. Obviously it takes a lot of practice," she replied, watching the intense glare the tiger had on Tomoki. _'Baka…calm down! Don't let him get to you!'_

* * *

Kise sighed, leaning back in his seat as he watched the game continue: "I thought Seirin's engine was finally running when Kagamicchi scored, but they haven't managed to take another step."

"You can't call yourself a king just for playing good defense," replied Kasamatsu as he crossed his arms. "Their offense is exceptional too." He sighed, closing his eyes: "Seiho may not have prodigal scorers like or Kagami, but they are a different type of team. Seiho isn't a team of prodigies. They're a team of experts."

Chuckling under his breath, Kise's lips curved into a smirk: "there are some experts on Seirin too."

"Huh?"

The blonde's eyes landed on the phantom player on the court watching as he was very concentrated on the game. His attention was drawn over to the miko, watching as her own eyes drifted from corner to corner on each member.

"You know…Kagomecchi might have a talent of her own."

"What are you talking about?" glared Kasamatsu.

"Well, Kagomecchi is certainly a fast learner, but she is a quick observer. It is almost as if her eyes never miss anything," he whispered back.

Kasamatsu blinked: "You mean like…quick reflexes?"

"Something like that," he nodded back, watching as Kagome stood from her seat to stand beside the coach. "I do wonder…how she will make Seirin grow."

* * *

"Out of bounds! White ball!" the referee called out as the ball rolled away from the court.

Tomoki sighed, looking over at the scoreboard: "A nine point difference, huh?" His path was stopped, surprising him as he set his eyes down on the much shorter male with ghostly colored hair.

"Sumimasen," whispered Kuroko, looking up to the Seiho member.

"You…," Tomoki blinked, not able to recognize the player. He jumped back and away from Kuroko: "W-Who are you?! Have you been playing this game!?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya," he introduced himself. "I have been."

"You're kidding! Seriously!? You've got so little presence!"

Kagami's eyes widened in shock at Tomoki's ignorance: _'H-He's played him before, but doesn't remember him!?'_

Tomoki quickly composed himself and took a few steps forward to stand in front of the phantom player: "You're a first year, too?" A smile appeared on his lips: "Hey! Did you know!? Last year, our team was ahead of yours by twenty points in the first quarter! That's why I want to make it thirty! Well, don't let it get you down!"

Kagome gripped her marker as the court went silent from his words. She could see all of Seirin's second year players drown in their memory of embarrassment. _'How can someone…be so evil and hold that smile?' _If only she could be in the court and throw a few words back!

Riko sighed: "He is really getting on my nerves."

Tomoki patted Kuroko's shoulder, running past him before stopping upon hearing the phantom player's words.

"Fine. I will make sure I am not disappointed."

The game resumed and the ball was in Shun's hand, dribbling it over to the side before throwing it over towards Hyuga who was blocked by Ryuhei. The brunette male smirked: "A random pass like that will never-"

His eyes widened, watching Kuroko quickly running towards the ball and passing the ball over to Mitobe's way seeing Iwamura off guard. Mitobe quickly made the shot, adding to their score.

Kagome smiled, watching as Kuroko headed back into a running position: _'I guess…he gets angered easily as well.'_

"Damn it!" shouted Iwamura, dribbling the ball under his hand while running towards the hoop. "What the hell is going on!?" He passed the ball over to Ryuhei, easily being caught into his hand.

Shun went over to Ryuhei's side, watching him smirk: "Calm down, kids." Ryuhei quickly passed Shun's block and headed over for a throw only to have Kagami coming from behind and push the ball away from his grasp.

The ball rebounded and caught into Shun's hands. In fast pace, Seirin headed back to their offense before Seiho could defend once again. The ball passed back and in forth, with points coming from Seiho to Seirin.

Grunting under his breath, Tomoki was passed with the ball, but was quickly pushed away by Kuroko form behind. The ball rolled away and with Kagami's help, he threw the ball over to Hyuga before he made a three-pointer shot.

Kagome blinked, watching as the ball went in, giving them the three points. With the whistle blown again, the referee called out: "First quarter over!"

As the Seirin members gathered before going over to their bench, they met with the coach and manager coming their way with smiles. Riko quickly slapped Hyuga's shoulder with a huge grin: "Way to go!"

"I-Itai…," the captain rubbed his shoulder, watching the coach look over to the scoreboard.

"You guys had me worried for a minute," spoke Kagome, catching their attention.

"Eh?" blinked Shun, leaning forward. "Where is the fate, Kagome-chan?"

The miko chuckled nervously: "You were all worried too, were you not?"

"Oi."

All the members looked over to their left, watching as Iwamura rose Tomoki from the back of his jersey and held his grip on the first year. "I heard this guy said something stupid again."

Hyuga sighed, shrugging his shoulders: "Yeah. Honestly, it brought back memories of last year's trauma."

"Sorry about that," nodded Seiho's captain.

The miko's eyes landed over to the bald basketball player, tightening her focus on the guy that had only been running his mouth to put down her team. She took a few steps forward, standing in front of the Seirin captain.

Hyuga blinked, surprised by her sudden appearance before the Seiho team. "K-Kagome-chan…?"

"Look here," she glared, pointing her finger over to Tomoki, "you call yourself a captain and this is how you let this first year run his mouth? If he is going to sound so cheerful on putting us down, then I better see that cheerful grin of his when he loses."

"K-Kagome-chan!" Hyuga placed his hand on her shoulder.

Iwamura's eyes narrowed on the girl: "And who are you?"

"Their manager," she replied, holding her glare.

The Seiho captain sighed: "well, as a manager you have no right to speak about winning."

Kagome's eyebrow rose: "Really? Have you seen the scoreboard or are your heads inflated with your confidence?"

Seiho's eyes glided over to stare at the scoreboard, seeing the tie numbers between their teams. The miko smiled: "You all thought we wouldn't be at your level, right? Next time, make sure your first year player doesn't get ahead of himself without knowing the situation."

Riko crossed her arms, smirking at the sight of the manager defending their team against Seiho: _'Hm, not bad.'_

Hyuga sighed, placing his hand over Kagome's head: "well, although she is right about that, let me just add that what happened last year…we are over it."

Iwamura glared at the girl before turning back around with his team behind: "And don't get ahead of yourselves."

Kagome crossed her arms: "the nerve of some people…"

* * *

"Oi!" Kagami slapped the back of the miko's head as they walked back to their bench, surprising her. "What the hell were you thinking!?"

"Defending you guys, what else?" she rubbed the back of her head. "Itai…"

Riko raised a brow, watching as her team sat on their seats: "I don't think she did anything wrong. That guy was getting on our nerves anyways and he needed a good scolding."

"I am surprised…Kagome-chan had the guts," blinked Shinji, placing his hands on his hips.

Kuroko blinked, coming to sit on his spot: "Kagome-chan…please be careful next time. We don't know how the other teams will react to your words."

With a sigh, the miko nodded: "hai. Hai. I just simply needed him to stop putting us down. He has not right."

Riko knelt down, catching her team's attention: "Well, besides that, all of you are being led by their passes too much, so keep your zone tighter. Also, Kagami-kun…"

"H-Hai?" he blinked.

"…you have a lot of fouls," she finished, dropping her eyes into a glare. "Look, if you try to match your opponents like a wuss, they will control the flow of the game. Remember to play offensively!"

"Second quarter, begin!"

The buzzer sounded off, calling the teams back onto the court. Kagome sighed, watching as the teams began the game and the same formation of defense on Seiho's side took place. Tomoki smirked, blocking Kagami's passage.

"I don't care much for what that manager of yours said, but I won't let you get past me again. I will show you that your female manager will regret her words!" a smirk appeared on Tomoki's face.

Kagami's eyes tightened: "What did you say?" The ball was quickly passed into his hands, annoyed that the guy had persisted in his pressure on him. _'Seriously, this guy…I can't get past him! _He noticed the phantom player passing behind his defense, signaling him to pass the ball. Passing the ball between Tomoki's legs, Kuroko passed the ball back to the tiger as he ran around the Seiho member.

Running ahead, his path was blocked by Iwamura and quickly repeated the same tactic with his partner before he captured the ball in his hands and dunked it in.

Tomoki's eyes widened, seeing the ball bounce down from the net: "They…can do that?" His eyes landed on the phantom male: "Where did number eleven even come from!?"

* * *

Kasamatsu blinked, quite surprised from the sudden coordination: "They can make it past that defense?"

The blonde chuckled, placing his hand on his forehead: "they are more in tune with each other than they were before." Kise's eyes landed back onto the miko: "I have to say that it must of have been Kagomecchi's words against Seiho that brought their spirits back up. After all, she is the link between them."

"I guess..," the Kaijo captain's eyes landed back onto the tiger, watching as sweat dripped from his person, "but there is one thing bothering me."

"Huh?"

"That is way too much sweat for the second quarter."

* * *

The miko's eyes scrunched, watching as the sweat clinging to Kagami's face dripped down to the court. _'His aura…is dropping. He is using too much stamina and we are not even done with the first half!' _Her eyes landed over to the smirking Tomoki, noticing his grin upon seeing the tiger's condition. _'Is this…his doing?'_

"This isn't good…," she whispered to herself, knowing that Kagami was already using too much strength. She looked down to her hands, remembering the time she replenished some of Kuroko's energy and health during their practice game against Kaijo. _'Perhaps…'_

* * *

"What are you laughing about?" smirked Ryuhei, placing his arm around Tomoki's shoulders. "I mean, I don't mind. You're happy Kagami is over pacing himself, aren't you? Looks like your plan is working well."

Tomoki smirked, seeing the stress on the Seirin members: "not yet! He needs to suffer more!"

Ryuhei flinched back; sarcastically: "oh! You're quite the sadist!"

"That pair's offensive power is certainly impressive," commented Tomoki, "but only one of them can score."

The game resumed with Hyuga passing the ball over to the tiger. Kagami looked over his shoulder, seeing the smirk still on Tomoki's lips. _'What's going on? They are not pressuring me at all! They're not trying to stop me!?' _He turned around, aiming for another dunk: _'Fine! Then I will slam another one through their hoop!' _

Kagome's eyes widened, seeing Tomoki's intention. She shook her head, standing from the bench: "Kagami-kun! Don't do it!"

Everyone's eyes widened as Kagami's body slammed into Tomoki's pushing him onto the floor. The referee's whistle was blown once again: "Offensive foul! White 10!"

All eyes landed on the fourth offensive card on the referee's hand. Shinji sighed: "That's…four."

Kagami's eyes slowly tightened as he looked over his shoulder, seeing the sadistic smile on Tomoki's face. _'He…did that on purpose!'_

* * *

"Baka!" shouted Kise, shaking his head. "What the heck is he doing!?"

Kasamatsu sighed: "He will have to back down. With only one foul left, he will be too scare to make any plays."

* * *

Riko sighed, scratching the back of her head: "Baka..."

"It's only the second quarter…," sighed Shinji.

Kagome looked over to see Tomoki's excitement, making her fingers wrap tightly around her clipboard. Letting out a sigh, Kagome closed her eyes: _'I guess…it works out better this way. With four fouls on him…he will be too scared to make any more mistakes. Besides,' _her eyes landed ahead to the other half of the stadium, watching as Midorima and Takao had been sitting out during their own game, _'they are conserving their energy…in which Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun must do the same.'_

"Riko-senpai."

"Huh?"

"Substitute Kagami-kun and…Kuroko-kun," she finished, looked down at her hands. _'They used too much energy. I will try to restore to the best of my ability by giving them some of my own miko-ki energy.'_

Riko looked over to the female manager: "substitute Kuroko-kun as well?"

Kagome pointed over to the Shutoku team: "if we want to win against Shutoku…we will need Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun at full power…this game is already tiring them out."

"I guess you're right, but Kagami-kun won't come back to the bench that easily," Riko sighed as she stood.

Kagome stood from her seat as well: "Just leave that to me."

"Very well. I will substitute them both." She made her way over to the scoreboard table: "excuse me, I would like to make a substitution."

Overhearing her request, Kagami shook his head and looked over to his second year teammates now seeing their concern. "I-I'll be fine! I just have to make sure I don't get any more fouls, right? I can do it!"

"No, you can't," Kagome walked between the team and looked over to the tiger and phantom player. "We are also substituting Kuroko-kun."

Kuroko blinked, taken back from her words: "Me…too?"

Kagome sighed: "I think it is best that you two only played the first half."

"N-Nani!?" exclaimed Kagami. "Why would you say such a thing, Kagome!?"

The miko looked over to the Shutoku bench, seeing Midorima adjusting his glasses. "Because we need you both against Midorima-kun."

Hyuga nodded, seeing where the girl was going with this. "I see what she means. Even if we win this game, we will need a strategy to beat Midorima in our next game against Shutoku."

"Shutoku is already conserving Midorima's strength," added the miko as she crossed her arms.

Kagami took a step forward: "but if we lose this game, we won't even have the chance-!"

"We will gamble it," cut in Hyuga. "If we can conserve the two of you, we will have a slim chance of beating Shutoku and going to the championship league."

"We will beat Midorima even if we are tired, so let us-!" Kagami was once again cut off as Kuroko took a step forward.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko's eyes landed on the miko's sudden change of fire in her own orbs, seeing that indeed it made sense if they wanted to go against Shutoku, "let's do as they say."

"Nani!?"

"I trust our seniors and…Kagome-chan," he continued, turning his head to face the red head.

Hyuga smirked: "don't worry. We'll beat Seiho."

"B-But-!" Kagami stopped in his own words as he felt the miko's hands grab each side of his face, bringing him down to stare into her eyes.

"Trust them, Kagami-kun. You and Kuroko-kun did your best. Now let our seniors finish this game for us," releasing his head, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at the three senpais. "I know they will be fine."

Kuroko looked at Kagami from the corner of his eyes, seeing the slight blush coming over his cheeks. The phantom player's lips curved slightly upon seeing the flustered look on the tiger's expression, something he was beginning to enjoy.

Hyuga nodded to the miko: "arigatou, Kagome-chan. Now take these two."

With a nod of her own, the miko grabbed Kuroko by his wrist along with Kagami's and pulled them away from the court.

"Seirin member change!" called out the referee.

"Oh? They are both gone? Funny how that stupid girl can easily control them," he shook his head with a chuckle. "It's a little disappointing, but whatever!"

Hyuga's eyebrows furrowed upon hearing the insult on his first years. "Quit running your mouth, you braggart."

"B-Braggart?" stuttered Tomoki.

"I'm going to teach you how to talk to you seniors and respect women, baldy," glared Hyuga, watching as Tomoki flinched back in fear.

* * *

Kagome sighed, watching as Kagami and Kuroko placed their white shirts back on and sat on the bench. "Why the gloomy face?" she questioned.

"Because…," whispered Kagami, "I could still go against them."

Kagome nodded: "we know, but look at our reasoning."

Kuroko rested his hands on his knees: "Kagami-kun, the team is right. If we want to be at our best against Midorima-kun, we should restore our energy."

Kagami scoffed, turning away from their glances: "whatever…"

With a sigh, the miko made her way behind the two: _'I should start…sending some of my miko-ki over to them to replenish their own energy for the next game.'_

Her eyes landed ahead, watching as Hyuga quickly passed the ball over to Mitobe: "besides, it looks like this game…means a lot to our senpais to fully move forward from their humiliation." Placing her hands on Kuroko's and Kagami's shoulders, her eyes landed ahead upon feeling someone looking at her person.

She nodded slightly as she met with Midorima's green orbs.

* * *

Takao blinked, watching from his bench as the miko made her way behind the two first years in her team: "oi, oi…Seirin benched their first year pair. Are they throwing the game?" A small smile appeared on his lips: "oh look! Kagome-chan is looking this way!"

Midorima's eyes changed from the first year duo over to the miko as she placed her hands over the boys' shoulder: "no, they are doing just the opposite." For a second, his eyes met the miko's, noticing her small nod in a greeting with a smile: "they intend to win."

* * *

Mitobe quickly dunked the ball in, surprising Kagami: "He…can dunk?"

The Seirin team ran over to their defense, Hyuga patting Mitobe's back lightly: "nice dunk, Mitobe!"

"Oi."

Looking over their shoulders, they noticed Iwamura's glare onto them. "I overheard your conversation. You intend to beat Shutoku? You are underestimating us."

"Oh? That?" blinked Hyuga, pushing in his glasses. "That was just talk. This is our revenge game. We can't brag about it if we win on the backs of our first years." His eyes tightened as he stared back at the Seiho captain. "Ultimately…this is just the seniors' will."

Tomoki laughed lightly: "Senior? You are just a year older than me."

Iwamura slapped the back of his head, shutting him in the process. Sighing, he brought his attention back over to Seirin: "Fine. I accept your challenge. Bring it on."

"We won't hold back," glared Hyuga.

* * *

Kagami blinked along with Kuroko, watching as their teammates strongly continued to play forward, holding very well on their own. Kagome sighed, watching as Kagami's face continue to scowl, annoyed that he was benched out.

Riko placed her fist onto his cheek, grinding it: "Why do you look so serious? They are not that bad, so don't worry."

Kagome looked ahead towards the court, watching as Shinji passed the ball over to Mitobe and quickly jumped up to do a hook shot. The miko blinked; surprised: "they sure…have talents."

"They have been working hard the past year after their loss against Seiho," nodded Riko, returning her fist back to her lap.

"I see…," Kagome looked down, watching as a faint glow of her miko-ki energy was being transferred over and into Kuroko's and Kagami's own body. She only hoped that no one around would be able to see her doing or that the two males in front of her would feel the strange feeling. _'I have put it to a slow healing process…so the glow should be dim. I should continue to keep the distracted…'_

"Riko-senpai, I have noticed something…"

"Huh?" the coach blinked, continuing to observe the game.

"About…Shun-kun…"

All eyes landed on the mentioned player as he held the ball in his hand and raised one finger up in the air with his free hand. "One! Let's be careful!"

Kagome blinked, noticing the change in his eyes. _'His eyes…it is almost as if he is…scouting for something.'_

Shun quickly passed the ball over to Shinji and ran around Ryuhei only to smirk slightly as both Seiho's members bumped into each other. Shinji waited for Shun's closeness to the hoop before passing it over to him and making the shot.

"His eyes…," whispered Kagome, hearing the light chuckle from the coach.

"So you noticed?" she questioned. Riko nodded, coming to cross her arms: "Izuki-kun can see it. He has an eagle eye."

Kagami blinked, turning his head to the side to stare at the coach: "Eagle eye?"

Riko nodded: "He is not particularly athletic, but he can change his point of view instantaneously inside his head. Because he sees everything from all angles, he always sees the entire court."

"Seriously?" Kagami's eyebrow twitched, his eyes coming back to see the court.

"Hyuga-kun and the others aren't good at everything, but they each have one special skill," Riko smiled, watching the game resume quickly. "They have been polishing them for a whole year."

The miko blinked, turning her head to observe Shinji and X. "Um, do Koganei-senpai and Tsuchida-senpai have any special talents?"

"Uh…well," Riko's eyebrow twitched, looking away from the miko's questionable gaze, "yeah…," her eyes landed over to Shinji shooting the ball over to the hoop. "Koganei-kun can shoot from all ranges!"

Their attention was drawn to see Shinji's ball hitting the rim of the hoop.

"But his accuracy is only so-so," continued Riko.

"Doesn't that make him pretty normal!?" exclaimed Kagami.

Tsuchida caught the rebounded ball in his hand: "What are you doing!?"

Riko sighed, crossing her arms once again: "and Tsuchida-kun is good at rebounding!"

"Koganei!" shouted Tsuchida as he threw the ball over to the called member.

"I got it!" smiled Shinji, making his aim once more before letting the ball free. The basketball once again hit the rim of the hoop, making everyone sigh at his poor aim.

"Enough already!" yelled Tsuchida, catching the rebound once more. "How did you miss two free shots!?"

Kagome chuckled under her breath: "Well…at least they are a lively bunch." Her eyes landed back down to her hands, content to see the sweat coming to a cool from both Kuroko and Kagami. _'I hope their energy is being replenished.'_

Kuroko's eyes moved to the corner of his view, noticing the close observation the miko held onto the continuing game. He thought it was his tiredness coming to him, but he could feel his energy quickly coming back to him. Never had he felt so anew after playing a game - a heavy one at that.

The phantom player had taken notice on the miko's hand on his and Kagami's shoulders since they had been substituted, confusing him on the physical contact. He blinked, wanting to ask, but he knew that it was not the time or place to question the girl when the whole team was on edge.

His attention was drawn over to the ball, seeing it roll away from being pushed off Shun's grasp. He blinked: _'It's going out of bounds.'_

Shinji quickly extended his arm outwards before the ball could escape over the line and pushed it back inside the court. Losing his footing, Shinji stumbled backwards over to the bench, both Kuroko and Kagami moving to the side, cutting Kagome's energy process and watched Shinji crashing back against the bench and into the ground.

Kagome's eyes widened: "K-Koganei-kun! Are you okay!?"

All benched members stood from their seat, noticing the spins in Shinji's eyes. Riko shook her head: "He is not okay!"

"His eyes are spinning…," whispered Kagome, kneeling down to his side and checked for any head injuries. "Koganei-kun? Koganei-kun?"

"Is…he okay?" blinked Kagami.

Kagome sighed, shaking her head: "It's a light concussion…," her eyes landed on the coach. "We need to sub him out."

"Let me play!" exclaimed the tiger, seeing his opportunity. He felt even more pumped than ever after sitting on the bench!

Kagome stood from her spot and took a step towards the red head: "we told you no! Now listen, baka-gami!"

"B-But-!"

"What are you talking about?" Hyuga came forth, catching their attentions and cutting off the red head. "You can't play. Have you forgotten why we're conserving your energy!? We will settles this. You just wait!"

"I can't just sit still!"

Kagome's eyes furrowed down, coming forward and facing the tiger: "We already decided this and have you forgotten how many fouls you have!?"

"Butt out, Kagome!" he inched closer to her face, matching her glare. "I need to do something-!"

Kuroko quickly placed his palm in front of Kagami's face, pushing him away from the miko's person. "I agree, so the guy with four fouls should stay on the bench."

Kagami pushed his hand away and placed his own palm onto the front of Kuroko's face: "What did you say, Kuroko?!" he growled.

The miko sighed, shaking her head: "Kagami-kun, if you foul Tsugawa-kun again, you will just be thrown off the court."

"I won't!" he replied back, letting go of the phantom's head. "I've got to pay Tsugawa back for what he did!"

"I already told you not to let him get to you!" she shouted back.

Kuroko blinked, seeing their arguing getting them nowhere. He took a step forward: "Fine. I will beat Tsugawa-kun for you."

Kagami placed his hand back in front of Kuroko's face: "Huh!? What good will that do!? There is no point if you beat him!"

The miko blinked: _'…no…I can't let him go into the court. I just…replenished his energy. I don't have time to do that again after the game nor the amount of miko-ki…I haven't used them in a long time.' _Her eyes landed on the scoreboard. _'Five more minutes left on the fourth quarter and a six point difference…'_

Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing Hyuga pondering on the score as well. "Should…we let him go?"

Hyuga adjusted his glasses: "with five minutes left…we cannot risk it." He took a step forward: "Fine. As another first year, take down Tsugawa, Kuroko."

"What!?" exclaimed Kagami.

"Calm down," whispered Kagome before making her way towards the phantom player. She placed her hand on his shoulder, catching his attention after he removed his white shirt. "Kuroko-kun…please don't overexert yourself."

Kuroko blinked and gave her a simple nod before he headed back out into the court. She only hoped that he would not over use his energy knowing that if they were to move forward…their next game would be with another member of the Generation of Miracles.

"Seirin, member change!" announced the referee.

Kuroko made his way towards Tomoki, noticing his bored expression. Tomoki blinked, placing his hands on his hips: "It's just you? I wanted to play against Kagami."

"Sumimasen, I may not be very strong, but apparently he has a grudge, so I am here to pay it back," he replied.

Tomoki released a chuckle: "you're paying me back for Kagami? This should be fun."

From the bench, Kagome wrapped Koganei's head with a bandage and looked over her shoulder as the game resumed on the last five minutes of the last quarter. Her eyes landed on Kuroko, watching as Tomoki defended against him.

"Ma, ma, I am quite disappointed that they sent you," he smirked, catching the phantom's attention. "For Seirin to send a first year at all…looks like your upperclassmen aren't so dependable. They just said they benched you two because of their will, but here you are." He released a laugh: "So much for that stupid girl's speech about you guys winning!"

Kuroko looked away from his gaze and concentrated on the game: "I asked to be put in. If the upperclassmen have their will, then lowerclassmen have respect. And please…refrain from insulting Kagome-chan. I am quite annoyed as she is now. I will defeat you to support the upperclassmen that I look up to and defend my friends."

Tomoki blinked and came wide eyed the moment Kuroko disappeared from his sight. He looked over his shoulder, watching as Kuroko quickly passed the ball around to Hyuga. _'I…lost him! How did- When did he-!?'_

Hyuga smirked as the ball was in his hands and jumped to make the shot. Landing on his feet, he ran beside the Kuroko to defend their hoop: _'Seems like I am finally understanding what Kagome-chan was talking about their martial arts! Quite difficult to catch and read on it as we play, but I will give her the credit for catching it!' _

His eyes watched as one of the Seiho members passed the ball over to one of their own, but he quickly ran forward, intersecting the pass and catching the ball himself. Dribbling it forward, he made a break towards Seiho's hoop.

Tomoki quickly blocked his path, but watched as Seirin's captain passed the ball over to Kuroko and pushed it over to Mitobe's way before making the basket.

Tomoki looked back and forth: "What…is going on!?"

"They…can read our movements!" cursed Ryuhei.

Hyuga chuckled as he stood beside Iwamura: "Thanks to you guys, one of our DVD players are ruined. If it weren't for our manager catching onto your techniques, we might have never been able to see through you all."

"What did you say?" glared Iwamura.

"The girl that spoke back to you…," smirked Hyuga, "she is the one that read and found out about your techniques, so you can thank her later."

Kagami blinked as he sat on the bench: "Kagome…?"

"Huh?" she blinked, coming to stand: "What is it?"

"How…were you able to catch onto their techniques?" he questioned; curious.

Kagome came to sit beside the tiger: "well, thanks to my old friend who taught me some of the martial arts techniques, I caught onto Seiho's and their…habits."

"Habits?" he repeated.

Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "in other words, if you are specialized, you have habits. As Kagome-chan explained to me before, normally, people will step towards the direction they are heading as they start to move."

The miko nodded: "but, Seiho's players point their toes in the direction they are heading before they even move. It was part of something I learned as my friend told me it was important to fool your opponent and having your eyes and feet going different directions."

"Even with Kagome-chan's advice, keeping up with their movements was harder than we expected," Riko chuckled under her breath.

Hyuga smirked: "because of that damn technique, we haven't been able to deal with them until the second half." He patted Kuroko's shoulder, seeing the small smile on his face as they resumed their pace.

Kagami blinked, watching Kuroko's passes in awe: _'Now that I realize it…this is the first time I see Kuroko play.'_

"He…is pretty amazing at what he does," whispered Kagome, catching the tiger's attention. "He is always like this."

"Do you…enjoy watching him play?" he questioned.

Kagome chuckled: "I enjoy watching you all play."

All eyes landed on the scoreboard, seeing the last thirty seconds left on the game with Seirin one point ahead. Hyuga stood his ground: "we can't let them get this!" his eyes tightened, watching as Iwamura had the ball in his hands.

With a yell, Iwamura dunked the ball himself, glaring at the Seirin team members: "Do not underestimate a king! You need ten more years of experience to beat us!"

The miko's eyes narrowed: "We were so close…"

"We can still make it," glared Riko, hiding her nervousness as time ticked away.

Shun passed the ball over to Kuroko and noticed Mitobe free in his run. Aiming the pass over, Tomoki quickly blocked his way, surprising him.

Kagome stood from her seat: "Kuroko-kun!"

Upon hearing his name, Kuroko's hand brushed over the ball missing the pass. Tomoki smirked, seeing his chance only to stop as Kuroko took a second later to pass the ball over to Hyuga. All eyes landed over to the captain as he aimed for the hoop from his spot and let the ball free.

The ball quickly went in before the last second went away and the buzzer signaling the end. Silence echoed throughout the stadium before all of the Seirin members cheered in unison over their victory with seventy-three to seventy-one.

The team gathered in a circle, leaving Kagome and Kagami on the bench. Kagami blinked, watching as his team praised one another. The miko sighed with a smile: "their….will was a strong one. Come on," she pulled Kagami in by his wrist into the circle and stopped as Tomoki took a few steps towards her and glared.

"Why!?" he shouted, watching as she jumped slightly from his sudden appearance. "Seirin just formed last year! We practice way more than them! They didn't stand a chance last year! I can't take that a girl discovered our techniques! No matter how you look at it, we are stronger!"

"Enough, Tsugawa," Iwamura placed his hand on the male's shoulder, stopping him from his rant.

"But-!"

"The strong don't win," he continued, staring at the Seirin team. "The winners are the strong ones. They were stronger. That is all." His eyes landed on the girl and gave her a nod; acknowledging her. "I respect you for helping your team and discovering our method. That was…definitely a first." He turned around, grabbing Tomoki from the back of his jersey.

Kagome returned the nod; slowly, not expecting his respect. Watching as they left, Kagome released Kagami's wrist and turned around to see Riko with a few tears ready to escape her eyes before Hyuga patter her head: "keep it together, coach. It's not time to cry yet."

Another whistle blew, catching their attention over to the other half of the stadium and noticed the scoreboard on Shutoku's game.

Kagami placed his hands on his hips: "Looks like they are done there."

"One hundred thirteen to…thirty-eight…Shutoku won," whispered Kagome, watching as Midorima and Takao made eye contact with her and the first year duo. _'Midorima…Shintaro…'_

* * *

"Well, this should be enough water bottles," the miko looked down to her arms filled of bottles for her teammates as she walked towards their assigned locker room. Seeing they only had a few minutes before the next game, she wanted to check on Kuroko's status and see if he had any energy left in him. She only prayed he did.

"Kagomecchi!"

Looking over her shoulder, she blinked upon seeing Kise and his captain walking side-to-side towards her. Kise waved at the miko, holding his usual smile: "Kagomecchi!" he stood in front of the miko, blinking at the sight of water bottles in her arms. "Taking those to your teammates?"

"Huh?" she blinked, looking once more to the items in her arms. "Yeah…"

"I have to say, Higurashi-san, Seirin definitely surprised many today with their win against Seiho," cut in Kasamatsu, placing his hands inside his pockets.

The miko was taken back by his sudden words, hearing no stuttering whatsoever from the male. She took a step forward: "K-Kasamatsu-senpai…you're not stuttering…"

The Kaijo captain quickly blushed, noticing what she meant and looked away. Kise chuckled under his breath: "when it comes to basketball, his whole personality changes." The blonde crossed his arms: "So? How did you help Seirin this time?"

Kagome looked to the side: "well, I simply told them what I found out about Seiho and their technique."

"Technique?" blinked Kise.

She nodded back: "they use old martial arts."

Kasamatsu returned his view forward to see the smile on the miko's face. His interest grew on the topic, seeing he had never heard of such a method: "old…martial arts?"

"Hai," she smiled at the two, "it was harder than we thought for the boys to catch their technique and read their movements, but they were able to catch on it towards the end."

"With the help of Kurokocchi," grinned Kise.

"Oh! That reminds me! I need to check on him!"

"Check on him?" blinked Kise. "Is Kurokocchi alright?"

Kagome chuckled, seeing his concern over his middle school teammate. "Don't worry, Kise-kun. I am sure he is fine, but I want to make sure him and the rest of the team are alright before they go against Shutoku."

"Shutoku will be a tough opponent," commented Kasamatsu.

"I am sure we will be fine. I have faith in the boys," with one last chuckle, Kagome turned around and stopped in her spot upon seeing Midorima with Takao. She froze, watching the intensive glare the green haired player held on her person.

Takao released a whistle, quickly wrapping his arm over the miko's shoulders: "Kagome-chan! You don't know how happy I am that you kept your promise! Now we will be going against Seirin! Although, I am a bit surprised that Seirin made it this far."

"But fate will not be on Seirin's side for so long," cut in Midorima, catching everyone's attention.

Kise chuckled, placing his hands inside his pockets: "Midorimacchi, I am guessing you heard Oha-Asa today?"

"When doesn't he?" questioned Takao, raising an eyebrow.

"Still with that?" commented Kagome, catching the males' attentions. "I didn't say fate is on Seirin…I simply said that I have faith in the boys. I know….they will do great."

"But they will not win," he added.

"Well, we can determine that once you are all on the same court," she chuckled.

Takao laughed lightly under his breath, bringing Kagome closer to him: "See, Shin-chan! You need to meet more girls like this!"

"Uruse," he glared.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan, he actually holds interest in you," Takao smirked. "In fact, you are probably the first girl that he has put so much attention to."

"Oh?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Really, Midorimacchi?" smirked Kise, leaning forward, not caring much for the glare Midorima was sending him. "I never thought I would see it in you to be interested in a girl."

"Oi," Midorima's eyebrow twitched.

Takao snickered before noticing the water bottles in the miko's arms. "Oh? Water! Arigatou!" he grabbed one from the bunch in her arms, but blinked the moment Kagome pulled it back into the pile.

"G-Gomen, Takao-kun, but these are for…Seirin," she gave them all a bow. "Gomen, but I have to get them ready for the next game." Bowing once more, she turned around and stopped upon facing the green haired member in Shutoku. She sent him a small smile: "I look forward to seeing you on the court, Midorima-kun."

Walking past him, Midorima looked over his shoulder as the miko made her way inside the locker room and closed the door behind her. Takao sighed, placing his hand on his hip: "Darn and I was really thirsty…why can't we have someone like that in our team to take care of us?"

Kise pouted: "I said the same thing, right Kasamatsu-senpai-?" his head was quickly slapped from the back, leaving him to rub the hit spot. "Itai!"

Kasamatsu shook his head: "baka! Get over it already!"

"He-he, you want a girl manager too, huh?" smirked the blonde.

"Want another hit?" threatened his captain.

"I want a girl manager!" chuckled Takao, raising his hand a bit. "I would be lying if I said I didn't."

"Shut up, Takao," Midorima walked past the blonde, stopping as Kise whispered to him.

"Don't underestimate Seirin, Midorimacchi. Having Kurokocchi on there is something you should be wary of, but Kagamicchi and Kagomecchi put a lot into that team."

"And?" Midorima continued to look ahead, not bothering to look at Kise.

"Just keep in mind that Kagomecchi was the one that helped Seirin win against Seiho. She was the one that discovered their technique and discovered my…weakness of not being able to copy Kurokocchi," with one last chuckle, Kise turned to face him. "Fate…can turn either way."

Turning around, Kise walked past his captain, knowing Kasamatsu followed to go and sit back on their seats for the upcoming game. Takao whistled lowly: "Is that your friend from Teiko?"

"Acquaintance," glared Midorima.

"Hm, but is it true that Kagome-chan was the one that mainly helped in Seiho's defeat? Quite surprising a manager was able to do so," Takao smirked. "Makes me quite excited to see how she will help in our game."

"She can help all she wants," Midorima adjusted his glasses as his eyes landed back to the closed Seirin locker door, "but it will do her nor Seirin any good against someone whose luck is on my side."

* * *

"Go put on jackets before your bodies get cold!" instructed Riko, watching as the team members did as they were told inside the lockers. "Make sure you stretch! Also, take some amino acids to restore your energy! Don't forget to calorie charge!"

Her eyes landed back on Hyuga's calves as she finished massaging out the muscles. "I'll come massage each of you, so take off your shoes!" She looked up to the captain's eyes: "how does that feel?"

"Arigatou," smiled Hyuga, "I would be lying if I said I am not tired, but I should be able to make it through the next game."

Opening the door, Kagome closed it behind her as she watched the team members grab some bananas and ointments to prepare for the next game. She handed each a water bottle, smiling as she stopped in front of Kuroko as he sat on the bench.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned.

Kuroko looked up, grabbing the water bottle into his hand: "I'm fine…I don't feel that tired."

"I'm glad…," she smiled, nodding to him. Her eyes blinked, noticing his observant stare into her person. "Are you sure you're alright?"

He gave her a simple nod, coming to open the water bottle in his hands: "I just hope you are alright Kagome-chan and you are not over exerting yourself."

'_Over…exerting myself?' _she blinked, a bit confused on the meaning of his words. "I am fine, Kuroko-kun, just a little worried over the next match."

"We will be fine!" smiled Riko, overhearing their small talk. "We just need to make sure we can warm these guys up as quickly as we can before the game starts!"

The miko nodded and walked over to the tiger as he sat on the floor, leaning on the lockers with crossed arms and handed him a bottle. Blinking, Kagome tilted her head to the side, noticing the red head was…sleeping. It was…out of the norm to see him in such a peaceful state.

"Oi, Kagami-kun!" Riko stood from her spot, looking over to the tiger's condition. "Your body will freeze up if you sleep!"

With a light chuckle, Kagome knelt down in front of him and grabbed his sport jacket and placed it over his shoulders: "We should let him be."

"Huh?" blinked Riko.

Shun took a drink from his bottle: "he is not usually this down after a game."

"It's probably because he got four fouls," commented Shinji, taking a bite from his banana. "It's not anything to worry about."

"Your last foul was a little unexpected, though," chuckled Tsuchida.

Kagome sighed, relaxing her shoulders as she continued to observe the peaceful tiger in front of her: "maybe…he feels responsible in his own way. Besides, I don't think he is sleeping."

"He…isn't?" blinked Riko.

The miko shook her head: "this must be his way of saving every last bit of energy he has for the next game." She blinked, chuckling to herself: _'although…I was able to replenish more than half during the Seiho game when he was benched out along with Kuroko-kun.' _

"Ma! Ma!" Shinji walked towards the miko, quickly pointing towards his cheek: "so…we won against Seiho…"

Kagome blinked: "….yeah?"

"And our reward?" he smiled.

"Reward…?" she whispered. Her eyes quickly widened: "Wait…are you all serious!?"

Shun shrugged his shoulders: "Well, although we already had in mind to win, the reward wouldn't hurt."

"I didn't give agree to this!" she exclaimed, quickly placing her hand over her lips and taking a glance over to the tiger, seeing he had not even moved from her sudden yell.

"Just one little peck," smirked Riko, crossing her arms.

The miko looked at each of the members, seeing their stares back on her person. With a defeated sigh, Kagome closed her eyes: "….fine."

* * *

Shinji opened the door to the locker room, throwing his fist in the air as ten minutes before the match hit on the clock: "all right! Reward given!"

He walked forward, along with the rest of Seirin walking behind. Hyuga nodded: "Let's go, Seirin!"

Riko patted the miko's shoulder: "there, that wasn't so bad."

"Right…," sighed Kagome, watching as the team left the locker room, leaving her with the phantom player and sleeping tiger. "Using me this way…."

Kuroko looked over to the sleeping red head: "Kagami-kun…it's time."

Opening his eyes slowly, the tiger came to stand on his feet: "Right."

Had he been listening this whole time? Kagome blinked, watching as Kuroko and Kagami stopped in front of her. "W-What?" she blinked again. Did she miss something? Say something wrong? Was she in their way?

Kuroko scratched his cheek: "you only gave the senpais…the reward…"

"Huh?" Kagome tilted her head. Now she saw where this was going.

Kagami scoffed: "we don't need a reward for winning! The win is enough!"

With a low sigh, Kagome nodded: "hai, hai…you two also deserve it."

"Deserve what-?" Kagami's eyes widened with a blush as he felt a small peck on his cheek from the tip toeing miko. Covering his cheek, he looked down at the miko giving Kuroko a small kiss on his own cheek. "O-Oi! What was that for?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder, a blush covering her own expression: "….Riko-senpai told me to do it, remember?"

Kuroko covered his cheek with his fingers, slowly turning his head away to hide the small pink dusting over his cheeks.

The miko quickly shook her head: "Look…our senpais are waiting for us! Are you coming or not?" She made her way out of the locker room, leaving the two first years inside.

Kagami sighed, removing his hand from his cheek: "that girl….seriously…"

The phantom player cleared his throat: "…her lips are soft," he whispered.

"Huh? Did you say something?" blinked Kagami.

Kuroko shook his head: "let's go Kagami-kun or we will be late." The phantom player walked out of the locker room, leaving the tiger at blinks.

"He definitely said something…"

* * *

Midorima waited inside the empty locker room, staring at the blue locker doors with a tight gaze: _'Kuroko and his new two lights…Kagami and Higurashi.' _Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his thoughts: _'I did not miss a day of shooting. I did not slack off at practice. My left hand nail care is at it always is. Today's horoscope for Cancer is number one. I even brought today's lucky item, a raccoon Shigaraki. I tied the laces on my right shoe first.' _

His eyes slowly opened: "I have done everything." He stood from his spot and headed out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he looked to his side, seeing Takao leaning against the wall.

"You're late. The upperclassmen already left."

"I am aware, nanodayo," Midorima pushed in his glasses.

Coming off from his leaning, Takao's hands were placed inside his pockets: "well? I have never seen you this worried over a game."

"I am not worried," Midorima walked forward, hearing the black haired player behind.

"Hm, is it Kagome-chan's confidence that they will win?" he chuckled.

"Her confidence will only plummet," he replied.

Takao nodded: "hai, hai. Oh it hurts me greatly that I have to go against such a kawaii girl and break her heart over her team, but we have to beat them."

"We don't have to," Midorima stopped in his steps. "We will."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Oh! Shutoku versus Seirin will be coming next! Now that will be a hard chapter to write...

Have you noticed Kasamatsu is getting used to Kagome and how Kagami and Kuroko are beginning to become softer with her? Character development is where I am headed with this...whether it holds romance or not. Kise will begin to show interest even more and Midorima may seem like...a prick, but I love him and he will open up to the miko as well!

So bare with me!

Aomine is coming soon! I cannot wait to write about him! His character is so fun to play with in fanfiction! Anyways, hope you enjoyed! I am between updating either Pure Rukh or Fated Souls next...we will see.

Thank you for reading!

Please review!

Ja~ne!


	10. Warning Win

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Alright, extra-extra long chapter for all of you and there are many reasons for that!

1\. For the long wait of this chapter! Gomen! I returned back to college and professors swamped me with essays already and tests. Also, I have work and that was hectic too.

2\. For the long and many reviews the long chapter received and the story overall! This story has become the most popular over all the others, and I see myself updating this one more frequently than the rest due to the reviews and followers. But anyways, thank you all! You guys don't know how much I appreciate it and motivated I am to write these for you all!

3\. I may not update next week since I have a project and two essays to write! So I hope you can all understand and not abandon me angrily.

Thank you again for review and reading! The reviews really help!

This is the Shutoku versus Seirin match and -drum roll- the okonomiyaki scene! Also, a few surprises of Kagome's friends and...Hojo! Ta-da! Hope you all enjoy!

**Chapter 10: **Warning Win

* * *

Huddling together in a circle at their bench, all Shutoku members rested their hands on their knees as eyes glued onto their captain. Seeing his eyebrows furrowed, they quickly remained silent.

Taisuke sighed, closing his eyes as his team members circled next to him. Seeing the court was ready for them and their opponent, he slowly opened his eyes: "Honestly, I don't think many believed Seirin would make it this far. The King of the North losing can only be called an upset. However, it is nothing more than that."

Green eyes narrowed as he listened to his captain speak to them, preparing them for their win. He had to admit, and only to himself, that Seirin coming this far was definitely a shocker, but if Kise's words were right about the manager having done her part in their victories, then she and the first year duo were a threat to many other teams. But he knew…fate was on his side. It always had been.

"For us," continued Taisuke, "nothing changes. Whether we are dealing with a tiger or a rabbit, there is only one thing for a lion to do." Narrowing down his eyes, Taisuke raised his voice: "Crush them will all our might! As usual, we must win!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison; motivation running through their veins.

* * *

Releasing a sigh, Hyuga blinked tiredly as his own team huddled around him, waiting for his own motivational speech. He scratched the back of his head: "I'm beat…I've been feeling melancholy since this morning. We've got two games in a row, both against kings…and even while playing Seiho, all I could think about was playing another game after we beat them."

The miko blinked, watching the tiredness race in all the members. Honestly, she did not blame them. Seiho was a tough opponent and it definitely gave them a run for their stamina, but seeing that they were now going against a member of the Generation of Miracles, she could only worry.

'_I wish I could have found a video on Midorima-kun to see his skills, but of course, this being his first year…there weren't any,' _a sigh of her own escaped her lips. _'How can I become of any help? I feel…useless…'_ her eyes landed on the tiger, seeing his eyes tightened into a glare. _'And why is he so…silent? Usually the excitement could be read in his eyes.'_

Kagome looked next to her, seeing Riko watch her team in a circle facing each other. Blinking, she pointed over to the captain: "Riko-senpai?" she whispered. "Um…shouldn't Hyuga-senpai be…motivating them?"

Riko chuckled under her breath and patted the girl's shoulder: "Don't worry, Kagome-chan, when it comes to motivation, Hyuga-kun is the best. That is why he is the captain."

"But…."

"Just watch," she smiled back.

Their attentions were drawn back to the circle, seeing a smile soon come onto Hyuga's lips as he spoke.

"But there is only one game left," he continued. "We don't have to worry about bothersome crap like the next game or reserving our energy. We can focus on the one thing we have to do! Give everything we have until we can't give any more!"

"Yeah!"

Hearing the referee's whistle blow and echo throughout the stadium, all ears became attentive to the voice. "Line up!"

Kagome watched the team walked towards the center of the court, blinking as she stood on beside her bench. Her cerulean eyes remained on the tiger's back, seeing his aura quite tight and distressed. _'He is…too quiet.'_

* * *

Takao blinked, looking over his shoulder as he watched his green haired partner walk towards the Seirin bench. "Oi, Shin-chan! Where are you going?"

Midorima remained silent while making his way towards the miko, seeing her attention ahead on her own teammates. He didn't know why, but the girl had definitely grabbed his attention. Her way of speaking that fate indeed have an existence to the world, yet someone could change their course of fate had his mind in confusion how someone could be in the exact middle.

Standing beside her, he spoke, catching her by surprise. "I didn't think you would actually make it this far."

Turning her head to the side, she blinked, surprised to find the three-pointer shooter talking down on her. "Midorima…kun…"

"But it ends here," he finished. "No matter how weak, small, or unknown, any team can fight as long as they work together – that is an illusion."

"Illusion?" she repeated, watching him push his glasses in.

"I will show you just how foolish your choice was to have faith in this team and actually work with them," his eyes narrowed, seeing her unfazed by his words. "You will come to regret it."

Kagome sighed, closing her eyes as she could see where he was going with all of this. "Midorima-kun, I respect your ways of thinking and your beliefs about fate, but no one knows what the right decision is to make in life." Her memories flashed back to her decision of leading her life through five hundred years in the past. "But, if I took on this decision, it is simply because I went along and risked it. There is a…reason for everything."

"A reason for everything?" he questioned.

"And just like you mentioned, you didn't think Seirin would get this far and go against you, but here we are – as a team. Perhaps…there is a reason for that," she sent him a smile, receiving only a more tightened glare.

"Perhaps for all of you to see how much you all overestimate yourselves," he replied.

"Maybe," she chuckled before setting her eyes on his. "Or maybe for you to learn that there is such thing as teamwork that can defeat the Generation of Miracles. Also, if I may say something…"

Kuroko and Kagami looked over their shoulders, seeing the miko having her conversation with the green haired male. Kuroko blinked upon realizing the strong smile she held as she spoke to Midorima with no fear.

Kagome's eyes tightened: "Seirin is not weak. We…will not lose."

Midorima's glare only continued to hold the annoyance of the girl's high hopes of the win. He would show her and her team that their so called teamwork is nothing more than that illusion he spoke of.

* * *

Kise smirked, watching the confrontation between the miko and his former green haired teammate before the male walked over to the center of the court. "Seems like Midorimacchi's buttons were pushed."

"Huh?" blinked Kasamatsu, looking from the corner of his eye to see the blonde holding his grin. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, if there is one thing that Midorimacchi hates, is simply people who speak back to him…especially when that person is unfazed by his words or gazes. I mean, Midorimacchi can be intimidating in his own way, but Kagomecchi is holding herself very strong against him," Kise rested his elbow on the art rest: "Kagomecchi doesn't easily back away from a challenge that is for sure."

Kasamatsu's eyes landed back onto the starting scoreboard: "but even with Higurashi-san's support and having two great first year players, will Seirin miraculously beat two kings in a row to win or will Shutoku protect its rightful throne?"

"Mah, who knows," replied the blonde. "To be honest, I cannot take a guess."

* * *

"Let the preliminary A block championship game between Seirin High School and Shutoku High School begin!"

Both teams faced each other and bowed in respect before taking their positions. Takao watched as Midorima took his spot, ignoring the two first years on Seirin's team. "Huh? Is Kagome-chan the only one you need to talk to?" Takao's eyes quickly looked over his shoulder, watching both Kuroko and Kagami walk to the other side of the court and stop as he mentioned their names. "What about Kagami and Kuroko?"

"There is no need," he quickly replied, not even bothering to look back. "There is no reason for me to talk to someone who believes in such useless things about teamwork and to someone who played such a pathetic game. If you have anything to say, you can show it to me with your play."

Kagami's lips curved to a smirk: "Right back at you." He turned his body to face the horoscope male: "Just thinking about it makes me mad at myself. I have tons of pent up frustration, so let's do this already. I turned it all into fight and I have been saving it for you. I can't hold it in any longer."

From the end of the bench, Kagome could definitely hear the tiger's words and see his aura flaring slightly around him. _'I don't have a good feeling about this…'_

"What did you say?" glared Midorima, looking over his shoulder. "Fine, then do your worst."

Taking their position, Kagami stood in front of the Shutoku captain and waited for the referee to set the ball up on the whistle's call to begin. With the ball thrown into the air, Kagami quickly reached forward and tipped the ball over to Mitobe's hands before being passed over to Shun.

Shun quickly took a step back, seeing each of his members being blocked by one of each Shutoku's males. His eyes narrowed: _'they're quick!' _his eyes scanned for an opening and saw nothing for his pass. _'We wanted to run-and-gun for a quick shot, but…'_

"They are already defending this quick against our players," whispered Kagome as she took her seat next to the female captain.

Riko nodded: "and the problem is, matching a stronger opponent is like giving them control of the game."

The miko blinked, watching as Shun continued to dribble the ball in place. She still felt so out of the basketball theory and what was right or wrong. Usually she would plan things according to her gut, but hearing Riko's words, a lot of strategy went into play and planning. "Then…what should be done?"

"Attack them in the first quarter," she replied, her eyes narrowing. "For that…you have to greet them by taking them by storm!"

Kagome watched as Shun's pass was quickly given to the disappearing Kuroko and misdirected over to the tiger's high jump before the hoop. Kagami aimed for a dunk, exciting the other Seirin members on the team.

The miko's eyes widened, watching a familiar male jump in front of the tiger's hand and block the ball by pushing it away from his grasp. _'How…how did Midorima-kun get there so fast?'_

Takao chuckled, catching the ball into his hands: "I knew you could do it, Shin-chan." He ran over to the other side, leaving both an angry tiger and green haired male with the tension.

"H-He can block that?" stuttered Riko, surprised herself by the sudden attack on them.

"How disappointing," commented Midorima. "You think you can beat us with that?"

Takao stopped in his run, watching as Shun blocked his path and quickly passed the ball behind him over to Kimura in an attempt to perform an alley-oop. Kimura's eyes widened, watching as Hyuga jumped head to head with him and barely tipping over the ball's balance from his hand and making him miss the score.

The miko watched as the tension grew between them, seeing that neither team would let the other score so easily. She was starting to understand the flow of these games, seeing that whoever took the first points…would be the one in control.

* * *

"Oh man," sighed Kise, watching the struggle between both teams. "They are stuck in equilibrium."

"A basketball game is forty minutes long," Kasamatsu crossed his arms, tightening his focus on the movements on the two performing teams. "The game is broken up into four ten minute quarters. Basically, the flow of the game changes at least three times. However, once your opponent takes control of the game, it's very difficult to take it back during the same quarter."

His eyes watched as the time continued to tick away: "It's been almost two minutes without either team scoring. At this rate, whoever scores the first point…will take the first quarter."

* * *

Takao caught the ball in his hands and dribbled it over to the hoop only to see Seirin's captain coming in front of him in attempt to steal. In a blink of an eye, he passed the ball behind him and smirked the moment the ball was in Midorima's hands, catching everyone wide eyed, knowing the meaning and fear.

Kagome looked at the distance between him and hoop and could see that the distance was far. _'I-Is…he really trying to shoot a three pointer from there!?'_

With ease, Midorima released the ball up into the air, arching over to hoop. He turned around, knowing his shot would not miss at all. He took steps back to his defense position, watching as Kagami's eyes widened at the sight before him.

"Keep running," whispered Kuroko, running past the tiger.

Getting him out of his thoughts, Kagami watched as the phantom player made his way over to Shutoku's hoop as the ball was slowly coming down for a score.

"T-The balance is broken…," whispered Kagome with wide eyes, watching as the scoreboard added three points onto Shutoku's side.

Kuroko caught the ball once it made its way down and stared down at the orange ball in his hands. Although he felt a bit exhausted from his last five minutes against Seiho, he could still feel a strong urge of energy running through his veins. Something continued to push him and even if it was a risk, he would take it.

Holding the ball in one hand, the phantom player quickly spun in place, extending his arm out before throwing the ball straight forward beside the green haired player, catching him by surprise. Midorima's eyes widened, seeing over his shoulder as Kagami caught the ball into his palm and dunked it in.

All in the stadium were awed by the sudden display of the counter attack. The miko blinked, having seen the sudden performance by the first year duo. _'What was that…? Kuroko-kun passed the ball from one end…to the other?!' _She knew Kuroko did not have that much energy compared to the tiger, but having seen his new and sudden display, she almost questioned herself if her transfer of miko-ki into them for energy had anything to do with it. Her eyes landed on the red head, seeing his smirk: _'Did…they both get affected somehow?'_

Midorima turned to face Kuroko, glaring at the phantom player: "Kuroko…"

"Sumimasen," replied the ghostly haired male. "I can't let you take the first quarter that easily."

Takao's eyes tightened over his shoulder, just as surprised as anyone else: "They can pass like that?"

Hyuga's eyebrow rose, watching as Kuroko cleaned the sweat off his forehead: _'I…have never seen that before either…but thanks to him, the flow of the game hasn't changed.'_

Miyaji quickly caught the ball in his hand and passed it over to Midorima, seeing him in position for his shot. His green orbs watched as Kagami blocked in front of him and noticed Kuroko's run towards the hoop he aimed for.

His eyes scrunched, already seeing what they were planning for. Without a second thought, he passed the ball over to Takao, making the tiger blink at his sudden actions.

Kagome blinked, seeing the pass from the green haired player: "Why…did he pass it? He could have easily made that shot…"

"He is being shut down," replied Riko, resting her elbow on her knee.

"Midorima-kun is being shut down?" she repeated.

"It seems that Kuroko-kun's spinning long distance pass, is the trigger that has shut him down," Riko's eyes narrowed, watching as the game continued with the balance. "Midorima-kun's team returns to defense during the long hang time of his shots and that is good for stopping run-and-gun plays."

"But, not everyone goes back," replied Kagome. "Shouldn't someone stay back, in case he misses and make a rebound?"

"Hai," nodded Riko. "That hang time bites them in the ass. If Midorima-kun can go back, Kagami-kun can also run back. They counter Midorima-kun with a super fast break by running past him."

Kagome returned her attention back to the game: "So…that is why Midorima-kun can't shoot." Her eyes scrunched, observing the green haired male. _'But there has to be a set back to his skill. Every skill does. It might sound selfish and I really don't want it to happen for Seirin's sake…but I need to see Midorima-kun's shoot once more and see any minor detail I am missing…'_

Smirking to himself, Takao dribbled the passed ball and looked over his shoulder, easily noticing the phantom player: _'we can't have people think this is all it takes to shut us down.' _He quickly passed Shun's defense and narrowed his eyes down upon seeing Mitobe's body blocking his path. With a low chuckle, he passed the ball around his back and over to his captain before it was made into their hoop with ease.

Without a second to stop, Hyuga passed the ball over to Kuroko after he had acquired the orange basketball himself. Seeing the pass, Kuroko slightly moved his body away and noticed the opening on Mitobe.

Kuroko passed the ball over to the silent player and made the score themselves, catching everyone off guard on how both teams were going back to back on making it through the basket.

"Oi!"

All attention was drawn to the Shutoku coach, watching him quietly observe the game as he rested his chin on his knuckles. Kagome blinked, looking from the corner of her eyes to the bench a few feet away from theirs as the coach simply continued to observe the phantom player.

'_Is…he going to tell them something during the game?' _she blinked.

"Takao, Kimura, change marks," he watched as Takao stopped in front of him while dribbling the ball in place. "Takao, get on number eleven."

'_He is marking…Kuroko-kun?' _Kagome raised a brow, seeing it weird that the coach had a sudden change in marks. Would it make a difference? Up until now, anyone marking on the phantom player would always lose him on the court due to his low presence.

"It doesn't matter who is on him," whispered Furihata.

"He is so invisible, anyone would lose him," commented Koichi.

Riko tapped her chin with her finger: "What are they planning?"

"They are right though," whispered Kagome, catching the coach's attention, "Kuroko-kun's presence is always lost no matter who is on him."

"But they are taking a direct approach," she spoke back, narrowing down her eyebrows. "What are they trying to do with that?"

"To be honest…," Kagome looked over to Takao, seeing the slight smirk on his lips, "I don't like it very much. I am getting a bad feeling about all of this." The miko silently watched as Takao easily passed his ball behind his back once more, seeing the habit of his passes. _'He always passes behind him. It is almost as if…he knows where everyone is…'_

"I knew this would happen," chuckled Takao, running in front of the phantom player as they took their marks. "Shin-chan would say it is our fate to fight against each other. I didn't think we would face each other so soon." Both stopped in their run, facing each other directly in a stare. "It occurred to me the first time we met. You and I are the same kind of person. We are both first years too. Passing is our bread and butter. So I guess you could say I hate you because…you're like me."

Kagami noticed the marking on Kuroko and faced his own opponent, seeing the green orbs on his person: "What do you think you are doing? No matter how fast Takao is, that is not the way to handle Kuroko."

"I am already familiar with Kuroko's abilities," he spoke. "You will see soon enough."

As the ball continued to be dribbled on the court, waited as Takao blinked and disappeared in front of him. In shock, Takao looked ahead, blinking: "C-Chotto matte! How rude are you to suddenly disappear like that!?" A smirk was formed on his lips as his eyes locked onto his target: "Just kidding."

Dribbling the ball, Mitobe blinked over to see Kuroko's presence and passed it over. Kagome stood from her spot, watching as Kuroko's eyes glued onto Hyuga's person to the misdirection pass. She shook her head: "K-Kuroko-kun! Don't!" Her eyes widened, seeing the pass go forward only for Takao to push it away with his palm and quickly dribbling it over to the basket and making a score himself.

Kagami's eyes widened: "S-Seriously!?"

Hyuga blinked, seeing the shock on Kuroko's expression: "That…is the first time he has failed."

"What…happened?" whispered Riko, standing from the bench.

"It wasn't a mistake…"

Riko looked over to the miko, seeing her gaze locked onto the black haired Shutoku player that had easily stolen Kuroko's pass. "What do you mean?"

"I thought it was just a habit, but it seems to me that Takao-kun has the same ability as Shun-kun," she explained, seeing how Takao's eyes tightened in focus. "He can see the whole court."

"What did you say?" blinked Hyuga, after hearing Shun's own explanation, having had discovered himself as well.

"He has a hawk eye," Shun's eyes narrowed. "His hawk eye's field of vision is even larger than mine. Kuroko's misdirection relies on redirecting the gaze of other players. However, the hawk eyes allows him to see everything. He is not just trying to watch Kuroko. In other words…Kuroko's misdirection doesn't work against Takao."

Riko looked over to the scoreboard and noticed the last three minutes of the game. She walked towards the referee table, taking the miko by surprise. "We need a time out."

"Huh?" blinked Kagome. Her eyes traveled over to see the stressful auras on the Seirin team members. _'This…is not good…'_

"Seirin, time out!"

* * *

Riko crossed her arms, seeing the exact same stress on the team as they sat on the bench and quenched their thirst. "Kagome-chan…explained to me about Takao-kun."

"Ah…his hawk eye," sighed Hyuga.

"Hawk…eye?" blinked Kagome, standing beside the coach.

Shun nodded: "Hai. I noticed it too as his passes began to seem more of a pattern."

"What does that mean then?" questioned Riko.

"He sees far greater than I do," he replied. "Kuroko's misdirection…doesn't work on him."

Kagome's eyes widened: "R-Really?"

Hyuga released another heavy sigh: "I can't believe he can follow Kuroko."

The miko's eyes landed over to the phantom player's silence, seeing his eyes staring holes onto the court. Uncrossing her arms, she blinked, hating to see that type of expression on his and any of the team members' faces.

"Oi," Kagami quickly placed his hand over Kuroko's head, "don't tell me you're going to keep letting them get you."

"Mah…I suppose I don't like it," he replied lowly.

Kagami shifted Kuroko's head ahead to stare at the miko, making her jump slightly from the sudden stares. "Well, don't hold that kind of face. Someone is starting to get worried over you."

Kuroko blinked ahead, seeing the reflection of his worry on the miko's own features. Now he could see what the tiger meant and being honest to himself, he didn't like to see the girl upset and worried over them. He looked down: "Sumimasen…Kagome-chan."

"Huh?" she blinked, confused on the meaning of his apology. "Ah no, really, you have every right to be stressed out, Kuroko-kun. Don't worry about me," she turned her head to the side, seeing Shutoku talking amongst themselves. "I mean, I would feel down too if someone turned down my skills…but I think that gives us a better reason to become better."

"That is what I like to hear!" smirked Kagami, shifting his gaze onto the miko.

"Time out over!"

Kagome watched as Kagami placed his hand on her shoulder as he walked past her. Her eyes blinked before looking over her shoulder to see the team walking onto the court again.

'_What is…this bad feeling?' _

* * *

The game quickly continued as the last three minutes were kicking in. Making the shot, Takao smirked, watching as their score increased five points away from Seirin's. Taisuke walked past Hyuga, exclaiming to his team: "We control the pace of the game! Stay on the attack!"

Hyuga's eyebrows furrowed, watching as Shutoku quickly headed over to the defense position. He could feel it in his whole team as their stamina was beginning to suffer.

"Are…they already short of breath?" whispered Kagome.

"It's okay," replied Riko. "This game definitely depends on Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun who we had on reserve. However, that is not all," her eyes watched as Hyuga stole the ball himself and made the shot.

"Who cares about Kings!? All of you uruse!" he shouted.

A small smile appeared on the coach's lips: "Hyuga-kun will always make important shots."

As the ball was continued in its pass, Kuroko quickly intersected in between and misdirected the ball elsewhere. His eyes widened, watching as Takao caught the ball in between him and Hyuga.

"What are you all doing?" glared Midorima, standing on the half court line. "Defend harder than that." He caught the ball in his hands and took his stance. "My shooting range isn't that short."

Kagami's eyes widened: _'He is shooting from the center line!?'_

Midorima took his jump up in the air, letting the ball arch once again over the court and towards the hoop. The shot was easily made once again, giving them the three points.

Hyuga clenched his teeth: _'The high arc extends his range! The entire half of the court is within his shooting range!'_

Narrowing down her focus, Kagome had seen the release of the ball from Midorima's hands and although it was slight, she had seen something. _'It is like…when I release arrows…it all depends on the range.' _She tightened her eyes: _'I need to see it once more…'_

Midorima quickly ran to the other side of his defense spot: "As long as I'm back here, you cannot get behind me with Kuroko's passes. But it's all irrelevant. My shots are three points and your counter is only two." He adjusted his glasses with his fingers: "Even if we do nothing, the gap will grow wider."

Hyuga dribbled the ball over to the other half of the court and passed it over to the tiger. Dribbling it in place, Kagami stood before the green haired male.

"You've got something interesting there," he smirked, "but…," Kagami jumped up, letting the ball go into the air.

Midorima's eyes widened: _'A three!?'_

Kagome blinked, seeing the sudden throw: _"Wait…I though Kagami-kun wasn't good at outside shots?'_

"If it goes in, that is fine," Kagami quickly rushed forward, catching Midorima by surprise. The ball hit the rim of the hoop: "if it misses," his hand quickly caught the rebound and dunked it, "I'll dunk it myself!"

"Nice," Shun patted Kagami's back as the Seirin team headed back to their defense. "So nice how nice it was."

"Izuki, seriously, stop," sighed Hyuga as he ran behind them.

Riko's eyes tightened, seeing the last fifteen second on the first quarter. "We are one basket behind…at this rate, we might be able to-"

All ears quickly caught the sound of the ball dribbling in place. Turning their heads over their shoulders, all eyes laid on the green haired male as he stood at the end of the line of the court.

"That was a pretty good shot for you," commented Midorima before getting into a bent knee position. "However…"

"W-What are you doing?" Kagami's eyes widened, seeing the intention the green haired player had. _'How many meters do you think you're….!?'_

Kagome's eyes went wide, seeing the full confidence in Midorima's face as he prepared his hands and arms in position for his shot. "Y-You're kidding…"

All eyes followed the line of the ball as the long range almost seemed forever for it to reach the hoop.

"I told you," spoke Midorima, seeing all their attentions were on the orange ball, "it's not that short, nanodayo. My shooting range is the entire court."

The ball went in before the buzzer for the end of the quarter signaled off. "The first quarter is over! Two minute interval!" shouted the referee.

* * *

Riko sighed, watching all of her team's heads handing low as they sat on the bench. They did not even bother to take a drink or clean their sweat. She looked over to the Shutoku bench: "Who makes that shot?" she whispered, watching as Kagome's attention was driven to the same thing. "Looks like we got something bigger to worry about than the score…"

Nodding, the miko turned her attention to the phantom player as he sat in front of her: "Kuroko-kun…has Midorima-kun always been able to do that?"

He shook his head, raising it: "No…I only knew he could shoot as far as the half line. That's the first time I have seen him shoot from there."

"I've seen videos of NBA players make that shot during practice, but trying that in an actual game is ridiculous," sighed Shun, looking ahead.

"The Generation of Miracles is ridiculous…," Hyuga shook his head as he held the towel in his hand.

"How do we even stop that?" questioned Shinji.

Kagome looked once more over to the Shutoku team and stopped her view onto the green haired male. _'Although I hate to see Midorima-kun make scores with his three-pointers…that last one definitely helped, but is it the same as when I shoot my arrows?' _

* * *

"Coach."

Hearing his call, Shutoku's coach looked over to the green haired male as they both made eye contact. "Hm?"

"Give me the ball during the entire second quarter," he requested, both eyes narrowing.

"Coach, can I hit him?" smiled Miyaji as he sat beside the green haired male.

"Miyaji, why don't you throw a pineapple at him?" offered Kimura. "My family runs a produce."

Releasing a laugh, Takao quickly patted Midorima's back: "Just how self-centered are you? I love it!"

"No matter how they come at us, I will shut them down," Midorima's glare tightened, trying to show his seriousness on the idea.

With a second on the thought, their coach nodded: "Okay. Let's call that three of your selfish actions for the day and do it."

"Seriously, Coach!?" exclaimed Miyaji.

"You know I am at my limit," glared Taisuke, shifting his gaze to the green haired male. "If that is what the coach says, I have no choice. Do what you want the first half, but if we lose…"

* * *

The second quarter quickly began as everyone witnessed the quick shots Midorima gave and Takao's interception in Kuroko's passes. Riko's eyes widened: "They…can't do anything with Takao-kun on the court…"

Midorima once again had the ball in his hand and aimed for his shot on the half line. Kagami looked over his shoulder: _'Crap! If he can shoot from anywhere, if he gets away from me for even a second…!'_

Releasing the ball, the score was made and soon increased the points on Shutoku's side. Hyuga quickly captured the ball from under the net and passed it over to Mitobe who scored himself with an alley-oop.

"Yosh!" Riko's eyes tightened.

The miko's eyes landed on the green haired male, watching as the ball was once again in his hand; dribbling it in place.

"I will say it again," spoke Midorima, "you cannot stop my shots."

"No you don't!" shouted Kagami, running towards him to stop him from his release of the ball. Jumping in front of him, Kagami's eyes widened: _'It's too high! Once it starts, I won't be able to-!'_

Midorima released the ball slightly over the tiger's fingers and all eyes quickly glued onto the ball as it was once again made it into the basket.

Riko clutched her whistle: "How…are we supposed to stop him?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed: _'No…it is definitely the same…his range and my experience with arrows is the exact same!' _

* * *

"This isn't good," whispered Kasamatsu, watching the score board beginning to put distance. "Looks like Seirin reached its limit."

"That can't be," Kise's eyes shifted from his former phantom player and over to the tiger, seeing their eyes still in full of shock. Curious, his sights landed on the miko, expecting to see her even more worried but blinked his own view as he watched her focused attention on the three-pointer male. _'Kagomecchi…?'_

* * *

Feeling a sudden rise in aura, Kagome's eyes quickly landed over to the owner and couldn't help but feel her eyes go wide as she noticed Kagami's aura flaring with a smirk. _'Kagami-kun…?'_

Kagami's smirk stretched: _'He's strong…this is Midorima.' _Releasing a laugh, he quickly caught everyone's attention.

Hyuga blinked: _'Kagami always laughs when he is up against a strong opponent…'_

The miko took a step forward: "Something isn't right…"

The phantom player's eyes narrowed slightly, seeing the sudden change in Kagami's eyes. He could feel his presence and tension rising. He couldn't help but have his eyes widen slightly at the familiarity he saw in him to an old friend.

* * *

Kise sighed, seeing the end of the second quarter and with Midorima having taken all the points himself. He shook his head: "Show some spirit, Seirin…"

"They are, baka," replied his captain, watching as the court was being cleaned as the teams had gone into the locker rooms. "After being shown such a difference in their strength, they are still barely hanging in there. I would give them props."

Shifting in his seat, Kise blinked upon hearing his phone fall from his pocket and letting out the noise of the horoscope he had been hearing: "Oh…I forgot to shut it off." He leaned down to pick it up and stopped as he heard something he had not before.

'_**Cancers should watch out for Leos and Sagittarius today! Running into them could give them trouble!'**_

Kise blinked: _'Leos…and Sagittarius?'_

* * *

The locker room was in a spread of silence and all heads continued to hand low in shame at the memory of how bad the second quarter had gone. Riko crossed her arms, watching the tension and disappointment drown them all.

She looked over to the miko, watching as she was lost in her own thoughts. _'No one is talking…what should we do? We have to say something to raise their spirits. What should we do…,' _her eyes quickly sparkled at the chance and once again turned her head over to the miko: "Kagome-chan!"

"H-Huh?" blinking out of her thoughts, she flinched back upon noticing the shining sparks on the coach's eyes. What was she planning now?

"How about another kiss?"

"Kiss?" she blinked in a whisper. "What are you talking about-?" she stopped in her words and quickly shook her head: "No! No! No! I already did that for the Seiho game! Don't be using me like that!"

"But it worked!" smirked Riko.

"They wanted to win anyways!" she argued back. "They weren't going to win just for the kiss!"

"But-!"

Riko was soon cut off by the captain as he raised his palm to stop their arguing. "Coach, it's okay. As much as Kagome-chan's kisses are…nice…please read the situation. We possibly can't imagine ourselves winning at this point…"

Both females' shoulders slumped, seeing as everyone had the same thoughts. The miko sighed: "But…that negativity isn't going to help in moving us forward…right, Kuroko-kun?" she had at least thought that Kuroko was the most positive one when it came to winning and hoped that he would back her up.

Kuroko raised his eyes to meet hers: "I have thought about winning, but I have never wondered if I can win or not…"

"Kuroko-kun…," Kagome whispered, seeing that he was just as worried.

"But, even if we lose by a hundred points, there is a chance a meteor will strike the other team's bench in the last second," he blinked innocently.

The room remained silent, staring at the phantom player's idea.

Kagome sighed: "You sure have an imagination, Kuroko-kun…"

"You're right…" whispered Shun.

"Don't give me that!" shouted Hyuga as he stood from his seat. "There isn't going to be a meteor! That's a crazy thought!"

"But…what if they all get stomach aches?" questioned Tsuchida.

"Don't get carried away," glared their captain. "That won't happen either!"

"Well, compared to that, a second half comeback is way more realistic," smiled Shinji as he rested his hands behind his head.

With a smile on his face, Hyuga nodded and led the team out the locker room: "well, let us go! We will think after the game is over! We have to keep running!"

Kagome watched as the team was led out, leaving her with the silent tiger. Turning her head to the side, she noticed his head still hung low. "Kagami-kun? I think…I found Midorima-kun's weakness."

Having caught his attention, Kagami slowly raised his head and noticed her attention stared ahead to the closed door. "His…weakness?"

"It might sound silly, but Midorima-kun's shooting range depends on how far he is. The farther he is…the longer it takes."

He blinked, surprised that the miko had come to notice such a small detail that it was probably not even noticeable to the naked eye. "Why…are you telling me this and not the team?"

"Because…you are the only one who can jump high enough to stop his shots," she replied.

* * *

"Let the third quarter begin!"

Kagome looked to her side on the bench, seeing the phantom player sitting beside her. For once she was surprised that Riko had benched him out without a reason. Although, she could see the reason herself. With Takao on the court, Kuroko could not perform his passes.

"We…just need an opening…," whispered Riko, catching the miko's attention.

Kagome sighed, setting her eyes on the tiger and Midorima. "I think…I was able to find one although…I am not sure."

"Huh?" she blinked. "What do you mean?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed, seeing the determination burning in Kagami' eyes. The third quarter quickly began with Shun passing the ball over to Hyuga and the ball being stolen from his grasp from Takao's hand.

Catching the ball in his hand, Midorima prepared in his stance once more and blinked, seeing the tiger run in front of him and jump.

Tightening his eyes, Kagami remembered the conversation he had with the miko. He wasn't sure what she meant about his jumps, but it made sense about his timing. So if she wanted him to jump to stop Midorima's shots, then he will, no matter what it took!

The green haired male's eyes widened, noticing his jump a bit higher than the last time: _'This bastard! When did he-!?' _He quickly released the ball and into the basket, raising their score once again.

Kagami cursed under his breath: _'I won't lose! More…more…!'_

As time passed by, Midorima once again was given the ball, only to meet with the tiger head on. He took his stance and jumped up to shoot his aim. Glaring ahead, Kagami jumped up as well: _'Both Kuroko and Kagome always give their best…along with the team! But that means if you give everything you have and still can't do it, you accept the loss. Playing against an opponent who is impossible to beat excites me, but ultimately…there is no point if I don't win!'_

Midorima released the ball once again and went wide eyed as Kagami's finger tips brushed against the orange ball. _'Ridiculous! Is this even possible!? He's been getting higher and higher all game!'_

Everyone waited in silence and in shock as the ball rolled around the rim of the hoop, waiting to see if it would go in or not. Slowly, the ball dropped down into the net, but with doubts and questioning on both sides of the teams.

"That was close…," whispered Takao.

"That is the first time I have seen Midorima's shot go in like that," replied Kimura, just as shocked as the rest.

Riko blinked with wide eyes and looked over to the miko: "Is this the…opening?"

The miko sighed: "Although it is slight…I told Kagami-kun something that I noticed about Midorima-kun's shooting range. The longer the distance…the longer the timing it is for him to release the ball."

"W-What?" whispered Riko, surprised she had not seen that herself.

"Like I said…it is very slight on the timing, but it is possible to stop," she continued, having caught Kuroko's attention. "I told Kagami-kun that his jumps…are the only thing that can stop Midorima's shots."

'_His jumps?' _Riko's eyes landed onto Kagami. _'Kagome-chan noticed his ability that quickly?'_

Kagome sighed: _'But…I am worried on how much Kagami-kun will go into this plan…if he gets carried away…' _

"Oi."

Walking past the green haired male, Kagami stopped in his walk after hearing the call.

"You," he glared, "what is your sign?"

"Huh? Me?" Kagami turned his head to face him. "I'm a Leo."

Midorima's eyes narrowed: "That horoscope really is always right."

With the game continuing, Hyuga quickly made a three point shot, sighing in relief as it was made in. Takao caught the ball in his hand, smirking as he looked over at the court: "Well done, but our Shin-chan is even more unstoppable." Seeing the opening, Takao quickly passed the ball over to the green haired player and was met with the tiger on his tail.

Kagome's fingers curled into her palm, watching Kagami's aura continuously increase and flare. _'What is going on?'_

Seeing her distress, Kuroko looked up and to his side, seeing the worried expression on the miko's features. He thought it was only him, but he could see that he was not the only one to notice Kagami's change. And it was change he knew had to be stopped soon.

Midorima quickly broke away from Kagami's block and dribbled the ball over for his shot. With tight eyes, the tiger cursed under his breath and ran after the green haired male. "I am still going to stop you! No matter what!"

"What makes you think you can?" glared Midorima, preparing his stance.

"Because thanks to Kagome, she saw the opening we needed," he replied, running behind the male and jumping up in the air. "The longer the shot, the longer it takes to make the shot!" he shouted, quickly extending his arm up and pushing the ball away from Midorima's grasp.

"Kagome-chan?"

Hearing the call of her name from the coach, the miko looked over to the right, watching the large and tall jump the tiger had performed. "Do you believe Kagami-kun's ability…could be his jump then?"

"Uh…well, I am not very familiar with basketball abilities and such, but I do see…potential. Not many humans can actually jump that high," she replied, blinking before turning her attention over to the court.

"Kagome-chan, how were you able to find out about Midorima-kun's drawback?"

The miko looked over her shoulder, seeing Kuroko's eyes on her person. He seemed very interested in the topic. Scratching her cheek, she looked away: "Um…I used to do…archery."

"Archery?" questioned Koichi, standing from the bench. "Like the whole bow and releasing arrows thing?"

Kuroko blinked, quite surprised that their manager had such a…talent. Then why had she not joined the archery club?

"But…how did archery come into this?" asked Riko, bringing the manager's attention.

"Well, when I had to aim, the speed of releasing the arrow depended on the distance between me and the target," she explained, remembering her times of aiming high in the sky and simple aiming at a tree. "You have to focus a lot more when being at a greater distance. It is all about aim."

"Interesting," whispered Riko. "Well, I am glad you found that out, but," she quickly slapped the miko's back with her hand, "you should have told us all!"

"G-Gomen…," Kagome rubbed her back. "I just…wasn't sure."

"Even if you are not sure, always share your ideas or plans," Riko sent her a smile. "Don't be afraid of us."

Nodding, the miko looked over to the court once more: "I will…remember that."

"Woah…sugoi," whispered Furihata, coming back to sit by the phantom player. "Kagome-chan has a hidden talent with archery? I definitely want to see that!"

Kuroko continued to stare at the miko, watching as something continued to bother her within. His eyes were drawn back to Shun's grasp on the ball and making a shot himself. He could see the tiger's intense stare as the game continued.

Taisuke quickly grabbed the ball in his hands and headed for a dunk of his own only for it to be blocked by the tiger's hand.

'_I'll become stronger. Strong enough to win without relying on others! Strong enough to win by myself!' _Kagami's eyes tightened, feeling his sweat run down from his forehead. _'I'll win! Even if I have to do it myself!'_

"Kagami is amazing!" shouted Koichi.

"You think so?" blinked Kuroko, his eyes glued onto the tiger.

Kagome turned her head to see Kuroko's narrowed eyes. Even his own aura was in distress and worry. "Kuroko-kun…is it just me or is Kagami-kun-?"

"He needs to be stopped," he cut in. "I have a bad feeling about what will happen."

Kagami quickly dunked the ball into the hoop, surprising the audience once more. Running back onto defense, Shinji ran beside the red head: "Nice, Kagami!"

"Could you give me the ball more?" he whispered to him, surprising him.

"Huh?"

'_I'll do it. Even if I have to do it by myself!' _

With the ball in Miyaji's hands, he quickly jumped up for a shot only to have the ball pushed away from his hands by the red head. Catching the ball in his own hands, Hyuga passed it over to Kagami as he made his way back to their hoop.

Easily passing by two people, he jumped high and released the ball a few feet away from the hoop, making the shot with ease.

"He…is over doing it…," whispered Kagome. Now she was definitely feeling afraid as she saw the intensity in the tiger's eyes. She could see his aura flaring yet decreasing. He was forcing himself too much! Too much! Her eyes landed on the scoreboard, seeing the last minute of the third quarter coming and with only a nine point difference. _'When I said jump…I didn't mean it like that, Kagami-kun! You aren't even letting your team work with you!'_

Midorima dribbled the ball in place as he came face-to-face with the tiger. With a low chuckle, he narrowed his glare: "I acknowledge your strength and give the manager credit for discovering my ability. However…you will not close the gap any further."

"What did you say?" glared Kagami.

Midorima prepared his stance and jumped up to release the ball.

"No you don't!" shouted the tiger.

Kagome shook her head, quickly seeing his aura come to an all-time low: "Kagami-kun! Stop!"

Riko's eyes widened: "He is already at his limit!"

Kagami prepared his jump up, but froze as he felt his legs stay in place. He felt his whole body heavy and his legs weighing him down. All eyes watched as Midorima's shot was made into the basket, bringing him back down from his shot.

"Sorry, but it's the truth," whispered the green haired player.

* * *

"He is out of gas?" questioned Kise, turning his head to see Kasamatsu's own gaze on the game.

"Probably," he replied. "His body is not strong enough to keep jumping like that. He must have overexerted himself jumping all over the place. On top of that…he was subbed in part way through, but it is still his second game of that day."

"And it looks like he is not the only one about to run out of gas," whispered the blonde, watching as the rest of the Seirin members looking just as exhausted.

"I won't lose over this!" shouted Kagami, catching the ball into his hand and dribbling it over to their hoop.

"Oi! You're pushing yourself too hard!" exclaimed Hyuga, realizing that Kagami was definitely now thinking on his own. "Kagami! Wait!"

Midorima easily pushed the ball away from Kagami's intended dunk, surprising him back. Landing back down on his feet, Kagami glared at the player in front of him: "Damn it."

The buzzer soon echoed off, signaling the end of the quarter. "Third quarter is over!"

* * *

The miko sighed, watching as the team began to regain their fast paced breathing and trying to quickly get as much rest as possible before the last quarter began. Her eyes landed on the tiger, seeing the anger continuing to swell inside him.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Kagami," lowering the towel from his face, Shun turned to face him, "you are getting too worked up. Pay more attention to your surroundings."

"That's right," added Hyuga, removing his lips from his bottle. "And that wasn't the right time to go, you should have passed first-"

"What good would passing the ball around have done?" he cut in, keeping his eyes low in a glare. "I'm the only one who stand a chance against Shutoku. We don't need team play now. We need me to score."

"O-Oi…what are you saying?" blinked Shinji. "That is different from being self-centered!"

Gripping her own fingers into her palm, Kagome quickly took a step forward, catching the red head's attention before slapping him on his cheek, catching everyone by surprise.

Riko blinked: "K-Kagome-chan…"

"What good would that do?" she glared at the tiger, seeing him cup his red mark on his cheek, his eyes still wide. "What good would it do for you to charge on your own like that!? Just because I shared with you the bit of information I had to stop Midorima-kun doesn't mean head out on your own and think you are the only one that can beat them! Basketball isn't played by one man alone!"

Anger narrowing his gaze, Kagami stood in front of the miko, both glaring back to back. "I am the only one who can stop him! Passing the ball will only waste time!"

"You stupid actions are wasting the team's time!" she shouted back, holding her ground.

"What did you say-!?"

His words were cut as he felt a punch coming onto his cheek and throwing him back to sit on the bench. Kagome's eyes widened with blinks, seeing the phantom player stand in front of her: "K-Kuroko-kun…?!"

"Damn it! Kuroko, you bastard!" he quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, bringing him up slightly from the ground.

"Kagome-chan is right. You can't play basketball by yourself," he spoke.

"As long as we play nice together, you don't care if we lose?!" exclaimed Kagami, tightening his grip on Kuroko's shirt. "There is no point if we don't win!"

"There is no point if you win by yourself," glared Kuroko, catching everyone by surprise. "You said you wanted to beat the Generation of Miracles, but you are thinking just like them. Even if we beat Shutoku as a team that can't trust each other, no one will be happy."

"Don't be so naïve!" shouted Kagami before bringing his own fist onto Kuroko's cheek. "If we don't win, those are nothing more than nice words!"

"Kuroko-kun!" Kagome knelt down beside the phantom player, seeing the red and bruise coming onto his and Kagami's cheek. "Kagami-kun! Stop! You are being irrational!"

"Then what is victory?" questioned Kuroko. "No matter how many more points you have at the end of the game, if you're not happy, that is not victory."

Silence began to increase between their team, watching as Kagome slowly helped the phantom player back up on his feet. Shinji chuckled, placing his hands on his hips: "That's right! It's not as though we want to lose!"

"We are just saying there is no reason for you to do it all yourself," smirked Shun.

"Do you have any objections?" Hyuga raised an eyebrow, seeing the tiger now silent in his words.

Kagome looked up to see Kagami's eyes on them. Sighing, she noticed the double red mark on his cheek from her and Kuroko's hits. "Kagami-kun…there is nothing wrong with team work and nothing wrong with being dependable on others. You are not alone in this." A small smile appeared on her lips before nodding to herself: "Gomen…that I slapped you…"

"No…gomen," whispered Kagami, catching everyone's attention. "Kuroko is right. I would rather be happy when we win…as a team."

A small smile formed on the phantom's lips, watching the tension slowly lower. Hyuga placed his hand on his hip, smirking: "Now that Kuroko and Kagome-chan have calmed Kagami down…the situation hasn't changed. What should we do?"

"Excuse me," cut in Kuroko, all eyes coming onto him. "There may be one thing we can do. I can only pass the ball, but I can take it up another level." He took off his white shirt and turned to the team.

"Another…level?" whispered Kagome, blinking.

"Only a few people can catch it," he explained. "But in his current condition, Kagami-kun may be one of them. However, just passing to Kagami-kun won't work until the end. We will have to break free from Takao-kun and use normal passes as well."

The miko laid her eyes onto Kagami's legs: "Um, Kagami-kun…can you still jump?"

"Huh? Jump? I can still jump! Any number of times!"

Kagome sighed: "You don't need to act tough right now…"

Riko nodded and looked at his legs, seeing the marks of strength left in them: "Those jumps push you over your limit so they are exhausting. On top of that, your body isn't strong enough yet. There is a limit on how many times you can do that in a game." She sighed herself and looked at his legs once more: "Two is your limit."

"Two?" blinked Shun.

"How are we supposed to stop Midorima with two?" questioned Hyuga.

Kagome looked over to the Shutoku bench: "I think…he should keep one for the moment that he sees right."

"I agree," nodded Riko. "Use the other…to stop the first shot of the fourth quarter."

The buzzer was set off, calling back the players onto the court. Hyuga patted the back of Shun's shoulder: "go for some shots in the last quarter."

Watching as the senpais walked away along with Kuroko, Kagome nudged on Kagami's side, catching his attention: "W-What…?"

"Apologize to them," she whispered, signaling to their senpais.

"Huh?"

"Apologize," she repeated.

Gulping down his nervousness, Kagami slowly made his way behind his older team mates. "S-Senpai…"

Hyuga looked over his shoulder, watching the tiger beginning to scratch the back of his head.

"About earlier…sorry about that," he whispered.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry about it," smiled Hyuga. "At least, that is what I would like to say." A sudden glare of anger replaced his smile: "but the way you said that…I'll hit you later."

* * *

"Let the fourth quarter begin!"

The game quickly resumed onto the last ten minutes and everyone could see that the tiger's anger had been set down. Midorima's eyes narrowed, signaling his captain to pass him the ball: _'Hm, getting hit by Higurashi and Kuroko must have cooled his head. However, you have only a little stamina left.' _

With Taisuke passing him the ball, he turned his body and aimed for his shot on the half line. Kagome's eyes widened, seeing how fast they had placed themselves into their positions: "They are quick to restart…"

Kagami quickly ran behind the green haired male as he extended his arms up for his aim. Tightening his focus, Kagami jumped behind Midorima and pushed away the ball from his grasp.

Midorima's eyes widened, watching as the ball bounced onto the floor: _'W-What…?! He can still jump!? But I know he is nearly out of energy! Doesn't he intend to save anything for the end!?'_

The ball quickly fell into Hyuga's hands before he passed it over to Shun and made it inside the basket.

A small smile appeared on Kagome's lips, watching as the score board presented them with a ten point difference. She looked over to the coach: "Riko-senpai, are you sure we should have used our first of two so early?"

Crossing her arms, Riko nodded: "It is a bluff. Starting now, we can barely cover him normally, so we can't stop Midorima-kun if he shoots. However, Midorima-kun won't take an impossible shot as long as we make him think Kagami-kun might still have those unbelievable jumps left in him."

"I see…," whispered Kagome, returning her gaze ahead. "The very least we can reduce the number of shots Midorima-kun takes." Her eyes scrunched: _'…but the rest is on him…Kuroko-kun.'_

Takao smirked as he faced with the phantom player, seeing him once again facing his intended opponent: "looks like they are really counting on you, but no matter what you try, I will stop you." His eyes tightened as he held onto his grin: "you can't escape my hawk eye."

Hyuga cursed under his breath, watching the intense observation Takao had on the phantom player and the whole court at the same time. "What is he going to do? Kuroko's misdirection doesn't work against him."

Having heard from behind, Shun turned to face his captain: "actually, it is probably not completely ineffective against him. Takao's hawk eye's field of vision is so wide he can see the entire court. That is why he can continue to watch Kuroko even if his attention is directed elsewhere. So…instead of direction attention away from himself, Kuroko is going to use the opposite misdirection instead."

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga, looking back over to see Takao's eyes widening slightly as Kuroko had placed full attention on himself.

"In other words," continued Shun, "he drew attention towards himself."

Takao's eyes shook, seeing the distance between the phantom player and himself. Never had he realized Kuroko's presence so much. _'He's close…,' _his eyes quickly widened as Kuroko's person disappeared from him. _'I lost sight of him!? You're kidding!'_

He looked around with a tight glare as he watched Shun's pass of the ball over to the tiger. _'Calm down. Even if I can't find Kuroko, I still know Kagami's location. As long as I jump between the ball and Kagami...,' _he headed towards the direction of the ball, finally seeing the tiger coming from behind.

"You will not get it this time," spoke Kuroko. "Until now, I have only changed the direction of the pass. This pass…," Kuroko quickly arrived before the ball and prepared his palm with a tight focus of his target. He could feel the last ounce of energy coming to him and he was not sure why he still had some, but all he could think about was using it to win, "increases the ball's speed!"

His palm quickly pushed the ball away before Takao's hand could reach for it, leaving his wide eyed at the sudden performance. Kagami caught the ball in the nick of time, surprising everyone around at the fast speed of Kuroko's pass.

Takao's eyes widened: _'W-What!? Catching that couldn't have been easy!'_

Kagome stood from her seat, having seen the impact of the fast ball on Kagami's palm before he dribbled it away towards their hoop. Her eyes shook, watching the green haired male standing below the hoop, ready to block Kagami's dunk.

'_He can only jump one more time…,' _she reminded herself, watching the intensity between the tiger and the Shutoku shooting guard. She clutched at her chest, taking a step forward: "Kagami-kun! Do it!"

With a glare of his own, Midorima jumped up with the intention to block: "No you don't!"

The jump increased and quickly dunked the ball over Midorima's head, making the score. Midorima's eyes widened at the sudden dunk, convinced that Kagami was unable to perform any more of those ridiculous jumps!

Kagome blinked, slowly feeling a tug on her lips forming a smile as the score increased on their side. _'We might just win this…I know we can!'_

* * *

Kise blinked, watching the sudden dunk being added onto their score. "He's done it now. He finally blew over Midorimacchi. Not only that, but…," his eyes landed to the phantom player, watching as he swiped the sweat away from his forehead, "that was the pass only the Generation of Miracles could catch during middle school!"

He quickly shook his head, seeing the intense movement and sweat running on the tiger: "is he going to be all right running on fumes!?"

Kasamatsu sighed, crossing his arms: "mah, you could argue that wasn't the time to force a dunk. I mean, there is not much point to dunking anyway."

"He loves to show off," smirked Kise. "I guess Kagomecchi's yell for him got him to do it.

"So do you and you would probably do it too if she did yell your name," glared Kasamatsu.

"Oh you know me so well, Kasamatsu-senpai," his smile widened before landing his sights on the miko, seeing a small smile on her face. "But…I can definitely say that seeing that happy expression on her face suits her."

"Huh?" the Kaijo captain raised a brow before looking over at what his blonde teammate was. He blinked, noticing the same smile on miko. A small blush appeared on his face before coughing it out and forcing his attention back to the court: "concentrate on the game, baka."

* * *

"Kuroko…"

Looking to his side, the phantom player watched as the tiger ran beside him as they returned to their side for defense.

"It sucks, but the coach was right. I don't think I can jump anymore," he spoke, feeling the drain of his stamina and strength slowly evaporating from within. "I am going to have to trick Midorima into thinking I can cover him. I don't really want to say this, but the rest is up to you."

Feeling the slight pat on his shoulder from the red head, Kuroko formed a smile and ran to the other side of his post and nodded: "hai."

* * *

"Ugh…I'm tired. I don't want to move. Maybe I'm getting old. I don't have any energy…," blue eyes watched the orange ball spin effortlessly on his index finger as the male laid lazily on the wooden stage inside the gymnasium of the school. With only the light coming from the windows with a cloudy sky, he sighed heavily at how bored he was.

"I want to eat bread," he continued.

"Ah? Ah! I thought you would be here!"

"Huh?" dropping the ball away from its balance, it bounced down onto the wooden court while tilting his head back a bit to see a female with pink hair coming towards him while holding a popsicle.

"Did you fake being sick to skip another game?" she questioned, watching as her childhood friend only gave her the boredom look.

"We will win anyway," he glared. "It's too much work."

"Sheesh!" she glared back, placing her free hand on her hip. "Anyways, I heard that Tetsu-kun and Midorin are playing against each other right now!"

"Eh~…Ah~…"

"Mah! Maybe Tetsu-kun will win!" she smiled. "After all, he is the man I fell in love with!" She took a bite of her treat, watching as the blue haired male turned around to lay on his stomach.

"We will see," he sighed. "You never know until the game is over."

"Eh?"

"They are both strong players," he continued as he kicked his legs up and down in boredom. "They took the middle school championship title three years in a row. Both Tetsu and Midorima."

"Ah! Momoi-san!"

Hearing her name, the female looked over her shoulder to see a brunette male with brown eyes quickly running to them with a worried expression. He bowed before them and straightened himself up as he held a paper: "Gomen, Momoi-san, but the coach wanted me to give you these…"

"Huh?" she took them into her hand and scanned the contents. "Oh! The information on Seirin!" A smile pressed onto her lips before turning over to the blue haired male: "Look! I got the information on Seirin!"

"Um, I wasn't sure if you wanted these too…," the brunette handed over two more sheets. "Although they aren't players, apparently they are part of the basketball club on Seirin."

Blinking, she looked at the names: "Aida Riko…Higurashi Kagome? Huh? Oh! She went to the same middle school as you?" she smiled over to the brunette.

"Ah, you mean Higurashi-san?" he smiled. "Yes. We were both friends although she was a very sick during her last year with many different illnesses, so I would always give her remedies."

"Sick?" she blinked, quite surprised. "Hmm, well I will have to do my research on them." She turned to face the brunette once more: "Arigatou, Hojo-kun! This is a lot of help! I am glad the coach let me have an assistant. Paperwork can be such a drag."

"I don't mind at all, Momoi-san," he smiled back as he scratched the back of his head. "But I am quite surprised that Higurashi-san has joined the basketball club. I didn't think I would see her so soon and under such circumstances."

"Meet?" blinked Momoi. "Well, we still don't know if they will be in the Inter High."

"Oh…right," he chuckled, having forgotten. He quickly gave them a bow: "Um…well, I will get some medicines packed for the team!"

Momoi watched as the brunette quickly left the gym, leaving her and the tan male alone. She sighed, looking back at the stack of papers: "Such a small world for him and for us to be seeing our old high school friend, huh?"

"Whatever…"

* * *

"Shutoku High time out!" called the referee, surprising the Seirin bench as they looked over to the table to see the male coach turning back to walk towards the bench.

Kagome blinked over to the score board, watching the last two minutes of the game marked along with two points away from their opponent. They were that close to winning, but also very close to losing. They had to give it their all at this point!

Seirin walked back to the bench with all of them sitting down for a rest. Shun took a sip of his water bottle: "What should we do? Kagami can't jump anymore…"

Riko sighed, grabbing her chin with her thumb and index finger: "Hmm, they will certainly try to crush us with threes…"

"Then what do we do?" blinked Hyuga. "Kagami is the only who was able to stop them until now."

The coach looked over to the miko, seeing her attention drawn over to the green haired player. "Any ideas, Kagome-chan?"

"Well…," she whispered, "I am not very good with basketball strategies, but…," her eyes scrunched, having memories of battle strategies back in the feudal era. _'If strategies are about thinking ahead…then…it shouldn't be any different.' _

"I believe, Midorima-kun will be given the ball, no doubt about it," she continued, turning back to face the team, "but I have a feeling he will think Kagami-kun will try to stop him even if he can't jump. Knowing the hard headed tiger here…"

"Oi!"

"…he will try to jump," finished the miko before setting her eyes on the phantom player. "What do you think should be done from there?"

Kuroko blinked: "I have faith…Midorima-kun will lower the ball from the three pointer shot. If that happens….then I will stop him."

The team nodded, having a sense on Shutoku's intentions from there. They just needed faith and hope at this point.

* * *

The fourth quarter quickly resumed and at a fast paced of back and forth points with two points behind the Shutoku team. With less than a minute left, Kagome stood from her seat, watching as Taisuke began to mark on their captain.

"He…is marking Hyuga-senpai?" blinked the miko.

Riko's eyes tightened: "They are doing everything they can to stop our threes!"

Kagami quickly screened the Shutoku captain and let Hyuga run over to the half-line himself as Shun passed him the ball. Taking a deep breath in, he released the ball and waited as it was made in.

Kagome's eyes widened, seeing them one point ahead from the opponent and only with three seconds left! A small smile appeared on her lips, seeing the other smiles on the team.

"Did we…win?" whispered Kagami.

"You haven't won yet," Takao glared as he quickly passed the ball over to Midorima as he stood in front of the tiger.

"Midorima-kun!" exclaimed the miko, seeing the intention to make one last three pointer shot.

"Let me tell you why I am determined to shoot from so far away," glared the green haired male as he kept the ball in his hands. "It is not simply because my shots are worth three points. It's not unusual for comebacks to happen in the last seconds of a close game. Sometimes, they are the result of desperate shots. I will not leave it up to chance!" He prepared his stance, matching his intensity with the red head. "That is why I end games with a buzzer beater."

"This isn't good!" shouted Riko.

Jumping up, Kagami watched as Midorima's shadow over casted him as he prepared his shot. With wide eyes, he quickly tightened them: _'Move, legs! Move! From the first game to this game, to the very end, you can't just get in my way!'_

'_He is trying to jump…,' _blinked the miko, seeing the struggle for Kagami to move.

With a loud scream, Kagami made his way up, forcing his legs to take him where he wanted to stop the last shot. His eyes widened, seeing as Midorima lowered back down with the ball in his hand: "I believe that even at your limit, you would overcome it and jump…"

"Crap!"

The last second showed on the scoreboard, bringing the miko a bit more forward: "Kuroko-kun!"

"I believed in Kagome-chan's words and in Kagami-kun," Kuroko quickly tipped the ball off Midorima's hands from behind the moment he tried to jump back up. "We all believed that you would believe in him in his jump and lower the ball one more time."

The buzzer went off, signaling now the end of the game. All in the audience were in awe at the sudden conclusion of the game, never seeing it coming. The Seirin bench cheered in unison as the team on the court huddled together in victory.

Both Kagami and Kuroko turned over to the miko, seeing the smile extend on her lips. _'Minna…you did it…you really did it!'_

Never had she felt so accomplished since completing the jewel and finishing her adventure and never had she felt so much blood running in her veins from the excitement of a sport. Her eyes met over to a pair of green orbs, seeing his own stare on her person.

Relaxing her shoulder, she could see the disappointed aura raiding off from the male. With a gentle sigh, she gave him a nod in which he simply pushed in his glasses and followed Takao to the lineup.

"Eighty-two to eighty-one, Seirin!"

* * *

"We did it!" shouted the Seirin team inside the locker room. Excitement brewing with the victory of their win.

Riko chuckled, watching the boys continued to preach. Blinking, she came to notice the miko grabbing her medical kit. "Where are you going?" she questioned.

Turning to face the coach, she gave her a small smile: "I need to see someone…I think he needs it…"

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, I will be back before we leave," slipping away from the locker room, she made sure the boys didn't see her and closed the door behind her. She released a sigh and the smile continued to stay on. The miko walked forward and was met with the Takao.

"Oh? Kagome-chan!" he smiled and quickly swung his arm once again over her shoulders. "Where are you going?"

"Um…"

"Shouldn't you be celebrating with Seirin?" he raised a brow, hearing her silence.

"Actually…do you know where…Midorima-kun is?"

"Shin-chan?" he blinked, not really expecting for the Seirin manager to be looking for him. Chuckling, he closed his eyes: "He went outside."

"Outside?" she repeated.

Nodding, he pointed out to the exit doors: "he wanted some time alone. You know…since this is the first time he has ever lost." He inched closed to the miko's face, making her lean back. "Why don't you go cheer him up? You know…he does enjoy your company." With a light laugh, he released his hold on the miko and watched as she continued to blink. "Go ahead. He won't bite or anything." He slowly began to walk away while resting his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers: "It was…fun, Kagome-chan, but don't think you and Seirin will win the next one!"

With a small chuckle of her own, Kagome nodded and looked over to the exit doors before heading out.

* * *

Staring at the dark cloudy sky, heavy rain began to pour down onto his body as he heard the ringing of his phone continue beside him. He couldn't believe he had lost…him. Fate had been on his side. Luck had been with him. But it crushed him. Seirin had crushed him.

Annoyed with the continuing sound of the phone ringing, he clicked the answering button and placed the device beside his ear. "Hai?"

He quickly placed the phone away a few inches away from his ear as he heard the incoming loud voice of the female he knew. "Ah! Midorin, it's great to talk to you again! How was the game? Did you win? Did you lose? Which was it? Tell me!"

Without a word, he hung the call, glaring at the screen in front of him.

The miko slowly and quietly opened the doors out to the exit of the stadium and blinked upon seeing the green haired male drenched in the rain. Heavy rain at that. What was he thinking? He was going to catch a cold! She cursed herself for forgetting her umbrella or even her jacket but sighed knowing that it was already too late.

Taking a deep breath in, she felt the cold heavy rain tap against her skin and hair and stopped upon hearing Midorima's phone ring. She watched silently as he brought the device to his ear: "What's wrong with you? Enough already-"

"_Oi, you sound grouchy."_

Kagome blinked, seeing the slight expression of surprise on his face although she could not tell who was on the other side of the conversation.

"_I know. You lost, didn't you?" _

"Aomine?" with a sigh, Midorima looked ahead: "I did. You should be careful in the championship league."

"_Eh? Nani? What are you saying? The only one who can beat me is me." _

Midorima looked up at the sky, seeing the clouds continuing to get heavy. "I would be careful not only around the members…but their manager."

"_Oh? Manager? Why should I care about such a person?"_

"The girl…has helped Seirin defeat Kise and now…me," his eyes narrowed, remembering the memory of Kagome's smile at their victory. He heard a laugh on the other side of the line.

"_A girl!? You have to be kidding…a girl? Seriously?" _

"You haven't changed, Aomine. Don't you understand? You'll be playing against Kuroko in the championship league." Midorima's eyes tightened, having to hate that he was even having a conversation with the male on the phone.

"_You seem confused, Midorima. The past is irrelevant. We are enemies now."_

"Just remember, Aomine, Higurashi Kagome…can be a troublesome person." He quickly hung up and closed his phone before setting it back in his pocket. Letting the heavy drops of rain hit onto his skin, he sighed and closed his eyes.

"So I am troublesome?"

His eyes opened at the feminine voice beside him and turned to see the miko staring at him with a raised brow. Returning to his scowl, the shooting guard pushed in his glasses with his left hand. "What are you doing here, Higurashi? It is rude to eavesdrop on a conversation."

"Gomen, but I should be asking you that," she crossed her arms. "I asked Takao-kun where you were and I was surprised that you were in such a dramatic scene with the raining hitting you."

He felt his eyebrow twitch at her comment: "Excuse me?"

"Look, I did not come to make an argument," she sighed and clutched her medical kit along with her school bag. "I simply came to tell you that…arigatou."

Midorima's eyes blinked at her gratitude. He surely was not expecting that from her. She came all this way to thank him… for what? Tightening his eyes, he continued to see the rain hitting the girl rather harshly: "Why?"

"Because…I had fun," she smiled. "With each challenge we face, not only does the team become closer…but I am finding myself loving the sport and loving the time I have with Seirin, but I have met you, Kise-kun, and other interesting people. That is why I am thanking you."

He scoffed, looking away from her gaze: "I don't need your gratitude."

"Well, it is your choice to take it or not," the miko nodded and looked down to his left hand. He had no tapped them yet? Her mind clicked back to the phone call. As much as she wanted to know who he had warned about Seirin and herself, she felt that time would answer that much sooner. At least she had…the name. _'Aomine…I believe?'_

Hearing nothing from the female, his green orbs glided back to see her staring blankly at his fingers. He looked away once again: "Go inside. We are done with our meeting."

Blinking up, she watched his avoided eyes and chuckled. So he did care in some way. She slowly opened her medical kit: "I guess Takao-kun is right about you being tsundere."

Midorima quickly turned to face the miko: "Oi-!"

He stopped as he stared at a roll of white bandages being held in front of him by the miko's fingers.

"Here." She pushed the small roll closer to him: "use it for your fingers. I know how much you take care of your fingers."

"I don't need your pity," he glared.

"It isn't pity," she sighed, giving him a small glare of her own. "Look, if you really want to beat us the next time, then instead of pouting," she handed him the roll on his palm, watching as his eyes widened the moment her hand touched his wrist to flip his hand over, "train and take care of your fingers."

The smile graced once again onto her lips: "Again, arigatou, Midorima-kun. I really do hope to see you soon…"

She turned around; drenched, before heading back inside to meet with her team. Midorima's green orbs landed back onto the roll on his palm before feeling his eyes scrunch at how easily she displayed kindness even to the enemy team.

He scoffed lightly: "All of the Generation of Miracles are in trouble…"

* * *

Riko waited outside the locker room, letting the boys have their victory celebration on their own and leaned against the door. She sighed and crossed her arms: _'I am surprised by how much Kagome-chan has contributed. If anything, she could be called more than a manager. She has some sort of experience in different areas…I wonder what she used to do before coming to Seirin…'_

Her eyes quickly blinked as she noticed the miko walked towards her while looking at her own clothing. With a wide expression, Riko quickly came off the wall: "Oi! Kagome-chan! Why are you all wet!?"

"Huh?" looking ahead, Kagome stopped in her tracks and blinked, surprised to see the coach outside the locker room. "Oh um…I…had to make a call…"

"Outside?" Riko placed her hands on her hips.

"Um…fresh air?" she chuckled nervously, hoping that the coach would just drop the suspicion.

With a sigh being released, Riko sent the girl a smile: "Well, anyways, seems the boys are over excited about their victory."

"They deserve it," she smiled back, her eyes glued onto the door.

"Oh, I know!" Riko clapped her hands together once. "Let us go celebrate!"

"Celebrate? Wait…Riko-senpai, but they are-"

"Let's go out to eat!" she smiled before turning around and opened the door to the locker room: "Alright! Let's go home, minna!"

"No…wait…gomen…seriously, wait…," Hyuga's hand came out shaking from his person as he tried to find some kind of object to balance out his tiredness. The rest of the team stuck to his sides or on the floor for support as they suddenly felt the crash of their bodies coming. "We just played two games against kings."

"Ah…gomen," nodded the coach, seeing their bodies shake and plead for a rest. She leaned close to the miko: "They are like zombies…," she whispered lowly.

"No kidding…," she whispered back as she clutched her bags. Her eyes landed onto the tiger, seeing him on the floor and shaking as he held his lower back. Poor guys…two games definitely almost killed them physically and even mentally.

"We'll be fine after we rest for a few minutes," smiled Hyuga, coming to sit on the bench, "but Kagami…"

With a sigh, Kagome set her bags down on the bench and walked toward the tiger: "Mah, I told you not to push yourself so hard, baka."

"I can't even stand, let alone move…," he shook.

"But, we can't stay here forever," blinked Riko as she set her bag's strap over her shoulder. "I told Kagome-chan that we should go out to eat! How about the closest restaurant? There is a close okonomiyaki place," She pointed over to the tiger: "Someone carry Kagami-kun."

"Jah…let's decide with rock, paper, scissors, then," sighed Hyuga, slowly standing from his seat. All team members, including the girls huddled around and extended their hands out while the tiger stayed on the floor.

"Wait…why are the girls included?" blinked Kagome, seeing it already an impossible feat to carry the big male.

"Ah! Wait!" Fukuda quickly flipped his phone open, catching everyone in blinks as he texted away a message.

"Who are you texting?" questioned Shinji, trying to take a peak.

"Uh…," a sudden blush appeared on his face while putting away his phone back into his pocket, "I told my girlfriend that we won the game and she wanted to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" blinked Shun. "Wait…"

All eyes widened as they asked the same question: "Girlfriend!? You have a girlfriend!?"

"That was quick..," Kagome tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah, she came with some friends…but is it alright that she comes to eat?" he blushed even more, trying to avoid the eyes of the males.

Riko shrugged: "Well, I don't mind, but I am quite surprised that you have a girlfriend, Fukuda-kun…," she blinked and tilted her head. "But I am fine with her and her friends coming, right, Kagome-chan?"

"Huh? Well…I don't mind myself," Kagome looked over to Kuroko, seeing him staring at her.

"Well, let's see who is going to end up carrying this big guy," Hyuga placed his arm out once again.

"Yes! Let's hurry because Fukuda's girlfriend is bringing friends!" exclaimed Shinji, extending his own hand out, ready for the meeting of girls.

* * *

"Sumimasen!" Riko slid the door open to the okonomiyaki shop, smiling as she waved over to the owner on the other side of the counter.

"Welcome!" he shouted, quite surprised to see the whole team walking in. "There is so many of you."

Kuroko and Kagome walked in, already feeling the angry stares coming from the tiger behind them. Walking in, Kagami shook in anger as half of his jacket was covered in mud, along with his cheek. "Kuroko…Kagome…you'll pay for this."

"Sumimasen," Kuroko blinked, seeing the tiger's body shake from the self-restraint he was setting himself. After he had lost the game and ended up carrying the tiger over, the miko had volunteered herself to help, but in the end, with Kuroko himself being tired, Kagome had ended having all of Kagami's weight and dropping him onto a pile of mud.

"Gomen…," apologized the miko as she looked for a handkerchief inside her bag. Taking one out, she tip toed up to his height and cleaned off the mud from his cheek, oblivious to the small blush on the tiger's features as he tried to turn away from her help.

"I-I'm fine…"

"You're too heavy," commented the phantom player, watching as the miko finished to clean off the mud from the tiger.

"Ah! Ayumi-chan!"

Upon hearing the familiar name, Kagome blinked and looked over her shoulder to see Fukuda walking over to his girlfriend and two of the female's friends as they sat on the table, saving other tables for the team.

"Kagome-chan!"

The miko blinked, watching as her three girlfriends walked over to her, surprised that she was with there. Coming forth, she watched as her friend, Yuka, was coming in with blinks of her own: "Kagome-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Eh? Do you know Kagome-chan?" questioned Fukuda as he stood beside his girlfriend, seeing the shared glances between his girlfriend and their manager.

"Wait…you are going out with Fukuda-kun, Ayumi-chan?" blinked Kagome with wide eyes. Who knew…that this whole time her friend was going out with a basketball guy already.

"Ah yeah…I barely told the other two about the news," she chuckled lightly, scratching her cheek with finger, "but yeah, we all know Kagome-chan. We all went to the same middle school."

"Really?" blinked Hyuga, looking over at the miko.

Eri placed a hand on the miko's shoulder: "Why are you with the basketball team?" She sent her a suspicious glare: "Don't tell me you knew them this whole time and didn't let us know…"

"Oh…I am a-"

"She is our manager!" smiled Shinji, cutting off Kagome's own explanation as he came in between with a smile of his own, hoping to get to know the females himself.

"Eh!? Manager!?" exclaimed all three.

Yuka pouted, crossing her arms as she stared at the miko: "That explains why you haven't been able to hang out with us for a while. You seemed very busy every day after school."

"Uh…yeah," Kagome scratched the back of her head: "I didn't think it would be this busy, but it is, but I don't mind it."

"Well," smiled Ayumi, clapping her hands together, "I am happy to see you smiling again."

Kagome blinked, surprised to hear those words coming from her friend. Had they noticed her change after coming back from the feudal era? Had she been that closed off from her friends? With a smile of her own, she set her eyes ahead and blinked again as she made eye contact with a familiar Kaijo captain.

Seeing his captain's eyes set behind, Kise looked over his shoulder and went wide eyed at the sight of the Seirin team at the entrance. Eri looked over her shoulder, noticing the sudden stare from the miko: "What are you staring at, Kagome-chan?" All eyes set onto the blonde and black haired males as they ate on their own table. Shock filled on the girls' faces upon seeing the familiar blonde they knew so well on the magazines. "K-Kise R-Ryouta!? What is he doing here!?"

"Kise and Kasamatsu!" shouted Kagami, a tick appearing onto his forehead at the sight of the Kaijo members.

"Oi! No honorifics!?" exclaimed Kasamatsu.

"Ah…," Kise's eyes widened with a smile as he waved with his spoon. "Kurokocchi! Kagomecchi! Oi!"

"Eh…you know Kise-kun?" Yuka quickly turned around to face the miko and grabbed her hands into her hers. "Please introduce us!"

"Mah…," Shinji sighed along with his members, seeing that Kise had stolen the spotlight easily even without lifting a finger or saying a word. Damn boys and their good looks. What were the chances of coming to meet with the Kaijo players at a place…and right after their match?

"Girls…please…um, the boys are very tired and hungry," Kagome chuckled and watched as Ayumi grabbed both Yuka and Eri away and dragged them back over to their tables along with her boyfriend and the team following behind. If anything, she could definitely count on Ayumi when it came to help. The girl could see the situation and after hearing Kise's call on the miko, she couldn't help but squeal that such a good looking guy was looking for her attention.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan, we can talk later," she smiled. "Enjoy your time with the boys."

"Eh…?" the miko watched as her friends and the rest of the Seirin team were taken to another set of chairs and tables and were left with the blonde waving at them. With a heavy sigh, Kagome looked over to the two first years behind her. "Um…let's go eat, then."

"Come sit here, Kagomecchi!" shouted Kise, patting to the spot beside him on the wooden bench.

Kagome sighed, watching as Kise, Kagami, and Kuroko sat frozen in their places while she looked over the menu. While she had been pulled by the blonde to sit beside him, Kuroko had placed himself beside her automatically with no words and left the tiger to sit next to the Kaijo captain. Kasamatsu continued to eat, unfazed by the seating arrangement, but would blush from time to time at the sight of the miko staring at him.

"Why are we sitting together?" glared Kagami.

"Because I wanted Kagomecchi here and you two came along. If you don't like it, you can go eat with your team, but Kagomecchi stays here and of course Kurokocchi is more than welcomed here!" replied the blonde. "Also…Kagamicchi, why were you covered in mud?" he pointed over to the dirty jacket, seeing the stains.

"I fell, forget about it," he replied, not wanting to explain the true story to him and getting a laugh. "And don't call me Kagamicchi."

"If we don't eat," sighed Kasamatsu as he grabbed a piece of his food, "they will burn." He pointed over to Kise's okonomiyaki, seeing it sizzle in front of them on the hot plate.

"Oh right…," nodded Kise, grabbing his small spatula and flipping it over. He took a piece with his spatula and smiled while turning towards the miko and having the spatula a few inches away from her lips. "Say 'ah!' Kagomecchi!"

She could feel her eyebrow twitch at the sight of Kise trying to feed her. What was she…two?! Her eyes met the golden gaze of the blonde and raised a brow: "K-Kise-kun…really that isn't necessary…"

"But…it is good!" he smiled while inching his spatula a bit closer. His eyes widened slightly the moment Kuroko took the spatula from his hand and took the bite himself without looking at anyone in the table. The miko blinked, watching the phantom player simply chew on the food and return the spatula back onto Kise's fingers.

"It is good," he replied, looking down onto his own menu.

"Mah! Kurokocchi! That was for Kagomecchi!" whined the blonde, pouting as Kagome only chuckled lowly under her breath. For once, she definitely owed Kuroko for saving her.

"Excuse me! Sir, do you have two-" walking into the place, the Shutoku member stopped in his tracks as his eyes scanned the area and glued onto the familiar Seirin members they had just played against a few hours ago.

All stood and sat in silence as they noticed Midorima walking behind the black haired male with closed eyes; unaware of the situation. The miko blinked as she held her menu and looked over her shoulder with the rest of the people inside as she noticed the sudden shock on Takao's face.

Opening his eyes, Midorima stopped in his steps and stared at the table holding not only the two first year duo of the Seirin team, but also the manager, and the blonde of the Kaijo team. Seriously…where had his luck gone to?

Hyuga quickly pointed over towards the orange clothed members: "What are you two doing here!? Where are the others anyways!?"

Composing himself, Takao patted Midorima's shoulders as he gave out a laugh: "we lost the upperclassmen while Shin-chan was crying."

"Oi!" Midorima's tick twitched, seeing Takao putting the embarrassment all on him.

Takao simply ignored the angry glare he was receiving and smiled at the team as he waved his hand up and down: "we figured we might as well get something to eat."

Grunting, Midorima turned around: "We are going somewhere else!" Exiting the restaurant, Takao followed behind after sliding the door closed.

"Ah! Oi!" shouted Takao, leaving everyone inside in silence.

The miko held the menu in her hands, continuing to blink at the closed shoji door: "…they left."

The storm quickly blew, showing the rushing winds and heavy rain continuing through the windows and watched as the restaurant's flags in front, harshly blew with the wind. Takao quickly slid the door open, revealing both him and the tsundere drenched once again.

Sighing, Takao blinked and smirked upon seeing the miko sitting near Kuroko and quickly made his way to the edge of their table. "Mah! Kagome-chan! Did you give Shin-chan the bandages?"

"Bandages?" she repeated before setting her eyes to the walking tsundere as he adjusted his glasses with his fingers. "Oh….um yeah…"

"Wah! Shin-chan is a lucky guy to be getting something from such a kawaii girl," Takao chuckled, feeling the annoyed glare we was receiving from the shooting guard. The hawk eye male turned to see the Kaijo captain and smiled: "Are you Kaijo's Kasamatsu-san?"

"Huh? How did you know?" he blinked, surprised himself.

"I saw you in Basketball Monthly!" he laughed, waving his hand up and down once again. "You're nationally famous as a strong point guard! Oh wow! As someone who plays the same position, I would love to hear your stories!" He looked down to the empty hot plate and grabbed the Kaijo captain by his arm: "Do you mind if we eat together over here? Let's go talk there!"

Setting themselves beside the miko's friends, Takao cupped his hand around his lips and smirked: "let those guys and Kagome-chan be together. I am quite curious to see what it brings out."

"O-Oi…you wanted this to happen, didn't you?" Kasamatsu's blush returned, feeling his shoulder bumping onto Yuka's. Sure he was getting used to be around the miko, but it was slow process! It didn't mean he was fully confident yet!

"What? Of course not~!" Takao released a low snicker behind his hand, watching as the table was beginning to fill with tension as all of them shared glances of annoyance, for the exception of the manager and phantom player. Of course it was mean of him to leave them alone like that…but he knew the girl had an impact on his tsundere partner and seeing the chemistry between Kagami and Kuroko definitely got him curious. He only wondered if she could do the same to the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

Hyuga's eyes blinked, before going wide at the sight of the table: "T-That table is ridiculous! What are they doing to Kagome-chan leaving her with that!?"

"Hey! Hey!" smirked Riko, forming a fist with her hand. "Isn't this exciting!? Seeing Kagome-chan with the Generation of Miracles and Kagami gets you all excited huh!?"

"Excited!?" exclaimed Hyuga, turning to the coach.

"Huh? Why is it exciting?" blinked Eri, holding her tea in hand.

Shinji cleared his throat: "Well you see," he closed his eyes, trying to give the image of masculinity, "Kagome-chan has been able to…control and calm down the Generation of Miracles in a way. It is almost have the boys have come to become interested on our manager."

"Really?" Yuka chewed on her food, looking over at the miko friend. "She is one lucky girl to be sitting next to Kise Ryouta…," she sighed and rested her cheek on her palm. "Well…at I am happy to see her smiling again. It has been a while that we have seen her like that."

"Was she not like that?" questioned Riko, turning her attention over to the two females.

"I mean, she was," replied Yuka, cutting her okonomiyaki in four pieces. "But…during our last year in middle school, she was getting sick a lot and rarely showed up to school. It amazed us all how she was able to pass towards the end with her grades coming down."

"She was sick?" Hyuga placed his cup of tea down. "With what?"

"Many different illnesses," answered Eri, slowly turned to see Kagome looking at the menu while the males simply stared at each other. "Some were more bizarre than others…that we couldn't even visit her."

"At the hospital?" Takao tilted his head to the side.

"Oh no…she stayed home, but Hojo-kun always came to her home and gave her grandfather the weirdest remedies for illnesses that even I have never heard of! And the remedies were very strange! Some even involved newts!" Eri shook the memory away, remembering the basket full of weird herbs and dried insects.

"Ho…jo?" repeated Riko.

"Oh, this boy during our middle school days!" Yuka laughed lightly. "He had a huge crush on Kagome-chan!"

Ayumi chuckled lightly as she sat beside her boyfriend and smiled at the group: "But Kagome-chan never felt the same. She tried telling him, but…he just wouldn't get the hint."

"Ah! Which reminds me!" Eri took out her phone and scrolled through her messages, "Hojo-kun texted me a few days ago asking if I knew where Kagome-chan was attending."

"Did he not know we all came together?" questioned Yuka, looking over to her left.

Eri shrugged, watching as everyone had their attentions on her: "I guess not, but I told him she was at Seirin with us. When I told him that, he suddenly wanted me to ask her permission if he could have her number…"

"Are you going to ask?" questioned Shinji, looking back over to the full tensioned table.

"I could…"

Takao chuckled, turning back to see the miko's cerulean orbs attentively looking over the menu.

* * *

The miko sighed, realizing no one around the table had even tried moving a muscle. Lowering the menu from her eyes, she looked at the tiger and tsundere: "Are you guys not going to eat?"

Both Midorima and Kagami scoffed, looking away from the girl's gaze. With another sigh escaping her lips, she watched as Kuroko leaned a bit closer to look at her opened menu. "Why don't we order something?" he questioned, scanning the items with his finger. "I'm hungry."

Kise smiled, watching as both the female and phantom player looked over the same menu. "I'm already full, so I am fine with what we already have."

"Excuse me!" Kagami held his hand out, ready for his order and waited for his waiter.

Midorima looked away, crossing his arms: "I'm surprised you could eat that shit."

"O-Oi…how could you say that so easily!?" glared Kise as he held his spatula.

Kagome blinked, hearing the chanting of Kagami's order as if it were some sort of monk's spell. Was no one else hearing this? And the amount of food…did no one notice!?

"Could we get squid balls, pork balls, mixed balls, octopus balls, and pork kimchi balls?"

"Oi! You are ordering too much!" shouted Midorima, coming to glare at the red head.

"What sort of incantation is that?!" exclaimed Kise, turning his attention onto the tiger as he returned the menu to the waiter.

Kuroko looked down to the hot table after ordering his and Kagome-chan's food and blinked: "it's alright. Kagami-kun will eat all of it himself."

"Is he really human?" questioned Kise with a raised brow.

"You would be surprised," chuckled Kagome. "He can eat over ten cheeseburgers."

The batter of their food came in and were handed down to each of the customers. Kagome grabbed her bowl and mixed in the ingredients before pouring the batter into a circle on the hot grill. Her eyes widened, watching as Kagami's circle continued to enlarge as the batter only poured more and more out onto the circle. "K-Kagami-kun…will you really eat all of that?"

"Got a problem?" he raised a brow.

"Just asking," she grabbed her chopsticks and glared. Her eyes set onto the silent tsundere, watching him with his arms crossed and eyes closed. "Are you alright, Midorima-kun?"

Kise chuckle, pointing his spatula towards the green haired male: "Mah, I know losing sucks, but come on! Yesterday's enemies are today's friends!"

"I just lost to them!" he exclaimed, refusing to look ahead.

Kagome's shoulders slumped, seeing the venom and anger mixing in his tongue. She could not blame him for feeling such a way. Losing did…suck, but it was a part of life to learn and move forward from.

"If anything," continued Midorima, opening his eyes, "I can't believe you have no problem sitting with them," he directed his tone to the blonde, seeing his own blinks of questioning. "You already lost to them once."

That was true. Kise had lost against them, even if it was just a practice game. Was he not mad? Did he not hold a grudge? Kagome grabbed the main spatula and flipped her food with the help of the phantom player.

Kise's lips formed a smirk: "Well…I'll get my revenge at the Inter-High, of course. I won't lose next time," his eyes tightened to match his grin, seeing the silent stares of the three. "Besides," he wrapped his arm around the miko's shoulder, catching her by surprise as her chopstick let go a piece of her food, "I can't stay made at Kagomecchi for very long! She is too kawaii for that!" His eyes set onto the tiger, seeing him grab his cup.

Taking a drink of his water, Kagami smirked with a few crumbs on his face: "Bring it on."

"Kise, you have changed a little," commented Midorima as he held his own drink in his hand. "Your eyes…they are strange."

"Strange!?" he jumped slightly from the weird compliment, letting go of the miko's shoulders. "Well…maybe it's because I have started practicing more since we played against Kurokocchi. Also, lately, I've been thinking…it's pretty fun playing basketball with the guys from Kaijo."

Kagome couldn't help but be taken back by Kise's words. He wasn't like that when she had met him. If anything, he was too confident in his skills, but the loss might have set his mind straight. A small smile tugged on the corner of her lips before bringing a piece of her food to eat.

"It seems I was mistaken," glared Midorima. "You have not changed at all. You have simply reverted to a state before our three consecutive championships."

Kuroko lowered his piece of his food down from his lips, stopping upon taking in Midorima's words in. "But…we were all like that back then."

"How you change is up to you," the green haired male adjusted his glasses once more. "However, I am not playing basketball to have fun."

The table remained silent as eyes remained glued onto the tsundere who had stopped eating his food. Kagome sighed while holding her chopsticks in her hand. Looking down, she parted her lips to speak, only to meet with Eri's phone in front of her.

The males on the table blinked, watching as Eri stood behind the miko while holding her phone screen for the miko see directly.

"Um…what is this?" questioned Kagome, not sure what she was trying to show her.

"He is asking permission," she smiled, leaning the phone closer to her eyes.

Blinded with the screen, Kagome took the phone into her hands and looked at the content. "Permission for what?"

"Hojo-kun is asking if he could have your number."

"Hojo?" repeated Kagome, turning her head to her friend. "You mean Hojo-kun from middle school?"

Kise cupped his hand around his lips, leaning forward to the tiger: "Oi, do you know who this Hojo guy is?"

"Does it look like I know?" he raised a brow, quite curious himself that a guy was asking for Kagome's phone number.

"You still talk to him?" questioned the miko, turning her attention back to the phone in her hand. "Wait…what school does he go to now?"

"Hm…," Eri tapped her chin, looking up at the ceiling, "I think he said Tōō Academy."

"Tōō Academy?" blinked the miko. Where was that?

The Generation of Miracles looked over to the girl, having mentioned the school. They knew exactly who was in it and no doubt the male had joined the basketball team.

"You can always say no, Kagome-chan," chuckled Eri, grabbing back her phone. "Besides, I see you have great candidates right in front of you!"

Kagome blinked for a second, the words slowly processing through her ears and mind. "W-Wait…nani!?" she quickly turned around to face her friend. "W-What are you talking about?!"

Eri leaned in, catching the male's attention: "You better all take care of her, you hear?" she glared, holding her finger up. "She had a boyfriend back in middle school and he was no good to her. He was a two-timing boyfriend and couldn't make up his mind on who he wanted! He obviously lost something great. So watch it and treat her right, you hear?"

"You had a boyfriend?" questioned Kuroko, turning his head to the miko, watching as she buried her face in embarrassment in her palm.

"Oh yeah! I am glad Kagome-chan was able to move on from him and be happy! The guy would only bring her trouble!" Eri shook her head, leaning back to cross her arms. "So if any of you want her…you better take care of her!"

Kise smirked, giving the girl a thumbs up: "Don't you worry! I can promise you she is safe in my hands and will be treated like a princess."

"Hold it!" shouted Kagome, coming to stare at her friend. "Eri-chan…please. They don't need to know about that. As for Hojo-kun…I rather not. That would setting his hopes high for something and I don't want that."

"True," nodded Eri before flipping her phone closed. She winked at the boys: "Well, you already heard my warning! Ja-ne!" She headed back to her seat, leaving the miko to sigh heavily at the sudden event.

Kagami shook his head, stuffing his mouth once more: "…quite surprised you had a boyfriend, Kagome."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she raised a brow. Was he underestimating her?

"No, I just thought that if you had a boyfriend…he wouldn't be two-timing you. I mean…why would he?" he took another bite of his food, ignoring the stares and blinks coming from his table. Kagome blinked and turned to see Midorima and the rest of the males staring at her questioningly of such a story she kept hidden.

Kagami gulped down his food and turned to the green haired tsundere, trying to change the focus from the miko, seeing her uncomfortableness: "Also, to your comment about basketball…of course we play basketball because it's fun."

"What did you say?" glared Midorima. "How dare you speak like you understand when you know nothing at all-"

All eyes widened in shock the moment a full flat okonomiyaki landed onto his head, silencing everyone. Takao blinked from behind as he held the two spatulas in each hand up in the air. Oh he was definitely getting the punishment for that.

Midorima's eyebrow twitched as he stood from his seat: "We can talk about that later."

"Ah…wait-" Kagome raised her hand a bit, trying to calm the tsundere from murdering the black haired male who was the culprit to the obvious eye.

The tsundere stopped in his stand and glared at the miko: "Higurashi, if what your friend said was true about your ex-boyfriend, then it is time you change your ideal in men." He scoffed and turned towards his partner. "Takao, come here."

The miko was left speechless from his…advice. Was it even considered advice? She watched as the green haired male dragged Takao out of the restaurant as he continued to apologize to get away from his grasp. The restaurant went silent, watching as Midorima dragged the male outside and heard the sounds of a punch and scolding.

Kuroko turned back to his food, catching his table's attention: "Kagami-kun is right. That is what I realized during today's game. If it was boring, we would have never improved."

Kagome smiled: "I can agree with you on that, Kuroko-kun."

"But it isn't only us," he nodded, taking a bite of his food. "The coach and you…have contributed greatly to our improving performance."

Their attentions were drawn back to the sliding door, seeing only Midorima coming in without his partner. His eyes tightened as he walked over to his spot and set his money down. "Higurashi…Kagami, let me tell you two one thing. There are two members of the Generation of Miracles in Tokyo. Myself and a man named Aomine Daiki."

'_Aomine?' _blinked Kagome. _'That name…he was talking to that person on the phone back at the stadium.'_

"You will be face him in the championship league," continued the tsundere as he grabbed his school bag. "He is the same type of player as you, Kagami."

Both Kagami and Kagome were taken back slightly by the comparison. Kagami's eyes narrowed: "What? I don't really get it, but he is pretty strong too, right?"

"He's strong," cut in Kuroko, his own eyes darkening at the name. "But his style of basketball…I don't like it."

"Huh? Why?" blinked Kagome, turning her head over to the phantom player beside her.

"Well, do you best," Midorima sighed and began to walk out the restaurant. "Higurashi."

Catching her attention, she matched her eyes with his. "Yeah?"

"What is your sign?"

"My…what?"

"Sign," he narrowed down his eyes.

She blinked once more and finally realized the meaning of his question: "Oh…um, Sagittarius."

He released a low scoff: "I see." He continued his walk ahead and stopped upon hearing the stand of the female as she stood a few feet away.

"Midorima-kun."

The tsundere looked over his shoulder, seeing a small smile on her face.

"Let's play again sometime soon, alright?"

"Of course we will," he glared, clutching his bag's strap over his shoulder. "I will win the next game."

He walked out the restaurant, leaving them inside in silence. Kagome's shoulders slumped, finally realizing his tsundere personality. The miko released a sigh, remembering his warning of her over the phone conversation he had.

'_Aomine…Daiki.'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **well, Aomine made his small appearance...is everyone excited? Also, Nigou will also come in the next chapter! Definitely having fun with that! Well hope you enjoyed this long chapter!

Please review!

Ja~ne!


	11. Insulted Greetings

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Before I say anything, I want to apologize for the long wait. Last week was very stressful as I had so many things to finish, but it seems my weeks are dying down from homework, so I should be coming back to fast updates! Just please be patient with the other stories and this one.

But I do want to thank you all! Last chapter was given so much love so that pushed me through to finish all my homework so I could comeback to writing! Really thank you all!

Now this chapter does have different sections as there is no basketball game, but pretty much about Kagome going on through her day and guess what...-drum roll- she meets a certain tan a****** (don't worry, Aomine is the babe~ along with every KnB character...) hahaha Makes you wonder how Kagome will react to him, huh? Trust me, she is just as feisty so go on ahead and read both of them clash.

Also, Momoi makes her appearance and let's just say her comments just don't stop haha (don't worry, I don't hate her). Also, NIGOU! He appears!

Anyways, hope you enjoy, and sorry if...I failed you all in this chapter. Really sorry...

**Chapter 11: **Insulted Greetings

* * *

A sigh passed the miko lips, watching the last piece of her meal sizzle on the hot plate on their table. She continued to repeat the warned name in her head even trying to picture this 'Aomine Daiki'. Closing her eyes, she reached for her last piece with her chop sticks only to feel the blonde beside her lean closer.

"What are you thinking about, Kagomecchi?" he blinked with a smile. "You look so lost."

"Huh?" she blinked back, lowering her chopsticks.

The tiger placed his cup of water down, raising an eyebrow in question: "Oi. Don't dwell on Midorima's words so much. Whoever this Aomine guy is, don't worry, I will take care of him."

"Stop being selfish," she glared before looking over to the silent phantom male. "Are you okay, Kuroko-kun?"

He turned to face her and nodded, seeing the worry back in her own cerulean orbs. "Hai, Kagome-chan, but Kagami-kun is right. Don't worry about Aomine just yet. We should celebrate our victory right now."

"Right…," she whispered, returning to grab her last piece of food.

"Oi, Kise, let's go."

All eyes landed over to the Kaijo captain as he grabbed his gray jacket and slung it over his shoulder. Placing his own money down on the table, his eyes looked over to the blonde smiling and standing.

"Hai, hai," he smiled and waved at the Seirin team as they were finishing their own meal. He placed his hand on the miko's shoulder and lowered himself to whisper in her ear: "can we talk for a minute outside?"

Seeing the closeness, the tiger raised a brow again: "Oi, stop whispering in her ear."

"Mah, don't get so protective, Kagamicchi," chuckled Kise, straightening himself up. "I was only saying bye."

"You don't have to whisper it thought," the phantom player turned to stare at the blonde, almost making him jump slightly at the harder tone he was given. Kise quickly raised his palms to his chest defensively, chuckling nervously at the stares he was getting.

Kasamatsu shook his head, seeing his team player was only asking for trouble if he wanted to go on flirting with the manager, but who was he to stop him. He was surprised the miko did not fall so easily for him already. He would give her credit on that. With a sigh, he walked past the table: "Let's go, Kise."

"Hai," he nodded, grabbing his jacket and patted the miko's shoulder.

Kagome blinked silently before slowly coming to look over her shoulder to see the Kaijo players walking out the restaurant. She looked back over to the two first years on her table and jumped slightly at their silent stares on her. "W-What…?"

"You really need to start pushing him away, Kagome," Kagami shook his head, coming back to finish his other half of his food.

"Push him away?" she raised a brow in question. Was he mad? She was starting to think that they were getting along just fine. Her eyes glided over to stare at the ghostly haired male beside her: "Are you two angry or something?"

Kuroko shook his head, placing his chopsticks down on the table: "No, but Kise-kun does like to flirt a lot."

"Is that what you are worried about?" she blinked. The flirting? Really? She dealt with Koga for Kami's sake and that she had handled pretty well. With a low chuckle, she caught the attention of the two: "Guys, don't worry. I can protect myself just fine." Looking over towards the doors to the restaurant, she sighed and slowly stood up: "But excuse me for a while."

"Where are you going?" questioned Kagami while munching on his okonomiyaki.

"Somewhere," she replied.

"Where?" he glared before being smacked on the back of the head by the coach herself.

"Bakagami, stop interrogating her," Riko sighed, shaking her head while ignoring the sent glare from the tiger. Looking over to the miko, she sent her a smile: "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. Go ahead." Riko sent the miko a wink, knowing where she was going.

With a small smile of her own, Kagome nodded her thanks and headed out the restaurant. Kuroko slowly began to stand from his seat only to feel the light weight of Riko's hand on his shoulder to sit him back down.

"Nope, you two are staying here," she smiled; innocently.

"Oi!" glared Kagami.

"Stop," she crossed her arms, seeing that the two only wanted to keep an eye on the girl, but she knew Kagome was going to follow Kise for information. If anything, Kise was their only ticket now for gaining information on the other Generation of Miracles. She only hoped Kise would be a great help on the next one. "Let Kagome-chan do her job."

"Her job?" blinked Kagami, rubbing the back of her head.

Yuka sighed, resting her cheek on her palm: "Kagome-chan is so lucky. Not only is she part of the basketball club, but she even knows Kise Ryouta…not every girl is lucky to get close to such a good looking model."

Eri nodded, pouting as she grabbed her drink: "but she deserves it. She has gone through a lot with her ex-boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend?" blinked Hyuga, having heard the conversation between the two.

"Yeah, she had a two timing boyfriend back in middle school," replied Eri, setting her cup down on the table. "The guy kept going back and forth with his own ex and Kagome-chan. She was really in love with him, but I guess she saw that she just did not need that."

Shinji blinked, turning his attention over to their manager as she left the restaurant: "Hmm…kind of weird to see Kagome-chan with a two timing ex-boyfriend. Who would do that to her?"

"Good question," sighed Yuka, shaking her head. "Even we were surprised."

"But," smiled Ayumi, catching the group's attention, "I think you are all bringing a new light into her. We haven't seen her that happy in a while."

Kuroko blinked at her words before turning his head over his shoulder, seeing the shadow of the miko behind the shoji doors before she walked over to her left. She was not happy before? Just what kind of past did Kagome have?

* * *

Upon exiting the restaurant, cerulean orbs landed over to the blonde basketball player standing beside his captain towards the end of the small building. A small chill ran up her skin as the cold air of the forgotten rain hit with a breeze. She came to hug her own arms while walking over to the duo and noticed the small smile on the blonde's face.

"I thought Kagamicchi would be coming from behind if you came out," he chuckled, placing his hands inside his pockets.

"What did you want to talk about?" she questioned.

A small pout replaced his lips, seeing the miko wanting to get the talk over with. "Mah, already down to business, Kagomecchi?" he chuckled.

"Oi, she is cold," glared Kasamatsu, seeing the small shake on the girl's body. "Get it over with."

"Ah! You are cold!?" he exclaimed before taking a few steps towards the miko to wrap her in a hug.

She quickly took a step back and raised her palm to stop him: "Really, Kise-kun, I am fine. I just want to know what you wanted to say-"

"Aomine Daiki…just as Midorimacchi mentioned, he has a similar game play to Kagamicchi," Kise cut her words, seeing that she would question about Aomine soon enough. "I do have to warn you though…he is the type that one should be cautious. He is not to be taken lightly."

The miko blinked silently, seeing the seriousness reflecting onto the blonde's golden orbs. Was Aomine that…dangerous to Seirin? Just what kind of player was he?

"You played with him in Teiko right?" questioned Kasamatsu, breaking the silence. "You think he has improved?"

A small sigh passed the blonde's lips, a chuckle joining right after: "He…was the reason I came to join the basketball team back in Teiko."

Kagome's eyes slightly widened at the information. It had been someone that made Kise come to love and join basketball with Kuroko and the rest of the Generation of Miracles?

"He has a different way of playing, so just be careful," he smiled. "I mean, I do want to get my revenge on Seirin." His eyes lowered and tightened, making the miko chuckle. He really meant his words.

Kagome nodded and smiled at the two standing before her: "Well, your revenge is going to have to wait, Kise-kun. For now…we have to worry about Tōō."

Both Kise and Kasamatsu nodded with a smile, seeing the girl already becoming more part of the team. If anything, they could see the strength and determination evolving since the last time they had seen her. During their practice match, she had even looked lost about the whole sport.

With a low chuckle, Kise patted the girl's head: "Well, keep your promise to make Seirin come and meet us once again on the court, Kagomecchi."

He turned along with his captain, beginning to take their leave. A small smile pressed up on the miko's lips, watching them walk away. "Don't worry, I will help them to the top," she whispered to herself.

_**Bark.**_

The miko quickly jumped at the sound of a low bark coming to her left on the alley beside the restaurant. Had she heard wrong?

_**Bark.**_

Blinking her eyes away, Kagome slowly made her away into the alley and noticed the black wagging tail coming outside the cardboard box.

'_A tail…?' _she tilted her head to the side to get a better angle to see what it was. She squatted down slightly and extended her arm out slowly. The animal quickly turned around with a bark, making her jump slightly from the small scare.

Her eyes blinked again upon staring at the small white and black dog staring at her with his blue blank eyes. His tongue darted out with a small smile as his tail continued to wag in excitement. Another bark came her way, seeing his paw landing at the edge of the box.

"An inu?" she whispered, coming back to pet the dog's head slightly. Her lips tugged up to a smile, seeing the content expression on the mammals face. An inu. Scratching the back of his ears, the dog quickly wagged his tail once again. _'Hm…how I miss touching his ears…' _

She looked around the alley, seeing no sign of someone being the owner. Coming back to stare at the dog inside the box, she created a frown: "Who would leave you in such a cold and lonely place, little guy?"

"An inu."

The miko quickly jumped with a scream as she looked over her shoulder to see a blink coming from Kuroko. "K-Kuroko-kun?"

"I was beginning to worry because you hadn't come back," he replied, seeing that she was going to question why he was there.

"W-When did you get here?" she blinked, feeling her heart calming down from the scare. She looked back at the dog, seeing his tail wagging nonstop.

"Since you and Kise-kun started to talk," he answered, his eyes landing back on the animal inside the box.

"You overheard us…?" she questioned. How could she not sense his aura around? His lack of presence was really questioning now.

He gave her a nod before squatting down himself and petting the dog's head: "I did and…," his lips curved slowly into a small smile, "I know you will do everything you can to take us to the top."

A small blush colored over her cheeks, seeing the phantom's player's eyes staring into the dog's. Looking away, she tried calming her rose hue and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Although she rarely blushed, something about his smiles made her feel safe and accepted. But it was not just him…the whole team and people she had met so far made her feel useful. She lowered her sights over to the dog, watching as the phantom player continued to pet his head.

"What should we do with him?"

Taking her out of her thoughts, the miko blinked: "huh?"

"The inu," he continued, looking over to her. "It looks like he was left here."

Kagome's hand reached to touch the back of his fur, feeling the dampness: "He was out here in the rain…poor little guy." Another bark came her way, creating a smile once again. "I don't have the heart to leave him, but we can't just take him."

Her eyes quickly followed Kuroko's hands coming to pick up the box as he stood on his feet: "Then let's take him."

"W-Wait…I just said we can't, Kuroko-kun," she straightened up, watching as the dog looked between the two teens as they stared at each other.

"But you said you can't leave him."

"I know, but…what if his owner comes back?"

"What kind of owner leaves a puppy out in the rain, Kagome-chan?"

The dog barked again, catching the attention of the two as he was carried inside the box between the two. Kagome sighed, seeing the pleading eyes of the mammal. Bending down to his eyes, Kagome leaned closer and gave the dog a smile: "I guess Kuroko-kun is right. You want to come with us?" She just did not have the heart to leave him alone here. He was only a puppy. What harm could happen from bringing a dog?

With another bark, the dog came to lick Kagome's nose, earning himself a small chuckle.

"I will take that as a yes," she scratched the dog's head once more and came to straightened herself up. "How should we convince the team?"

Kuroko's eyes dropped down to see the dog staring at him. "I…don't know."

"Hm," Kagome tapped her chin with her index finger, seeing the tail continuing to wag. "Well…let's just hope the inu's charm gets to them." She blinked, seeing the dog's blue eyes once more on her person. Raising a brow, she looked back at the phantom player ahead: _'Is it just me…?'_

* * *

"Well," Eri smiled at the Seirin team as they walked out the restaurant, watching as Ayumi said her goodbye to her boyfriend, "we should get going. We need to study for our incoming tests."

"Ah that's right," nodded Hyuga, "you first years have tests coming up."

Kagami scoffed, scratching the back of his neck: "those should be a piece of cake."

Yuka looked around the area, seeing no sign of her female friend: "Ano… where did Kagome-chan go? She has been gone for a long time now…"

"Now that you mention it…," whispered Kagami, seeing the girl had already taken a long time to come back.

"Well, I am sure she is fine," smiled Yuka, waving her hand up and down. "She is a strong girl, but," she sent them a wink, "please do take care of her for us."

Shinji sent out a laugh from his lips: "Ah don't worry! She is in good hands! Besides, that girl has been taking care all of us."

"I am sure she is," nodded Ayumi, coming to stand with her two female friends. "Well, we will be leaving. It was nice meeting you all."

"Likewise," Hyuga waved away, watching the three girls turned around and headed over to the nearest bus stop. He gave his team a nod, seeing them huddled around him: "yosh! On to the championship league then!" He blinked, not only realizing Kagome was missing, but Kuroko as well. He was sure Riko had stopped him from escaping: "Huh?" He looked around, turning his head side to side: "Where did Kuroko go?"

"Ano…"

All eyes turned to see the searched miko and phantom player standing beside each other with a box in Kuroko's hands as the small animal wagged its tail with a smile.

"We found this…," blinked Kuroko, watching the silent blinks coming from his teammates.

"Huh?"

"Inu," he continued, seeing the questioning looks.

"Oi!" shouted Hyuga, coming towards the phantom player. Where the heck did he get a dog from!? "Don't take him with you!"

"But we found him," pouted Kagome watching as the dog jumped into her arms. The team watched as the dog began to lick Kagome's cheek as she held him close. "We couldn't just leave him out in the cold. He is only a puppy."

"But still!" scolded Hyuga.

"What are we going to do with that?!" exclaimed Shun.

"Chotto! Have you see Kuroko-kun?" called out Riko as she walked out the restaurant. "I was sure he was inside-" blinking the sight before her, she watched the sudden appearance of the dog in the miko's arms as they stared at her innocently. In a blink of an eye, she quickly scooped the dog into her own hands and twirled in circles as she held him up in the air. "He's so fluffy! Kawaii! Where did you come from!? Kawaii~!"

"Coach, calm down…," whispered Hyuga, watching the different side of Riko overwhelming them all.

Riko turned her head over to the miko: "Where did you find such a cutie?"

"In the alley…," she pointed over to the direction. "Kuroko-kun and I couldn't just leave him there so…we brought him with us."

With a huge grin, Riko looked up to the held dog in the air and watched him blink. Tilting her head to the side, she stared closely to his eyes: "Hmm…doesn't he look like someone?"

The miko walked over to stand with the team, watching the dog's eyes and slowly coming back down to stare at the phantom player's orbs before looking back over to the dog. The team quickly jumped back, seeing the resemblance with a scream.

"It's the eyes! The eyes!" shouted Shun.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Hyuga, shaking his head, "he is already become attached!"

Shinji quickly pointed over to the dog: "Okay! Your name will be Tetsuya Nigou!"

"Don't name him!" scolded their captain, hitting the back of Shinji's head. "It will only make it harder to leave him!"

The dog quickly jumped into the miko's arms and coming back to lick her cheek. "I think the name suits him just fine," she chuckled, glad she was not the only one who thought the resemblance was close to Kuroko.

"Not you too!" Hyuga sighed, watching the girl gently rub the dog's ears.

"I think we should keep him," she smiled. Perhaps having a dog in the team could change things up? She gave the males a close-eyed smile: "Why not as a mascot?"

"Mascot?" blinked Riko, her eyes landing over to the phantom player as he slowly walked over to the miko and patted the dog's head. She quickly clapped her hands together: "I think that is a wonderful idea!"

The miko gently placed the dog into the box once again, watching the team kneel to pet the dog themselves. "See? He is taking a liking to us." She watched the captain release a sigh with his own hand coming down to rub the back of Nigou's ears.

"I can't believe people abandon their dogs like this," commented Shun, watching as Nigou licked his finger.

"Ne, ne," Riko waved her hand up and down, catching the team's attention over to her, "I've been wondering…," all eyes followed her line of eyesight, seeing the red headed male hiding behind a sign as he held his head with both his hands while crouching down.

Kagome blinked, seeing the slight tremble in the tall male's body. Tilting her head to the side, she walked over and poked his shoulder: "What are you doing, Kagami-kun?"

Turning his head over his shoulder, the miko quickly took notice of his slight fear painted over his face. "Uh, well…I can't handle dogs…"

"Huh?" the miko's shoulders dropped, surprised that such a big guy was afraid of such a tiny animal. "Are…you serious?"

"H-Hai…"

The miko stood from her position and looked over to see Kuroko holding the box in his hands once again: _'Huh…who knew…'_

Nigou quickly jumped over his box and walked over to the tiger. In reflex, Kagami scooted further away from the pet and watched the miko pick him up into her arms. With a small pout, the miko's eyes landed forward, seeing the small glare yet fear in Kagami's eyes: "He isn't so bad…"

"Just…don't have him near me…"

Kagome released a sigh: _'Well…there is something I didn't know about Kagami-kun…'_

* * *

"Hmmm…"

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"

The miko looked from her notebook over to her friend, seeing the tilted curious expression. "Ah, Ayumi-chan."

"You have been silent all day in class," she spoke, seeing the miko tapping her pencil on her desk. After their victory dinner last night, she barely had any sleep due to her worries of the next upcoming match. They had secured their spot for the Inter-High so she knew the pressure definitely was rising for them. Not to mention, she had no idea how she could help with no information on 'Aomine Daiki'.

But even with that, Kuroko has suggested her keeping the dog, but she had told the whole team she had Buyo, her cat – much to their surprise. As much as she wanted the dog, she obviously had to ask her mother if it was okay. A sigh passed her lips, hearing Ayumi coming to sit next to her during their lunch hour.

"What is this?" questioned Ayumi, pointing down to the small sketch on Kagome's paper.

"Huh?" the miko's eyes dropped down to see the sketch drawing of a jersey with the number '16'. "Oh…Kuroko-kun and I found a puppy last night."

"A puppy!?" exclaimed Ayumi, clapping her hands together in excitement.

"Yeah," she chuckled, remembering how much the team continued to comment on the eyes of the dog's and Kuroko's. "So we decided to take him in as a mascot."

"Kawaii!" smiled Ayumi. "How old is he?"

Kagome tapped her chin with her pencil: "Hm, not sure…but he does look young. Maybe close to one year? Or maybe even less."

Ayumi's eyes returned back to stare at the sketch drawing: "Is that a jersey for him then?"

The miko chuckled, seeing Ayumi guessing her drawing correctly. "It was just a thought to see Nigou in a uniform, but I don't know if companies even do dog uniforms."

"Why not make it?" smiled Ayumi. "Your okaa-san is good at sewing right?"

"Hmm, maybe," pouted Kagome, looking back over to the small sketch she drew. "I would need to get the fabric though…"

"Let's go after school!" Ayumi stood from her seat. "But are going to need to take the puppy with you to get the measurements!"

The miko nodded, continuing to shade in the colors of the uniform. Her lips curved into a smile, already picturing the dog in his small uniform. _'Hmm…I should order new uniform for the team as well…'_

* * *

The day had finally ended and she was glad Riko had decided to give them the day off. Of course the team needed a rest after going against two kings in one day. But in the back of her mind, she was worried over Kagami's legs and the team as a whole. Riko had even asked her to help in the healing of Kagami's legs tomorrow. She was not sure how she could help…but she had given thought in using her miko-ki.

'_I could heal them a little with my miko-ki, but I can't do it too much. Even Riko-senpai would see it too abnormal for an athlete's legs to heal so quickly…,' _a small sigh passed her lips, realizing the tight situation she was in. As much as she wanted to help, she was also limited. She could not just show all her abilities like that.

Kagome looked around the hallway leading to Kuroko's and Kagami's classroom and stopped in her tracks as she saw Kuroko exiting the class with the tiger behind.

"Ah…Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun."

Looking to their right, they watched the blue eyed female walking over to them. Kagome clutched her school bag and waved at the two: "Hi."

"Yo," greeted Kagami.

Kuroko blinked, turning to face the miko: "Domo, Kagome-chan."

"Are you two heading home?" she questioned with a smile.

Kagami released a scoff: "Yeah, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" blinked Kagome, seeing the irritated expression on his face. "Is everything alright?"

"He is just annoyed that the coach told him he can't play for a while until his legs heal," answered Kuroko. He fixed the strap of his bag over his shoulder and felt the slight movement inside.

"I am fine," Kagami looked away, holding a glare.

Kagome raised a brow at the tiger, crossing her arms: "Riko-senpai is right, Kagami-kun. You can't overdo it. Besides, if you want to go against Tōō, you are going to have to heal and not play for a while. It is only for a few days, Kagami-kun. Tomorrow I will wrap your calves, okay?"

"Whatever," he sighed, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"So what are you here for, Kagome-chan?"

The miko looked over the phantom player, seeing the curious expression on his face. It was definitely rare for her to even come looking for them at their class since they always met in front of the gym for practice. Neither of them even thought about having lunch together or meet outside their classes.

"Ah, I was wondering if I could borrow Nigou today?" she smiled, not seeing the small jolt in Kagami's body at the mention of the dog.

"Nigou?" repeated Kuroko. Why would Kagome want Nigou so early after school? "I don't mind…but what for?"

"It's a surprise," she chuckled, but quickly noticed the small movements inside Kuroko's bag. "Um…Kuroko-kun…," her finger came to point to his bag, catching the tiger's attention as well.

"Oi, it was doing that too during class," Kagami's eyebrow twitch, having a bad feeling about this.

_**Bark. **_

Both teens jumped slightly at the familiar bark coming from Kuroko's bag before the phantom player came to unzip an opening. Kagome's eyes widened along with Kagami's as they watched Nigou's head popping out the small opening of Kuroko's school bag. There he was; smiling and wagging his tail.

Kagami jumped back and scooted away: "Oi! What the hell!?"

"K-Kuroko-kun…you can't be bringing a dog over to school!" exclaimed Kagome, watching as the dog returned to jump ahead and into the miko's arms. Her eyes scanned around the hallway, hoping that no teacher would appear and a second scolding would be coming their way.

Kuroko watched the female catch the small fur ball into her hands and blinked innocently: "well, my grandparents are too busy at home to take care of him, so I brought him."

"What if they find the dog, baka!?" shouted Kagami, seeing the dog staring at him.

"He is the mascot," replied Kuroko.

"That is not a reason to bring an animal to school!" he scolded back.

Kagome sighed, coming to scratch Nigou's head: "Well, I mean…if Kuroko-kun can hide him well, I am sure there is no problem." She could not remember the countless times Inuyasha had sneaked into her school to get her out and back to the well. Because of him, she had acted so many times like a fool. She shook the memories away and sighed: "he is right. Nigou is our mascot now."

"The hell he is!" Kagami came to stand in front of the miko, glaring at her: "He can't be our mascot!" He leaned back, watching as Kagome held the dog in front of the tiger's face.

Kagome leaned to the side, pouting: "You can't say no to this face."

"Yes I can!" he shouted, scooting further away.

Quietly, Kuroko came to stand beside the miko and gave him the same puppy eyes: "Please don't say such things, Kagami-kun…"

"Stop it you three!" Kagami glared at the trio turning against him as they held their pleading. "Fine! Keep him as the mascot, but don't put him near me!"

Seeing the win, Kagome chuckled, lowering Nigou back to her arms and tapped his nose lightly: "Don't worry, Nigou. He isn't that mean." She smiled at the two first years and waved away as she used Nigou's paw: "well, we will see you tomorrow at practice. I will take good care of him."

Kagami sighed, releasing his held breath from his fear: "What the hell, Kuroko? You can't be bringing a dog here!"

"No one noticed," he blinked innocently once again. "Besides, Nigou makes Kagome-chan happy."

The tiger opened his mouth to reply back only to see the point Kuroko was trying to make. Closing his eyes, Kagami released his anger and shook his head: "W-Whatever…but like I said, don't you two dare have that dog come near me."

Kuroko nodded slightly, following the tiger out to the other side of the hallway.

* * *

Walking towards the gates, Kagome headed to her exit and smiled down at the fur ball in her arms. Petting Nigou's head, she watched the excitement running inside the dog's blue eyes: "Kagami-kun will warm up to you soon. Besides, I wasn't a dog person at first neither."

Nigou sent her a bark before licking under her jaw.

'_Inuyasha's ears were the start of it all…'_

Her eyes blinked at the stare she received from the dog. With a smile, she cuddled it closely: _'Kawaii!'_

* * *

The miko pouted, seeing the two different types of red in fabric as she held them in each hand. Her eyes glided over to the dog near her feet, watching as Nigou silently watched her back. She was surprised how obedient the dog was to her.

"Ne, Kagome-chan!"

Looking over to her right, she watched as Ayumi held a small dog pattern set for uniforms in her hand: "I found a jersey pattern to help us make Nigou's uniform!"

Kagome smiled: "That's great!"

"I am going to see if I can find the number patterns," Ayumi turned around before walking into a different aisle for her intended find.

Kagome sighed, taking a small glance over to the dog once more. She was afraid she would be chasing him all around if she placed him down, but luckily, Nigou had become attached enough for him to listen. With a small smile, the miko knelt down and held both options of fabric in front of Nigou: "Which one do you like?"

Nigou tilted his head to the side before coming to smell the darker shade of red and giving her a low bark.

"This one?" she questioned, coming back to stand before the counter of different fabrics. Having come to a cosplay shop, she was scared at first that the store would kick her out for having a pet, but the store clerks had welcomed her saying it was okay.

'_Hmm…then again, this store has about everything for cosplay, so it must be normal to bring pets and dressing them up.' _Placing down the rejected red fabric, Kagome grabbed the black and white she had picked out earlier and looked down to her feet. "So these three are okay-?"

Her eyes widened slightly, watching as Nigou began to walk away and wander out on his own.

"O-Oi! Nigou! Chotto!" Chasing after him, the dog began to run away, seeing it only as innocent game play for him. All he wanted was a chase. "You can't run in here, Nigou!" She cursed inside her head, questioning her idea of bringing a puppy out - who of course had lots of energy to distribute.

"N-Nigou!"

She was only grateful that he did not have the same low presence of a certain male.

* * *

Releasing a long yawn, dark blue eyes scanned over the magazine in hand as the male watched the new spread of pictures of his loved idol. "Ha…Horikita Mai-chan definitely has the best breasts." Flipping the page over, his eyes blinked, completely admiring the new photoshoots he was given. He did not care one bit in skipping practice and now even more that he found the cover of his favorite idol on a magazine.

Blinking, he slowly flipped the next page only to see a black and white dog jumped in front, knocking the magazine away from his hands. He looked down to his side: "Oi! What the hell…" Turning his head, he blinked blankly as he connected his eyes with none other than the dog's blue orbs. Had the freaking dog just knock his idol down the ground?

Squatting down, his tan hand reached down to grab the dog from the back of his fur. Raising him eye level, the male's eyes narrowed: "Oi, I was enjoying those you know, you little mutt." He blinked, watching the dog simply bark with a wide grin as his tongue darted out.

"You could careless, huh? Look, no one knocks down my Horikita Mai-chan, you here? Not even a mutt," he raised a brow, bringing the dog closer to his face.

"Nigou!"

Catching the voice of a female, the tanned skin male looked over his shoulder, watching a female with black hair running up to him and stopping in her tracks at the glare he sent. Continuing his hold on the dog, he straightened himself up and held the dog towards the female.

"Yours?" he raised his brow.

Her cerulean orbs blinked, watching Nigou's tongue darted out with a grin: "Um…yes…" the miko's hands reached out and gently grabbed the dog back into her arms. Taking a short glance to the male, she lowered her sights back onto the puppy: "Nigou, I told you to stay put."

Kagome raised her view once more to apologize, but quickly noticed the different features he held compared to most Japanese. For a Japanese, he was definitely tan and tall, but his aura…definitely intimidated her in some way. She was not sure what it was, but something told her to stay cautious.

Lowering her sight, she gave him a slight bow: "G-Gomen..."

The male raised a brow before coming back to grab his dropped magazine on the ground. "Just keep a better eye on the mutt."

Kagome's eyebrow rose, remembering the insult from long ago in her adventures. Sure, the insult could easily be ignored, but Nigou has only a puppy and with her past experience with Inuyasha, she hated when the word 'mutt' came out along when they would call her a 'wench'. She glared at the blue haired male: "don't call him that."

"What?" he looked over at his magazine, flipping back to his page. "A mutt?"

"Yes," she watched him continuing to stare at the idols in the magazine, really trying not to stare too much at him and his weird habit. Great, she stumbled upon a pervert who was into watching girls in bikinis.

"That is what he is," he cut in, taking a small glance to towards the girl.

The miko raised a brow: "So should I call you a hentai?"

His eyebrow twitched at the insult he was given back. He quickly closed the magazine and pointed at the cover: "Just because I stare at girls in bikinis does not make me a hentai! I simply like women with big breast!" Why did everyone think he was a hentai for liking a woman in a bikini?! It was a normal thing for men!

"A hentai," she blinked in a bored tone.

"Oi," he took a step closer, leaning down to her height, glaring at both the female and dog, "watch it girl."

"Then watch your mouth," she glared back.

_**Bark. **_

Both teens looked down, watching Nigou wagging his tail as he looked upwards with his tongue still darting out. The male's eye brow rose as he started into the dog's eyes. Something definitely caught his eye, but he could not put his finger on it. Those eyes seemed way…too familiar. His eyes glided back over to the female, seeing the blue in her own hues.

"Oh? A Japanese with blue eyes? Quite rare."

"Huh?" the miko's eyebrow twitched, getting quite uncomfortable at the close proximity.

He closed his eyes, giving out a shrug after giving a small glance to her chest: "Too bad your breast are too small," he shook his head.

Never had anyone commented so low on her appearance, but now she could see why some people got annoyed. Kagome felt the tick on her forehead twitch, ready to send in a slap or something that could hurt, but seeing it was not the time nor place, Kagome swallowed her anger and looked over at the blue haired male, watching him lean back.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," she glared, "but last time I checked, I did not bump into you to impress you. In fact, I don't waste my time with men who have such low standards."

The tan male's eyebrow twitched once more, seeing she was not yelling at him but simply talking back in a calmer tone than he expected. Before he could open his mouth for a comeback, both teens blinked upon hearing another female calling out a name.

"Kagome-chan!"

The miko turned her head over her shoulder, watching her friend Ayumi holding the found letters for the team uniform.

"I found the letters!" waved Ayumi, holding the 'S'. "I think we have everything now!"

Kagome nodded with a smile and released a sigh, thanking Ayumi in her head for saving her before she released her anger on the stranger. What was she doing wasting her time with this guy who had not only insulted her dog, but insulted her? She turned to face him and returned the glare: "Well, gomen again, but next time, don't go insulting people like that or you could get much worse." She shifted Nigou to her other arm and carried the fabric on the other. "Let's go Nigou. We need to make your jersey for the team."

The male blinked, watching the miko turn and walk away to meet with her friend. Kagome? A sport jersey? He continued to stare at the girl before she slowly disappeared into the aisles. Where had he heard that name before?

"Ah! There you are!"

Looking over his shoulder, he watched the familiar pink haired female running to him and with a pout. "Dai-chan!" she huffed, seeing that the much taller male only ignored her call and returned to stare at the magazine before him. "Everyone is angry that you are skipping practice again!"

"They are fine, Satsuki," he sighed, nodding to an approved picture. He even wondered how easily the girl was able to find him…then again, she did know his love for idols and his usual spot to pick up the magazines he wanted.

The pink haired female crossed her arms under her breast, watching the male only continuing to enjoy his time with the magazine. "They still need you, Dai-chan."

"I only need myself," he chuckled. "In basketball…you play for yourself."

Momoi sighed, dropping her arms as she saw the male coming to stare to his right for something. She shook her head: "But still…you need to show up to practice. Even the coach is beginning to get angry-"

"What was the name of the girl?"

"Huh?" she blinked, taken back by his question cutting her off. "What girl?"

Aomine's eyes narrowed, taking a small far-away glance of the miko near the register. "Of Seirin's manager."

"Seirin's manager?" she tilted her head to the side, quite confused on the sudden interest the male had on someone other than Kuroko. What had brought this up? "You mean Higurashi Kagome?" She jumped slightly at the sound of his hand closing the magazine closed. Her pink orbs scanned upwards, seeing the small grin on his lips: "Dai-chan…?"

"Higurashi…Kagome, huh?" he released a smirk as his eyes narrowed. "How common is that name?"

"Kagome?" she blinked. "Not…very…"

"Interesting…," he placed the magazine back into its place and walked past his childhood friend.

Momoi blinked again before turning around to follow: "W-Where are you going, Dai-chan?" She huffed, seeing his ignoring actions: "Dai-chan!"

Ignoring her question, the tanned male placed his hands inside his pockets: _'Hm…Seirin's manager is definitely feisty.'_

* * *

The next day had seemed to fly by quickly and with the day before having ended with her head clouded with the insult the stranger had given her, she had tried to start on Nigou's uniform after introducing him to her mother – which surprisingly, she welcomed with open arms.

Her mind had to get distracted to get over the insult of her breasts – even if she knew herself they were not that small. Although she had only finished about half the uniform, she was surprised how fast the day had ended. With the next day having arrived, she had hid Nigou in the locker rooms and picked him up right after, worried that the puppy might start to make a mess with rips and scratches all over. The repairs would only come from the club's funds! She didn't want that!

With a smile, the miko looked down to her feet, watching the dog walking beside her as she held the first aid kit supplies to heal Kagami for today's practice. "Are you excited to see them practice for the first time, Nigou?" she asked.

She received a bark before chuckling and coming over to the front doors of the gym. "Well, let us not distract them too much, okay, Nigou?"

_**Bark. **_

"And please do not runaway again…I would really appreciate it that I don't run into anymore jerks like yesterday…," Kagome's eyes landed ahead, remembering the blue haired male and scowling: _'The ass…'_

* * *

"Damn it," the tiger's eyes narrowed, watching his teammates practicing on the court as he spun an orange ball on the tip of his index finger. "I'm itching to play."

"You have to wait until your legs heal!" glared Riko, standing beside him while holding her whistle in hand. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan should be coming soon with her supplies."

"Tch, I can't wait that much longer," he glared, continuing to spin the ball.

_**Bark. **_

The tiger quickly felt his eyebrow twitch at the sound of the familiar bark and looked over to the propped doors. Looking over her shoulder, Riko smiled upon seeing the miko with Nigou down at her feet: "Ah, Kagome-chan! You're here."

"Gomen for being late," she chuckled, walking over to the chair and placing the supplies down. "I had to go get Nigou."

"You brought him?" she smiled, watching the tail on their mascot wag as his eyes observed the team passing the ball.

The miko nodded as she took out the white bandages: "Kuroko-kun is taking him for the night."

"Eh~," smirked Riko, nudging the side of Kagome's ribs: "what is this? It sounds like you two are raising a child."

Kagome turned her head to the side, giving the coach a questioning look: "W-What are you talking about? It is a dog, Riko-senpai…"

"Yeah, I know," she chuckled, "but hearing you two going back and forth in taking care of Nigou makes it sound like you two are the parents."

The miko sighed, seeing Riko wanted to get her flustered and in which, it was working, but she tried getting herself calm before letting her blush get the best of her. Her eyes landed to the right, watching Kagami spin the ball on his other finger, as he slowly scooted away from the two. Was he still afraid of such a small dog?

"Are you alright, Kagami-kun?" she blinked, worried that she might be getting the tiger in an uncomfortable spot with Nigou around now.

"Just peachy," he glared ahead, not even bothering to look down afraid the dog would be staring back into his soul.

Nigou released yet another bark upon seeing Hyuga's shot into the hoop. "Nice shot!" shouted Shun.

The team looked over to the small mascot, smiling at the excitement he was presenting. "Oh?" smiled Hyuga, looking over his shoulder, "you know how to play basketball?"

Another bark was released.

"You are quite the talker, Nigou," laughed Shinji.

Kagome chuckled as she watched the small pup walking into the court but her attention was drawn over to the bouncing ball beside her without the tiger. Blinking, she watched as Kagami tripped on his feet as he headed for another door to escape his fear and reached for the knob.

The miko sighed, placing her hand on her hip: "Kagami-kun…do you really not like dogs?" She was finding it hard to believe that such a stubborn and hard headed guy was being frightened over such a small animal.

"H-Hai…," whispered Kagami, dropping his head pathetically.

Kagome's shoulder dropped down, wondering how she was even going to get Kagami to sit on the bench knowing Nigou would only follow to her feet. Did he have a fear to them?

"Kagami-kun..."

Hearing the voice of the phantom player, Kagome looked to her side, watching Kuroko hold Nigou in his hands as he held him facing the tiger. Kagami looked over his shoulder, seeing both their similar eyes drop in a hurt expression.

"Don't say things like that," he finished.

"I said to stop looking at me with those eyes!" shouted the tiger, tired that the two and including the miko used the pleading puppy eyes on him! Him!

The miko blinked, watching as Kagami quickly scrambled onto his feet and began to run away from the chasing Kuroko as he held Nigou out.

"He's kawaii," continued Kuroko, ignoring the fright in the tiger's eyes.

"Don't! Kuroko! I will kill you later, teme!"

"He is definitely doing it on purpose," sighed Hyuga.

Kagome sighed, crossing her arms as she watched the two run around in the court. _'Kuroko-kun…that is not how you get someone to get over their fear.' _She shook her head and felt the light hand of the coach on her shoulder.

"Kagome-chan, tomorrow since it is Saturday, we are heading to my father's training building to continue on with practice."

"Training?" she blinked.

Riko nodded, dropping the whistle from her hands and winked at the miko: "I will be training the boys at the pool for strength. So make sure you bring a bikini."

"Huh?" the miko raised a brow. Bring a bikini? Why was she supposed to bring one!? The guys were doing the training! She shook her head, looking back over to the chase: "I refuse."

"What?" Riko blinked, taking a step back: "You have to!"

"Nope," the miko shook her head again. "I rather get wet in my uniform." The fact that she had a huge scar on her hip was something she did not want to show. Not because of embarrassment, but knowing questions would be coming.

Riko sent her a glare: "You are bringing a bikini and that is that."

"W-Wait-"

"You hear me?" she gave one last glare, seeing the coach's glare pointing at her. "Be there at eight o'clock."

Kagome sighed: "Fine…but I am wearing shorts." Crossing her arms, she blinked at the upcoming appearance of the tiger coming towards her before he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her in front of him. "O-Oi…!"

"Get away, Kuroko!" glared Kagami, "or Kagome gets it! That dog has become attached to her right?"

"Oi…," Kagome's eyebrow twitched: "Don't have me hostage!"

"Then tell the teme to back off!" shouted Kagami, turning to face the miko with her own glare.

Kuroko blinked, watching the two continuing to argue, completely seeing the two immersed with the argument. Looking down to his arms, he noticed Nigou's eyes on him with his tilted head upwards.

"Those two are always at it with arguments," Hyuga shook his head, resting his hand on his hip. "Will there ever be a moment of peace between the two?"

"But that is what makes them…them," whispered Kuroko, catching the team's attention.

Releasing a low chuckle, Hyuga looked back over to the miko and tiger in their yells. "I guess you're right."

* * *

"Alright! Make sure you pay more attention to stretching than usual!" shouted Riko, holding her whistle in hand as the males formed two lines inside the pool and waited for the coach's signal. "We will start with squats!"

With each whistle blown, the boys lowered down into the pool and into a squat position while having their hands behind their head. Kagami sighed, watching the team training as he sat on the bench with a stack of towels beside him as the miko folded them.

"Tch…and here I am sitting down doing nothing," he whispered. It annoyed him greatly that he was not able to be active. He wanted to play for Kami's sake! Train! Something! Although he had to admit that Kagome's healing the day before was working wonders. He was not sure what it was, but the whole time he had been staring at the team practicing, he had only paid attention to her wrapping around his calves – thankful that Nigou had kept his distance.

The miko blinked, lowering the towel down, watching the tiger place his cheek on his knuckles. "Stop being stubborn. Your legs are healing." She was glad that her miko-ki was able to help him move his muscles a bit, but she could not over do the healing since most people would see it weird that he suddenly had a miracle healing.

Healing would just have to take its time.

"I know that," he scoffed, looking over to the girl and blinked, noticing the attire she wore: "Oi, why are you wearing the school uniform on a Saturday?"

Looking down to her clothing, she scratched her cheek: "Well…"

Riko lowered her whistle while waiting for the boys to come back to stand on their feet: "Okay, take a one minute break!" Looking to her side, she could not help but release a blink at the sight of the miko wearing her uniform. "Chotto…Kagome-chan, I told you to wear something for the pool."

Kagome set the last folded towel on the stack: "But…why me? The guys are the ones inside the pool…"

"Because my father's policy is to not wear regular clothing inside the pool area," she sighed.

"Kagami-kun is wearing sweatpants!" exclaimed the miko, pointing over to the red head.

"Oi! Don't bring me into the middle of this!"

Riko placed her hand on her hip: "I am wearing a bikini top and shorts. You said you were too, now go and change. You did bring something…right?" she raised a brow suspiciously.

"…yes," Kagome lowered her eyes, watching as the coach returned to stare at her clipboard in hand. _'She just wants me to wear a bikini for another reason…,' _sighing, the miko grabbed her bag and looked down at her feet. "Come on, Nigou, let's go to the changing room."

Putting the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she walked towards the girls' changing room with the dog behind her. Riko chuckled under her breath, seeing that perhaps with that, either Kuroko's or Kagami's attention could be caught. Sure she was being devious in making the girl change, but she was just curious. No harm in curiosity.

"Mah, these pool exercises are tough," sighed Shun, running his fingers into his hair.

Hyuga looked over to his side, watching the floating phantom player on the pool: "Kuroko, don't sleep! Don't just float there!"

"Oi, why are you pushing Kagome into changing?"

Having heard the tiger's voice, Riko looked over her shoulder and sent him a smile: "No reason. Just want her to be more comfortable."

"She looks comfortable to me," he raised a brow.

Riko sighed, shaking her head: "You wouldn't understand, but trust me on this one."

"Huh?"

* * *

"Seriously, why a bikini? I am fine just like this…," Kagome shook her head as she took out her white bikini top. A pout formed on her lips upon seeing the top in her hands. Memories of the stranger's words of his comment on her breast hit back. _'Screw him…' _

_**Bark.**_

Kagome's eyes lowered down to see Nigou wagging his tail. Nodding, she knelt down and petted his head: "You're right. I shouldn't dwell so much on someone's words. Especially on someone who I will probably never see again."

Standing back up, Kagome resumed on her change and replaced her bra with the bikini top. Proceeding in taking off her skirt, Kagome eyes landed over the bite mark on her hip. Her fingers gently grazed over the scar as she stared at herself in the mirror.

The reflection of her carried memories of her feudal adventure truly brought her back to her days when she had placed her life in danger countless times. It always reminded her to stay strong as she had been in much worse situations. Situations no one could imagine…

A sigh passed her lips before coming to grab her bikini bottom and replaced her panties with the other piece of clothing. Grabbing the black shorts she had packed, she was immediately stopped at the sound of another female's voice.

"Excuse me, but do you happen to know which is the door to Pool-A?"

"Huh?" looking up, Kagome's eyes met with a pair of pink orbs matching the rose colored hair on the female as she wore a teal colored bikini with a white jacket over her. Kagome blinked, seeing the much exposed breasts and skin on the girl.

"Pool-A?" she repeated. Kagome titled her head to the side: _'Isn't that where we are training?'_ Although it was a bit suspicious, Kagome pointed over to the door on the left: "yeah, just exit through that door and it should take you to where you want."

"Ah, arigatou!" smiled the pink haired female. "I truly appreciate it, Kagome-chan!"

"No problem…," the miko's eyes glided over to the female's form as she disappeared from the changing room. With a blink, Kagome continued to stare at the open door. Wait…she had mentioned her name? How did she knew her name? That was definitely suspicious now. Coming to place her shorts, Kagome quickly noticed the missing figure of Nigou beside her and looked around.

"Nigou? Nigou?" dropping her shorts down, Kagome's eyes landed over to the door where the girl had headed out. She could sense the small trail of Nigou's aura and cursed herself for not keeping a close eyes on the troublemaking dog.

Cursing under her breath, she headed out the door, completely forgetting the shorts she was going to use to cover her scar, but only hoped to save Kagami's life from the small terror.

* * *

Running with a bark, Nigou made his way toward the tiger and sat on the edge of the bench. Kagami's eyebrow twitched and slowly glided his eyes to the corner, seeing the damn black and white pet smiling at him. Could the dog not get the hint?

Kagami scooted away: "Oi…," shooing him away with his hand, he moved away slightly with every little step Nigou took his direction, "go away…," he looked around the pool area: "Damn, where is Kagome when you need her?" He continued to hear the whistles blown from Riko, hoping they would stop soon so at least Kuroko or someone could get him away.

"What a kawaii dog."

All eyes inside glided over to the owner of the feminine voice, quickly taking in the slender yet busty female wearing a teal bikini standing at the edge of the pool. The boys in the pool quickly blew bubbles at the sight before them, not being ready for the attractive female.

Moving her pink hair over her shoulder, her pink eyes closed with a smile as she sent it over to the boys in the pool.

The phantom player blinked, finally taking in the person: "Momoi-san…"

"You know her!?" exclaimed Shinji, turning to face the unaffected first year.

"Uh…who are you?" blinked Riko, quite surprised herself that someone had come inside.

The pink haired female looked to the side, placing her finger on her chin in thought: "Um…how should I put this…I'm Tetsu-kun's girlfriend. I couldn't wait for the championship league, so I came here."

"Tetsu-kun?"

Attention was drawn over to the female wearing a white bikini top and bottom as she tried catching her breath from her small run to the dog. Nigou gave out a bark, wagging his tail at the appearance of the miko. The pink haired female looked over her shoulder, seeing Seirin's manager finally having arrived.

The males quickly went wide eyed to see their manager in a bikini for the first time. It was like a dream come true to have females in their presence and showing this much skin to them.

"Ah, Kagome-chan…," whispered Riko. Although she wanted to be happy the girl listened to her to change, the moment was not right as she was questioning the sudden appearance of the other girl, who obviously had caught the attention of the males.

"Who is Tetsu-kun?" blinked Kagome.

Momoi smiled: "Kuroko Tetsuya-kun."

"Nani!?" all males exclaimed at the sudden news. Just what kind of life did Kuroko have in secrecy?!

'_Girlfriend?' _blinked the miko, having heard the female mention that she was here to see him before the championship league. _'He…has a girlfriend?' _Her eyes dropped over to see the small stare Kuroko gave back to her.

Shinji quickly swam over to Kuroko's side: "Y-You have a girlfriend?!"

Having caught his attention, Kuroko shook his head: "No. She was my manager in middle school."

'_Manager?' _Kagome blinked over to the pink haired female, seeing the innocent smile she held. _'Wait…are we up against her school?'_

Momoi quickly ran over to the phantom player as he slowly got out of the pool and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Tetsu-kun! It's good to see you again! I missed you!" Hugging him tightly, everyone watched silently as her breasts pressed up against Kuroko's chest.

"I can't breathe, Momoi-san," he whispered.

The pink haired female wrapped her arms around his neck once more as she pressed herself behind Kuroko's back. With small chuckles echoing from the girl, Kagome continued to blink, quite surprised that such a busty female had the attention of such an invisible guy.

Kagome's eyes dropped to her chest, once again, the image of the tan male coming in with his comment. Shaking her head, she watched as the team got out of the pool and faced the duo.

"Wait, why Kuroko?" questioned Shinji. "He's dull and invisible and boring!"

"Eh?" blinked Momoi, stopping her tight hug. "That is what is good about him. But isn't the way he becomes a different when he plays striking? Besides…he gave me a popsicle," she blushed, closing her eyes at the memory.

"Pop…sicle?" whispered Kagome, coming to stand beside the sitting tiger. She looked to her side, seeing the bored expression on his face as he stared at the ogling eyes the team held towards Momoi. "Do you find it weird he has a girlfriend?"

Kagami blinked and turned to face the miko: "You heard him. She was his manager back in middle school. I doubt he thinks he is her boyfriend."

"I…see…," Kagome turned back to see the blank looks on the team as the pink haired female explained her story how she came to fall in love with the phantom player.

The tiger released a sigh, seeing it a waste of time for him to be here. His eyes closed as he rested his cheek once again on his palm and opened them. A small blush crept onto his cheeks as the view before him was nothing but Kagome's body in a full worn white bikini.

Had he missed that when she walked in? Perhaps it was his constant thinking of getting away from Nigou that made him ignore the sight before him, but he could not help but look from Kagome's shoulders and down to her hips. Had she always been this toned? From what? No one was that toned naturally.

He stopped; blinking. Kagami's eyes set onto the scar on her hip. If anything, it looked like a bite mark. Where had the girl been to receive such a big scar? His eyes glided back upwards, seeing the attention she gave as Momoi cupped her cheeks with a blush.

"That is why I wanted to go to the same school as Tetsu-kun," she blushed, catching the tiger's attention in the process. "But…but…," she shook her head, turning away from the males as she rubbed her tears away with her cries.

"Momoi-san, your voice echoes inside the pool," whispered Kuroko, trying to calm the girl down, "so please don't yell."

"What is going on…?" whispered Kagome, unsure of the whole situation before them. Walking over to the coach, she blinked: "Did you invite her, Riko-senpai?"

Riko placed her hands on her hips, narrowing down her eyes: "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Huh?"

The coach raised her chest a bit out, pouting at the size of her breast compared to the pink haired female: "Just because her boobs are a little big and she is kind of cute, you guys are making too much of a fuss over her!" She turned to the captain of the team, seeing him glance away from her eyes: "right, Hyuga-kun?"

"Yeah…right," he answered, taking a small glance at Momoi.

Kagome's eyes dropped blankly, seeing that Hyuga was not getting the hint Riko was trying to make. She shook her head, already seeing what was coming next.

"Don't try to snake glances at her!" shouted Riko, punching the captain away into the pool.

Kagome sighed, watching as Hyuga came back up into the surface from his deadly punishment. _'Why do I picture Sango-chan all of a sudden?'_

Riko pulled the miko beside her, pointing at the girl: "Look! Kagome-chan might not have big breast like the girl, but she is kawaii and she is toned!"

"C-Chotto matte…," Kagome blushed, seeing the eyes on her next.

"Wait…," Riko turned to face the miko, "why are you so toned? Do you run or something?"

Kagome scratched the back of her head: "Uh…well, no…kind of?"

"Huh?"

Hyuga blushed, finally taking in the sight before him on the manager as she tried getting away from Riko's grasp. Coughing out the water, he tried calming his heated blush before Riko could do anymore harm to him.

Momoi walked over to the edge of the pool: "You'll kill Hyuga-san like that!"

"Huh?" Hyuga blinked, looking over at the female: "How do you know my name?"

Both females looked over to their right, seeing the innocent smile she held. Kagome blinked before narrowing down her eyes: _'Wait…she knew my name before too…who is this girl?'_

Momoi smiled, placing her index finger on her lip: "I know all of you. Seirin basketball club captain and clutch shooter, Hyuga-san. The eagle-eyed point guard, Izuki-san. The silent and hardworking hook shooter, Mitobe-san. The power forward with incredible jumping power, Kagami-kun," she turned to face the other members left: "Also, Koganei-san and Tsuchida-san."

"What…?" blinked Shinji, not believing that it was only his name that she remembered.

"That's all?" sighed Tsuchida.

"Finally…," Momoi smiled at the two females standing next to each other as she laid her land on her chest, "the barely-B coach, Riko-san."

Riko quickly jumped at the insult and took a step forward only to be held back by the miko. "Don't be ridiculous!" glared Riko.

"C-Calm down, Riko-senpai," whispered Kagome. Her eyes landed ahead, seeing the innocent grin Momoi held. _'Why was she going on with insults? First the damn jerk from the store and now her? What was it with breasts these days!?'_

"What the heck is her problem?" glared Riko, feeling her cheeks burn.

"Ah and of course," Momoi's finger pointed ahead to the miko, "Higurashi Kagome, Seirin's new manager. Hm, although I am a bit disappointed not much information was on you."

"Information?" glared Kagome.

"I did see you were absent a lot during middle school and I have to say, you had some very weird diseases and illnesses," Momoi shook her head: "Are you sure you are okay still? Some sounded deadly."

Both Kagami and Kuroko looked over to the miko, seeing her glare soften to a wide eyes expression. Kagome released the coach and came to stand beside the angry female. "Wouldn't that be prying into our private life?"

"Innocent information," smiled Momoi, "but I did here Midorin warned Dai-chan about you. I wonder why."

"Dai-chan?" blinked Kagome.

"Aomine Daiki," cut in Kuroko, coming to touch Kagome's shoulder.

"Ah," she nodded. "Yeah, I did overhear that conversation. Apparently I am trouble," Kagome raised a brow but took a step back at the sudden jump Momoi gave, watching Kuroko's hand laid on her shoulder.

"Ah!" Momoi quickly shook her head: "no! Why are you touching my precious Tetsu-kun!?"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched before coming to stare at Kuroko's hand. _'Huh?'_

"He has never touched me!" Momoi wrapped her arms around herself, looking away from the duo. "So unfair, Tetsu-kun! And I have known you longer!"

The miko sighed and looked over to the phantom player: "Is she always like that?"

Kuroko slowly retreated his hand and looked at the pink haired manager: "somewhat...," his eyes blinked, seeing a perfect chance to ask a few questions he had been wondering. "Momoi-san, did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?"

The pool went silent, seeing the girl's eyes drop from the sudden question. With a soft sigh, Momoi looked away: "Yeah…," she walked over to Nigou, squatting down to his height. "I really did want to go to you school. But who knows what he will do if I don't watch him…," a low chuckle was heard, her pink orbs staring at Nigou's blue ones. "He looks just like you."

She lowered her hand to pet him, only to stop as Nigou turned his head away. She tried again before seeing the dog walking over to the miko's feet. Momoi smiled: "What's wrong?"

Kagome blinked, watching the hurt in the female's eyes. Seeing Momoi stand back up on her feet, she sighed: "What is…Aomine Daiki like?"

Having caught everyone's attention, Momoi looked over to the miko before releasing a smile. She gave her a nod and walked past the miko: "…a very difficult and gifted person."

Kagome looked over her shoulder, watching Momoi's form leave from their sights after she gave them a wave.

"Bye-bye, Tetsu-kun! See you soon!"

The miko sighed, seeing everyone was now just as worried over their next match.

Kagami stood from his spot: "Whatever. We just need to train and we will be fine."

Kagome turned to face the tiger: "You aren't supposed to be training yet, Kagami-kun."

"I know," he glared at her before turning away from, not wanting to blush at the sight of her. He walked past the team, feeling all eyes on his person.

"Where are you going, Kagami-kun?" glared Riko.

"For some fresh air," he replied, leaving the pool area.

Kuroko blinked, seeing the annoyance in Kagami's face from not being able to do something.

"Are you worried?"

The phantom player looked at the miko, watching as she squatted down to pet Nigou's head. A small smile pressed up her lips as she turned to look at him: "Want me to keep an eye on him so he doesn't do something reckless?"

Kuroko blinked before sending her back a soft smile. The girl was beginning to read his mind now. Something he would not mind having now. She only hoped her high spirit would not crash from their upcoming match.

"Ano...Kuroko-kun?"

Blinking again, he was met with Kagome's cerulean orbs on him.

"Is...she really your girlfriend?"

Blink.

"I mean, I am just curious!" she chuckled nervously. "I just never thought of you having such a secret you know-?"

"She isn't my girlfriend, Kagome-chan," he smiled, seeing her nervous for the first time in asking such a question. "Don't worry, when I have a girlfriend, people will definitely notice and I won't keep it a secret."

It was the miko's turn to blink back as she heard his words. A small smile appeared on her lips: "Well, I await the time that happens, Kuroko-kun." She turned around and headed back into the changing room to change before chasing the tiger, leaving the phantom player staring at her form. He definitely had taken notice of the scar on her hip. Although he was curious about Kagome, he was becoming more intrigued on the type of person she was. So little did he and rest of the team know about her.

His lips curved into a smile before coming to stare at Nigou down at his feet.

* * *

The tiger's eyes narrowed as he eyes the hoop ahead. Bouncing the ball in place, he smirked at his idea of having hid a basketball in his bag and coming over to the basketball court Riko's father had for them. _'I can't just sit around anymore,' _he grunted under his breath. He looked down at his legs: _'The pain is mostly gone anyways!'_

Grabbing the ball into his hands, he took a step forward for a jump only to feel the strain in his muscles and quickly bringing him down with the ball leaving his grasp and rolling back on the court.

"Oi!" the miko quickly stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest as she pushed him back up on his feet before he tumbled over.

Kagami cursed under his breath, having been caught and the strain of his muscles coming back. Damn everything! Just how much time did he need off the court!?

Kagome sighed, placing her hands over her hips. After telling Riko she would be checking on the tiger, she quickly put over a black shirt and her shorts and was not surprised to see Kagami out on the basketball court.

She was going to yell from her spot, but quickly caught the distressed aura and ran to his aid. She could not blame entirely for wanting to play. It was his passion after all, but the guy had to stop being so stubborn.

The miko shook her head: "We told you to stay put…"

Kagami remained silent, glaring at the floor beneath his feet.

"I know…you want to move around, but please stop putting so much strain on your legs. At least listen to me. Your legs are not ready…," she looked down to his legs. "I am trying everything I can to help you heal as fast as possible, Kagami-kun."

The tiger looked over to the worried expression over the miko's face. Releasing a sigh of his own, he slowly placed his hand over her head, surprising her.

"I know….I am just being…impatient…gomen."

The miko's eyes rose, seeing the slight blush on his cheeks obvious that he was not used to his apologies. With a smile, she nodded before sensing an aura coming their direction.

"Yo."

Both the red head and miko looked behind him, seeing the ball being stopped by a tan hand and grabbed into the male's palm. Kagome's eyes widened slightly, taking in the familiar person ahead. Those damn blue eyes and tan skin…it was the same stranger who had insulted her at the shop! What the heck was he doing here?"

A smirk rose on the male's lips: "You're Kagami Taiga, right?" He rose the ball in his palm: "Play me. I'll test you."

"What?" glared Kagami, turning around to face the blue haired male, blocking the miko's person. "Who the hell are you? I don't take kindly to guys who tell me to play them without even telling me their names."

"I'm not asking how you feel," he smirked back. "If I tell you to play, you play."

'_Wait… Kagami-kun can't play!' _The miko shook her head, trying to walk around the tiger only to stop at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Well, I'll tell you my name, at least," smirked the blue haired male as he continued to hold the basketball on his palm. "It's Aomine Daiki."

"Aomine?" Kagami's eyes widened along with the miko's at the introduction.

Kagome stopped in her tracks, staring down at her feet as she felt the familiar aura. _'This is the same aura from the guy…at the store. There is no way…'_

Holding a grunt, Kagami's fingers curled into his palm: "I've heard about you, but you can't expect me to just say yes when you talk down to me like-"

Aomine released a laugh, seeing the intensity in the tiger's glare: "oi! Oi! Come on, now! I said I am not asking. Shut up and play. No one is expecting a real match. I told you, I'm testing you." His eyes tightened as his grip on the ball only got firmer: "I'm not looking for something that doesn't exist, like a stronger player than myself. I just want to know how much you can do to relieve my boredom. Now come."

"No one is doing anything."

The tanned male's eyebrows furrowed at the feminine voice coming from behind the tiger and slowly rose them up at the sight of the miko coming around. "Oh? If it isn't the girl from the shop."

Returning the glare, Kagome stood in front of the tiger, holding her ground: "Yeah, seems like fate likes to drop bombs of jerks in my way."

Aomine chuckled under his breath: "Kagome was it?"

"I don't remember giving you my name," she held her tight glare, watching his smirk only widen.

"You didn't need to. I have my ways," he spun the ball on his finger: "I have to say though, I am quite offended for what you said the last time we met."

"Good," she replied.

Kagami blinked, watching the interaction between the two. The two of them had met before? When? He lowered his sight onto the miko in front of him: "Oi, when did you met him?"

"You can thank Nigou for that," she whispered back. "Although…I had no idea he was Aomine in the first place…"

Kagami's eyes stared ahead, seeing the still smirk on the Generation of Miracles' member. The miko watched the male in front drop the ball into his palm once more. "I know you are here to see Kagami-kun's skills, but he is not playing."

"Oi!" glared the tiger, taking a step back from the miko.

"You are not!" she glared back, turning to face the red head. "You are still in the process of healing! Don't let my work go to waste!"

Holding back his yell, Kagami's eyes narrowed: "I don't back away from a challenge!"

"You aren't backing away!" she shouted.

"Then let him play," smirked Aomine, taking a step forward.

"I already said no," Kagome turned back around, facing the blue haired male. "Now stop pushing him."

Releasing yet another laugh, Aomine leaned forward, coming face-to-face with the miko. "Oh? Does he have to ask you permission or something, flat girl?"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched before tightening her own glare: "I. Am. Not. Flat."

Aomine leaned back, smirking at the much shorter girl: "You are feisty, I will give you that much since I like that, but," his eyes glided onto the tiger, "I am here for him at the moment."

"Bring it," glared Kagami, taking a step forward.

She knew she was overreacting, but Kagami did not have the proper strength in his legs just yet to fully play! Taking a step forward, Kagome stopped Aomine from making any further steps. "He is not playing."

Aomine's eyebrow rose before setting his eyes on the tiger: "Oi, set neko-chan to the side."

He already gave her a freaking nickname?! Kagome opened her mouth to speak, only to feel Kagami's hand on her shoulder. Trailing the arm, she could see the hidden eyes under Kagami's bangs.

"Kagome…please let me do this…"

She knew how much he wanted to protect his pride…but this was a problem of his legs! She was responsible to keep out of anything that could strain them further! She shook her head slowly, wanting to convince him, but his mind was set.

"What is it going to be?" smirked Aomine.

Taking a deep breath in, Kagami glared at the male ahead: "From Kise to Midorima, the Generation of Miracles is full of guys who piss me off." He raised his hand, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you're exceptional even among them. I'll crush you."

Aomine's smirk widened, soon pulling the miko from her arm and behind, setting her just a few feet under the hoop. "Good. Show me what you got."

Kagome's eyes widened, seeing the slight aura rise not only from the angered tiger, but the opponent. She rubbed the spot he had grabbed, watching Aomine beginning to bounce the ball in place. Looking over his shoulder, he sent her a smirk: "Watch neko-chan…as I show you that you are wasting your time with these weaklings."

The miko glared ahead, seeing both males fully concentrated on the play. Oh she could already feel Riko's rage coming when she finds that Kagami played…leaving her with the same scolding. Gripping her wrist, she felt the air tense: _'Don't overdo it, Kagami-kun…Kuroko-kun and everyone else still needs you…'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And there we go. Don't worry! Aomine and Kagome will warm up to each other! It isn't going to be this bad forever! Aomine will have his soft moments coming for the girl...so please bare with the character development.

Also, Kagome will be questioned over the scar! Just be patient! Everything is planned out! We are getting close to the Tōō and Seirin match everyone!

But I also want to say that I have Tumblr. where I will be posting updates on how the story's progress is going! For example, letting you know when a certain story will be updated, how much is completed or even sneak peeks! And even art that I will post that I have kept in secret for a while...

Anyways, yes! The link to my Tumblr. is on my profile! Go check it out!

Thank you for reading!

Please review? :3

Ja~ne!


	12. Study for the Win

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:**Well the next chapter as arrived! I apologize for the long wait as I have been busy with school work. I am at my last two weeks of college for this semester, so please bare with me, alright?

I cannot express enough how happy it makes me all the reviews (long ones too) this story has been receiving! It truly motivates me to continue just for all of you! Please continue to support me!

Now this is the last chapter (for now) of random moments between the characters before the big match with Too Academy. So the study session is cut short, but I will be honest and say, I just really want to get to the climax of the match. Trust me, a lot of things will be happening!

Also, a surprise mention will be given and hope you can all catch it!

Well, enjoy!

**Chapter 12: **Study for the Win

* * *

Cerulean eyes were kept wide as the miko's attention was glued on the tiger's drenching sweat falling down his cheeks and onto the court. She could not believe what she had seen. In less than five minutes, the blue haired basketball player identified as Aomine, had Kagami frozen in place.

It was not fair. He was still in the process of healing and Aomine having pushed the tiger onto a one-on-one was just not fair in her book. She stood a few feet away under the hoop, watching as Aomine only smirked across the tiger's frozen position. It was obvious to the eye that his legs would just not cooperate.

Bouncing the ball in place, Aomine rested his free hand on his hip, smirking at the weak tiger in front of him. "This is ridiculous. Did you really beat Midorima?"

"Teme…," Kagami glared at the tan male, as he bent a bit lower from his weight, feeling his own legs beginning to give up on him.

"Tetsu's judgment must be clouded," Aomine released a scoff. "You can't draw out his full potential. He's a shadow. The stronger the light, the darker the shadow. In other words, he becomes stronger or weaker depending on the strength of the light."

Kagome shook her head, taking a step forward as Aomine spoke: "That is enough! Kagami-kun stop playing this instant!"

"Oi, neko-chan, I heard that you were also Tetsu's light," he sent her a smirk upon seeing her glare. "Both you and him…," he charged forward with the ball in hand, passing by the tiger in a blink of an eye, "have dim lights."

Aomine jumped up to dunk the ball on the hoop above the miko, watching as she flinched at the sudden power he displayed. Afraid of the ball coming down on her, she continued to stand with her eyes shut, waiting for the hit.

"He-he."

The miko heard the light chuckle and looked up, seeing Aomine's hand a few inches above her head with the caught ball inside his palm. He inched closer in a bend, seeing the female only lean back.

"Although you light is dim, you are wasting your time with them, neko-chan. I just showed you what I could do. Kagami has nothing against me. The only one who can beat me…is me," he chuckled as he leaned back.

Was this guy serious? Kagome could not believe what she had seen. Not even Kise and Midorima had displayed such skill on the court, but Aomine's level was threatening and quite…frightening. She would not admit it out loud, but she was worried of the upcoming game. Not only had Aomine displayed such high skill, but Kagami's legs were even in worse condition than before. The baka!

Aomine raised a brow as the miko took the ball from his hand and tightened her eyes to him. Sure she was not as strong as the basketball players herself nor even useful in some situations during games, but she was a miko who battled against demons. Being intimidated with a light threat was nothing when she had placed her life in countless dangers.

"Thank you for the visit, but unlike you, we actually have some practice to do," she heard the light chuckle coming from the tan male.

"Practice is for the weak."

"Practice is for those who are strong and seek to improve," she continued. "Now…thanks to you, Bakagami over here needs to get a scolding from the coach and now I will too." She walked past the male, stopping as she heard his next words.

"Leave the team now before you end up losing against me. It won't be pretty," Aomine sent her a smirk over his shoulder, watching her own eyes on his person.

Kagami gave a small turn of his body to face the two ahead, watching the intense glare being shared. He could barely feel his legs. He was sure Kagome and the coach would scold him, but after going against Aomine, he needed to get better! Practice! Even if it did cost him his leg strength! Aomine had just humiliated him and he was not going to just take that!

The miko chuckled: "at least we lose trying, but I assure you that we will get to your level."

"Keep dreaming," he shook his head, placing his hands inside his pockets. He headed up the stairs, feeling the gazes glued on his person. "See you on the Inter-High then. I will take the neko-chan's words." Looking over his shoulder once more, his eyes dropped into a smirking gaze: "Don't disappoint me."

"Teme," Kagami took a step forward as he watched Aomine leave, only to feel a strike of pain on his calves. "Kuso….," the side of his head was hit by the orange ball as the miko caught it back in her hands. "What the hell, Kagome!?"

"Calm down," she glared, watching the anger slowly melt away. "Going after him is not going to help any of us. In fact, you just made your legs worse," she released a sigh before squatting down to check his calves. "So much for my help. Now we have to start all over again." Her hand extended out, touching the strained muscles behind his calves.

"Dammit," Kagami's fingers curled into his palm, looking away from the miko's actions. "That bastard…I will get him next time!"

"Well, sorry to ruin it for you, Kagami-kun, but because you didn't listen to me…your healing is going to take longer now," Kagome shook her head as she came back onto her feet. She could feel his aura low and now she was definitely afraid that Kagami would not be at full power for the Inter-High. "I can't see what Riko-senpai does, but I can probably tell you that you won't be able to play the first game in the Inter-High."

"What!?" Kagami quickly turned to face the miko, only to be faced with a light flick on his nose. "Oi!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed, watching the tiger raise his hand to cover his hit. "Well if someone would have just listened in the first place. Look, I know that it was not easy to ignore Aomine-kun, but sometimes backing away from a battle is better because there will be many battles coming."

The tiger's eyebrows furrowed at her words: "Why are you talking like you are some warrior?"

"Maybe because I am?" she shrugged.

"H-Huh…?"

"Of course not, Bakagami," she shook her head and grabbed the ball between her hands, "but seriously, next time listen to me."

With a heavy sigh, Kagami close his eyes: "Fine."

"Now because of you, Riko-senpai will be scolding the both of us."

The tiger flinched at the image of an angry coach coming their way. Now he regretted his choice of going against Aomine. Riko's anger was much more intimidating. He buried his face into his palm: "ugh…g-gomen…"

"Well, the damage has been done," with a slight shrug, the miko looked over to the empty exit where Aomine had left. _'But what are we going to do? If anything…Kagami-kun might be the only one to stand at equal footing against him…,' _she blinked upon hearing the light footsteps moving away from her presence. Looking to her side, she watched the tiger walking over to his bag and taking out his inside basketball shoes. "Oi…what are you doing?"

"Going to go practice."

"Chotto!" Kagome walked behind him as he began to walk his own path towards the gym to meet the team. "I just told you, you can't be playing!"

"We have no choice!" he exclaimed, turning back to face her. "I have to practice to beat Aomine! We won't get anywhere with me just sitting to heal!"

"I understand that! But take into consideration that you will only make your legs worse even with practice!" Kagome glared at the male in front of her, seeing his tall build continue to walk away from her as they both headed towards Riko's open gym for their practice. "Kagami-kun!"

* * *

"Yo!"

Walking into the open gym doors, all eyes landed onto the tiger quickly changing his basketball shoes before stepping inside.

Hyuga's eyebrow rose, seeing the slight impatience written on the tiger's face. "Kagami, you're late."

"Sumimasen!" he apologized and quickly ran to the huddled team on the court.

"Oi! Kagami-kun!" Kagome quickly had all eyes on her, watching her hurried and rapid breathing from trying to catch up to the tiger. _'Damn…I really need to get back into jogging!' _Shaking her head, she watched the red head stopping a few feet away from the coach as she held a clipboard to her chest.

A light bark from Nigou caught the coach's attention: "Nigou?" Blinking, her eyes were glued onto Kagami's legs, watching the stats lower than before. With quick strides, she made her way to stand before him with her eyes on his legs: "Kagami-kun, did you play basketball?"

"N-No…," he whispered.

"Your legs have worsen," she glared.

"Well, I…," Kagami scratched the back of his head, already sensing incoming anger. "A little…"

"You baka!" she shouted coming to grip his head only to see the miko coming into his defense as she stood between the two.

"Chotto, Riko-senpai…there is a reason-!"

Riko crossed her arms, seeing the miko coming to defend the idiot tiger. "Kagome-chan! If you were there, you were supposed to stop him! Now his legs have worsen than before!"

"I understand that," she sighed. "Gomenasai! But-Itai!"

"Both of you are bakas!" she shouted, coming to slap the back of their heads. "How many times did I have to tell you, Kagami-kun!? Are your ears just for decoration!? Are they just holes in your head!? You will just be watching today!" she pointed her finger to him, seeing him rub the back of his head again. "Get a heating pad from the health room! Since you can't sprint, walk all the way there on your hands!"

"Seriously!?" he exclaimed.

"I am being serious!" she scolded back. "Now go!"

The miko placed her hand behind her head, watching as the tiger grumbled under his breath while taking his leave before the coach shot another one of her hits. Although she saw it coming, she could not blame Kagami for wanting to practice after being confronted by Aomine. If anything…she would have done the same.

"Kagome-chan."

Turning her head to the side, she blinked and jolted slightly from the sudden appearance of the phantom player.

"Ah, Kuroko-kun."

"Is everything alright?" he questioned, seeing the worry graze over her eyes once more.

With a low sigh, she looked over at the open doors: "I wish I could say yes…but I cannot help but feel worried for what is coming." She looked down, seeing Nigou rubbing his head onto her leg. _'I have never felt so uneasy since confronting Naraku…'_

"Would you like me to go check on Kagami-kun?"

Kagome turned back to face the phantom player and sent him a smile: "If you don't mind, Kuroko-kun?"

"Not at all."

"Arigatou," she whispered. "He…may need someone to confine in and I think you could be the right person for it," she looked once more to the mascot below before coming to squat and pet his head. She rose her head a bit more, sending the same smile to Kuroko before watching him nod and escape the coach's clutches before she actually noticed him leaving to follow the tiger.

Riko sighed, trying to level down her anger: "Geez, Kagome-chan…if you caught him playing, you should have stopped him."

"I know…," she whispered back, coming to a stand, "gomen."

The coach shook her head as she rubbed the back of Kagome's head: "Well, I know it is a lot of work to control that baka…so I can't put all the responsibility on you. He is stubborn, but the damage is done…"

"So what now?" blinked Shun, coming forward from the group. "Is he not going to practice with us?"

"Well," Riko placed her attention back onto the miko, "Kagome-chan? Did you make the copies?"

"Huh? Oh yeah…," Kagome nodded slightly before walking over to her brought bag from the changing room and took out a stack of papers. The miko passed the papers out after giving one to the coach. "I made sure to make enough."

"What is this?" questioned Hyuga, looking over the contents.

Kagome sighed: "The teams that will be representing our region for the championship league."

"Eh, it's already out?" blinked Shinji.

Riko nodded, placing her own copy on her clipboard: "As you can see, A block is us, B block is Tōō Academy, C block is Meisei, and D block is Senshinkan."

"Well, this is definitely a fresh league chart," Hyuga nodded to himself, seeing a difference in the league with their school's name on it.

"Until last year, the Tokyo representatives always included the three kings Shutoku, Seiho, and Senshinkan," Shun raised his eyes from the chart and looked over at the miko, seeing her own eyes glued onto the piece of paper.

"Is that so?" she whispered.

Shinji slowly made his way to the miko: "I've been thinking…we beat two of those teams, right?"

"Huh?" she blinked, seeing the slight grin on his face.

"Do you think this year we could make it all the way!?" he exclaimed.

Shun glared at his high hopes: "Oi!"

"Well…," whispered Kagome, leaning back as Shinji came to lean towards her.

"Even if we lose to Momoi-chan and Aomine, if we beat the others-!"

"If you are thinking that those two are in Senshinkan…they are not," Riko cut him off, taking everyone's attention over to her. "Those two go to Tōō Academy."

"EH!?"

The gym filled with confusion as they were shocked to hear that such a low school had someone from the Generation of Miracles. Kagome's eyes landed back onto the sheet in front of her, not believing it herself. Aomine and Momoi were both in… Tōō Academy?

"I thought all of the Generation of Miracles went to well-known schools!" exclaimed Shinji.

Shun scratched the nape of his neck: "I thought he would have gone to a strong school like Midorima."

Riko nodded, seeing where they were coming from, but sighed at having to crush their speculations. "I looked it up, so I am sure."

"That is unheard of," added Hyuga, his eyebrow furrowing the more he looked at the chart.

"Does Tōō Academy have a good reputation?" Kagome only wondered if Tōō Academy was as strong alone without Aomine being there. She only hoped that there was hope for them too.

The coach looked back at her clipboard, flipping a page up: "Their history isn't impressive, but they have been putting energy into their scouting efforts recently, recruiting promising athletes from all over the country. In the last few years they have rapidly gained power and this year's line up is comparable to Shutoku's."

Kagome sighed, lowering the sheet from her eyes as she shut her sight: "…well Kagami-kun and I…encountered Aomine-kun on the outside courts."

"N-Nani!?" exclaimed Riko, turning to face the miko. "Why didn't you say so!?"

"You actually spoke to him?" blinked Hyuga, quit baffled at the sudden information.

"He challenged Kagami-kun into a small play against him…and I tried to stop Kagami-kun knowing his injuries would only get worse, but Aomine-kun pushed him through it."

Riko released a heavy sigh, shaking her head: "Seriously…that stubborn baka. I can see why you couldn't stop him."

Hyuga took a step forward, catching the miko's attention: "And? How does it look?"

The miko took a few seconds to stare at the captain before looking down at Nigou at her feet as he sniffed the orange ball nearby. "We might be running into some trouble…"

"Geez!" shouted Shinji. "Just when I thought Tōō Academy would be no problem!"

"We will just have to practice harder," Fukuda's eyes landed on the chart, seeing the Tokyo representatives for the Inter-High.

Riko stomped her foot onto the court: "that stupid Bakagami!"

"Now, now, coach," sighed Hyuga, looking to his side to see the angry look coming back onto Riko's expression. "So, who are we playing first?"

"There is a reason I am mad!" she exclaimed towards the captain. "I am mad because we won't have Kagami-kun! Our first game is against Tōō Academy!"

Kagome's eyes dropped after seeing the shock paint across the other members. Although she was aware ahead of time that Seirin would be going against Tōō Academy…she had no idea Aomine was in that team. Now she definitely felt like she was at a dead end.

"Not only that, first-years have testing coming in three days!" Riko raised three fingers. She turned to face the miko along with the other three males in the team who were first-years. "I want you to bring your mid-term tests from a few weeks ago. Make sure you tell Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun and we will meet at the school gym."

The miko blinked: "Ano…why do our tests matter?"

"I will reveal that tomorrow…," she sighed. "I just hope all of you don't disappoint me!"

Kagome gulped, scratching her cheek lightly as she took a shared glance with Nigou. _'…everything else is fine, but my math grade…is something else…'_

"Oi! Where did Kuroko-kun go!? Kagome-chan!" Riko sighed, placing her hands by her hips.

Turning to face the coach, Kagome blinked: "Hai?"

"Can you go check that Bakagami and Kuroko-kun are not taking their sweet time and bring them back here?"

With a light chuckle, the miko nodded: "Hai. Let's go, Nigou."

_**Bark.**_

* * *

Getting on his hands, Kagami paced forward as he made his way towards the health room for the heating pads he needed. It was good thing he enjoyed being on a hand stand. His eyes remained glued onto the cement below, watching small drops of sweat falling onto the ground.

"Kagami-kun."

Hearing the familiar voice, Kagami made a small glance back and noticed the phantom player following behind.

"Kuroko…"

"Kagami-kun, you're stupid, but…"

Quickly coming onto his feet, Kagami's eyebrow twitched: "Oi! Where did that come from!?"

"But I don't think you would do something reckless for no reason," he finished, silencing the tiger. "Kagome-chan would have not defended you like that neither from the coach for no reason. Did…something happen?"

Kagami remained silent, unsure if he should reveal to Kuroko about bumping into Aomine along with Kagome. He looked away, placing his hands inside his pockets.

The phantom player looked to the side, seeing the cars passing by in front of the buildings. "You can be very oblivious, Kagami-kun."

"Oi!"

"But…I am sure you can't easily ignore Kagome-chan's worry."

"Huh?" Kagami raised a brow.

"Something did happen, right?" he questioned again, coming back to stare at the confused tiger. "Kagome-chan is awfully worried."

Kagami released a held sigh, running his fingers through his red hair: "I played Aomine…Kagome was there as well. I guess she feels guilty for not being able to stop me…but I let my stubbornness get the best of me."

"You should have listened to her," continued Kuroko.

"I know!" he grumbled under his breath. "But…we both could not help but feel curious on Aomine's skills." His eyes narrowed as he came to full face the phantom player.

"Kagami-kun. Kuroko-kun."

Turning their heads over their shoulders, both males watched as Kagome held Nigou in her arms. Kagami quickly flinched a few feet back upon setting his eyes on the mascot. "Oi! I told you to keep him away from me!"

"He isn't so bad," she blinked innocently. "You are going to have to get used to him soon."

Kagami scoffed, seeing the sheepish grin Nigou held as he stared at him with a wagging tail. Him getting along with a dog? That would never happen in a million years.

"Kagome-chan, I heard you were confronted by Aomine-kun."

Turning her attention over to the phantom player, Kagome blinked before dropping her gaze down to the dog in her arms. "Yeah…seems like our paths have crossed sooner than we expected."

"Did he say anything to you?" he questioned.

She remained silent, seeing the concern look on Nigou's face as he gave her a light bark. Almost assuring her if everything was going to be okay.

"The bastard told her that she is wasting her time with us," Kagami shook his head. "Kagome can choose whoever she wants to spend time with. The bastard has no say in this."

The miko rose her eyes to the tiger, seeing him look away with a light and hidden blush. She was drawn back to see the concern in Kuroko's own orbs before chuckling lightly. "Guys…I'm fine, really. Whatever Aomine-kun told me had no effect on me, okay? I have taken worse words. Besides, if I let myself be bothered by his words, how can I concentrate on helping you guys for the next match?"

Kagami and Kuroko sent her a small smile, seeing the positive side coming back to life in her eyes. The miko walked past the two, not missing the slight jump Kagami gave out to avoid any contact with the dog. "Well? Let's go get those heating pads before Riko-senpai bites our heads off."

"Don't remind me," whispered the red head.

Seeing the two males walk beside her, Kagome dropped her gaze once again as curiosity began to strike her once again: "Ano…Kuroko-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Aomine-kun did mention something I am curious about. He said he used to be your light. It sounded to me like…you weren't just ordinary teammates," the miko's eyes glided over to see Kuroko's expression drop slightly. "What happened between the two of you in middle school?"

Kuroko continued to walk ahead, closing his eyes as the memories of the old Aomine came to play in his head when he actually smiled and enjoyed the sport he loved so much. A low sigh passed his lips: "None of the Generations of Miracles started off as extraordinary players. However, Aomine-kun bloomed sooner and more suddenly than the rest of us."

Kuroko took a pause as his eyes were set ahead to the door leading to the health room: "we swept the tournament that year because of Aomine-kun's strength. But the other four started to change too…because of a certain event at the national tournament in our third year…"

"A certain event?" repeated the miko.

"I quit the Teiko basketball team."

Both Kagami and Kagome stopped in their steps before Kuroko stopped in his. Kuroko's eyes blinked at the door in front of them.

"You quit?" she whispered.

"Some…things happened," he replied lowly. "I…"

Seeing the slight pain in his eyes, Kagome nodded: "Kuroko-kun…you don't need to tell us now. Whenever you feel ready to speak, we will be here to listen. We are a team, remember? Not only are we here to play alongside you, but we are here to support you."

Kuroko turned to face the miko holding the dog in her arms before forming a small smile on his lips. Kagome definitely brought a warmth in him he could just not place his finger on. Extending his hand out, Kuroko scratched NIgou's head.

Opening the door to the room, Kagami released a scoff: "Well, if I can say one thing, it's…don't get ahead of yourself, Aomine! It's boring because you are too strong?" He headed over to the cabinet as he lowered his voice with a smirk: "_the only one who can beat me is me?" _

The miko chuckled under her breath, hearing the mimicking voice Kagami gave off as she remembered Aomine say the exact words to them before he left.

"The Generation of Miracles is full of those guys!" he exclaimed. "It's so funny I could bust a spleen!"

"You mean a gut," Kagome lowered her eyes into a bored look.

"Uruse!"

Nigou jumped into Kuroko's arms before seeing the tiger coming towards them with his fist extending out to their attention. "Let's go beat him and wake him up, you two."

With a light chuckle, Kagome nodded and bumped her petite fist onto his: "Hai."

Kuroko's own fist connected to theirs, watching the three fists connected. Nigou's paw quickly landed over their fists, lightly touching Kagami's knuckles.

"Oi!" he shouted, retreating his arm.

Kagome raised a brow: "Oh stop. It isn't like Nigou is a disease or something. Besides, he wants to be included in this promise."

"Dogs are not dumb," he glared. "He knows I have a fear!"

"Maybe he is just trying to help you, Kagami-kun," Kuroko closed one eyes upon feeling Nigou's licks on his cheek.

"Help my ass!" he shouted back.

Kagome sighed: "Well, before I forget…Riko-senpai told me that you two are to bring your mid-term exam papers tomorrow."

"Huh? Our mid-term exams? Why does she want those?" Kagami raised a brow. Just how much did the coach expect from them?

"Beats me," she shrugged, "but I am kind of scared to even show her my grades."

"Why?" blinked Kuroko. He was quite curious on why Kagome had a sudden fear to show her grades. It might have only been him, but she seemed like the smart type in class.

"Let's just say…you will all be surprised tomorrow…," she whispered, chuckling nervously.

* * *

"Thanks for the food!"

Brown eyes blinked at the sight of food before him before the first-year brunette began to eat on his bento. He could not believe what he was seeing. A bento with a teddy bear design right on the rice. If anything, it looked like a female had made it for him.

Raising his eyes up to the brunette, he blinked: "That's cute…but did you take your imouto's bento by mistake, Sakurai?"

"Ah, sumimasen, Wakamatsu-senpai," Ryo lowered his eyes back onto his bento, seeing what he was meaning about being a mistake to have brought his little sister's bento, "but I made it myself, so I don't think I did…"

"You made it yourself!?" he exclaimed, leaning back. This was the first time that he had ever seen Ryo make something like that. With every practice in the team, they would always eat their lunch half-way through, but he never did place observation onto Ryo's food.

"Oi, that looks good."

Ryo blinked as a hand reached from over his shoulder down to his food. Fingers came to grab an octopus shaped sausage. Looking over, he watched the blue haired ace from Tōō eat it right up before coming to grab another.

"Aomine!" Wakamatsu's eyes narrowed upon seeing the tan male for the first time in what seemed like ages! The bastard never even showed up for practice!

"Yo," he greeted back, coming to squat down on the basketball court.

"Where have you been!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu, seeking his answer as to why the bastard was skipping practice. "You can't skip practice for no reason! You are coming to practice this afternoon, right!?"

Aomine released a chuckle as he chewed: "you can't be serious. Oi, this is really good, give me the rest of it," he turned back to grab more of the Ryo's lunch.

"Ah…," Ryo blinked, unsure how to turn back Aomine's attention onto Wakamatsu seeing he was getting scolded for missing practice.

"Huh?" glared Aomine.

"Ah…sumimasen, go ahead," Ryo sighed, watching the taller male continue to grab some of his food.

"Don't give him that, Sakurai!" shouted Wakamatsu, seeing the smirk on the bastard's face.

Blue eyes narrowed as they glided over to stare at the male in front of them. "Uruse. I can skip practice as long as I have a reason, right? They said they would confiscate my Horikita Mai photo book if I left it here." He raised the photo book to show the other guys in the team, seeing he had caught their attention with his appearance. "I just came to get this. So I'm leaving." Standing straight, Aomine gave a long and heavy sigh with a wave towards the team. "Practice hard."

"Wait, Aomine!" glared Wakamatsu, coming to stand on his own as he watched Tōō's ace beginning to walk away. Chasing after him, he stood in front of him and grabbed him the collar of his shirt, bringing him eye level to himself. "Enough already! I'm telling you to go to practice!"

Dropping his eyes into a tighter annoyed glare, Aomine's tone dropped: "I'll forgive you once. Let me go."

Aomine quickly brought his knee into Wakamatsu's abdomen, knocking the air out the male. Tōō's captain stood from his spot after witnessing the argument and walked over to the blue haired male. "Aomine!"

"I gave him a warning," he sighed back.

"Ah, Aomine-san!"

Hearing the call of his name, he looked over to his left, watching the other brunette Satsuki had acquired into the team. His eyebrow rose as he watched the brunette coming over with what seemed like another box of his remedies.

"Horo," he called out.

The brunette chuckled under his breath: "It's Hojo…"

"Ah~ right," Aomine was quickly met with the box, questioning what it was this time. "Oi, what is this?"

"Remedies," he smiled. "Momoi-san told me to get these ready for everyone in the team. She instructed me to get some remedies from my home to energize you all."

Aomine could not help but release the laugh that was being held under his lungs. "Ha! Like I need any of those!" He looked over his shoulder, seeing the rest of the team stare back at him. "Maybe these weaklings need it to get stronger."

"T-Teme…," Wakamatsu held his stomach, glaring at his attacker.

"Ah, that's right," Aomine placed his arm around Hojo's shoulders, smirking at the surprised face from the assistant manager, "Satsuki mentioned you and Seirin's manager having gone to the same middle school, right?"

"Huh?" blinking, Hojo turned his head slightly to face the tall male. "You mean Higurashi-san?"

"Yeah, Higurashi Kagome, right?" he chuckled. "I had a little meeting with her today this morning."

"Eh?"

"She sure is feisty, you know? I am surprised you were able to deal with her," Aomine continued to laugh, watching as Hojo scratched his cheek with his index finger.

"Uh well…Higurashi-san was sick most of the time during our last year in middle school, so I did not see her as often."

Aomine blinked as he lifted his arm away from the assistant manager: "Oh? Is that so…well, from what I have seen she seems perfectly healthy."

"Really?" Hojo could not help but turn to the blue haired male and make a smile form onto his lips. "That's great! I was really worried that her illnesses would get worse."

Releasing a scoff, Aomine covered his mouth for a long yawn. "Nah, I can assure you she looks fine…very fine…but I am afraid that her team isn't going to be much of a threat to us."

"Mah! Dai-chan!"

Hearing his name being yelled, he looked over his shoulder once more and noticed his childhood friend running to him. "Yo, Satsuki."

"Where have you been!? I have been calling you!" she glared, placing her hands on her hips.

"I went on a little trip," he smirked.

Wakamatsu's eyes narrowed with his finger pointing towards the ace: "You just said you went to get your damn photo book! Bastard!"

"What difference does it make?" he shrugged. "I simply went to get a taste of what Seirin has."

"Nani!?" exclaimed Momoi. "You didn't go to Kagami did you!?"

Aomine remained silent as he flipped his book open. He could already feel the sharp glare stabbing into him from the pink haired manager.

"Dai-chan! He is still healing! You can't be playing against him!" she reached to take away his book, only to blink as he closed it and rose it over his head.

"Healed or injured, he is still not strong enough to beat me," Aomine sighed before coming to walk past the girl. "Midorima's warning about him and their manager was nothing but bull. Midorima and Kise must have been soft in their plays when going against them, but trust me, they are not ready for me. Don't make me laugh." Coming towards the abandoned basketballs on the court, Aomine placed his photo book down and grabbed onto of the orange balls.

"Ryo, how many points did I score last game?" he questioned as he eyed the object in his hands.

"Eh…ano…eighty-two points," he answered timidly.

In a blink of an eye, Aomine charged towards the hoop and dunked it in along with ripping the hoop away from the backboard with full force. He landed back onto his feet, raising the hoop to his eyes: "Oh? I did it again." Chuckling again, he smiled at his teammates: "I don't think you can practice with this thing. Let's see, what was I trying to say? Oh…right," throwing the hoop to the side, Hojo and Satsuki flinched back as it landed in front of them. "You all can talk after you perform better than me. Not that you ever will."

Watching him walk away, Satsuki huffed: "Dai-chan! Come back here!"

"Damn it…," Wakamatsu cursed under his breath while continuing to hold his stomach from the pain.

"Are you okay, Wakamatsu?" questioned Imayoshi as he came to stand next to him. "Sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing, captain!?"

"You're not wrong," he smiled back, "but don't say anything else to Aomine. Meritocracies are hardly unusual."

"But…"

Hojo squatted down and raised the broken hoop to his eyes: "Is he…always like this, Momoi-san?"

With a soft sigh, her eyes lowered into worry at the sight of the backboard without its hoop. "Well…he wasn't like that before…"

"Should we not bring him back for practice?" he questioned, coming to stand on his feet.

Imayoshi released a sigh, placing his hands on his hips: "Leave him be, Hojo-kun. People like him…we cannot control."

"Huh?"

"Do you know the golfer Tiger Woods? Or even Shaq?" he questioned him.

Wakamatsu blinked: "You mean Shaquille O'Neil?"

"Yeah," Imayoshi gave them a nod as he watched the tan male walk out their gym. "Tiger won tons of games by hitting the ball too far, so they extended courses and added regulations to keep him from driving so far. The same goes to Shaq. He was too strong, so there was a drastic increase of rough play just to stop him. That is why they made the no-charge zone, so the offense wouldn't be charged with fouls. In the world of sports, sometimes when a single player is too strong, they change the rules. They're not common, but they really do exist."

Hojo turned his head back to the hoop in his hands: "I see…"

"Ah, he mentioned Seirin's manager, what is that about?" Imayoshi lifted his eyebrow, questioning about the name Aomine had mentioned. If Aomine had seemed interested, it was likely important.

"Oh, Higurashi Kagome," answered Momoi, coming to walk towards the Tōō captain. "Apparently, she has made a great influence to Seirin, but not much else is given about her. I tried to see for myself, but the only thing I saw was that she was awfully close to Tetsu-kun, but I wonder…how Dai-chan saw her…"

The brunette looked over to the box of remedies and could not help but feel his eyebrows furrow. _'Higurashi-san…'_

"Eh~ so what kind of girl is she?" smiled Imayoshi as he placed his hand on his hip. "Should we be worried about her?"

"Hm, too early to say," sighed Momoi before looking over at her assistant. "Hojo-kun?"

The called boy looked over at the team, realizing all eyes were on him. "Um…well…all I can say is Higurashi-san is a mysterious girl."

"Oh~?" Imayoshi released a chuckle. "Then we cannot wait to meet the whole Seirin team on the court."

* * *

"Yo! Kagome!"

The miko looked behind her, seeing the tiger and phantom player walking towards her before she made it inside the school gym. Having gathered all her mid-term exam results at her home the night before really was giving her the thought that it was not too late to run away from the basketball club before everyone would see her scores. She could definitely save herself the embarrassment.

Sucking it up, Kagome sighed and sent the two first-years a smile: "Ohayo, Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun."

"Ohayo, Kagome-chan," greeted Kuroko.

Kagome blinked at the papers in Kuroko's hand: "you brought your test results?"

"Yeah we did," grumbled Kagami, placing them on his shoulder as he continued to grab them. "But why does she want them? Is she worried about the upcoming test?"

"Ohayo!"

The three switched their sights over to the left, seeing Kawahara, Furihata, and Fukuda walking towards them with their own papers in hand. Furihata quickly made his way to the miko: "Did you bring your test results."

"Uh…hai," she laughed lowly, hiding the contents close to her chest.

"You know, I heard that these upcoming test is just a review for first-years so it really doesn't count towards our overall score," added Kawahara.

"Really?" blinked Kagami. "Then what the hell is the big deal about these then!? We should be practicing!"

"I will remind you that you can't, Bakagami," Kagome quickly jabbed her fingers into Kagami's side, bringing him down from the sudden impact.

"K-Kagome…," he glared, watching her go inside the gym.

Kuroko blinked, watching the tiger hold his side: "You should have listened to her."

"Uruse!"

* * *

Riko crossed her arms, seeing Fukuda's, Kawahara's, and Furihata's test scores. She was glad they were at least relatively higher than average and were ranked higher than 100 out of the first-years in the roster. Sighing, she extended her palm out: "Okay! These three are good to go. Kuroko-kun! You're next!"

"Oi, coach, why are you making a big deal about the upcoming text? I heard the score doesn't even count to our grade," Kagami's eyes narrowed, watching as Kuroko handed his stack of papers to the coach.

"The score doesn't count, but your test score will be used to draw up rankings," her eyes closed. "The bottom hundred will be made to do a remedial class on Saturday."

"Saturday?" repeated Kagome. "Wait…"

"Saturday is the Inter-High!" exclaimed Kagami.

"That is why it is important you all make it above hundred!" glared Riko. "If your scores are too low you can't go! And guess who will be after your tail!"

Hyuga sighed, watching the first-years grumbled and swallow their fear from the coach's threat. "So? How is Kuroko?"

"Well, let's see…," Riko's eyes finally lowered onto the papers in hand. She blinked upon seeing the scores as just- "normal."

Hyuga took the language score sheet in his hand: "Not bad actually. His language scores are good."

"Yeah, not bad at all," Shun raised his thumb towards the phantom player. "With these scores he could be above the hundred rank."

Kagami blinked, taking a glance at Kuroko's scores: "Sugoi. Kuroko…you're clever!"

Riko's eyebrow twitched: "Clever…? Did he just say clever?"

"Almost makes me nervous to see Kagami's," Hyuga sighed, placing Kuroko's papers down on the nearby table inside the gym.

The miko blinked seeing the left papers on the table. _'Hm…average scores…'_

"Alright, Kagami-kun, you're next," Riko extended her palm, waiting for the papers to fall onto her grasp. "Do. Not. Fail. Me. Kagami-kun."

"H-Hai…," he whispered before placing his own test scores onto her hand.

Flipping the pages, all eyes widened at the test scores in the different subjects. Curious on their sudden silence and shock, Kagome made her way over to see and could not help but release a couple of silent blinks over to the tiger.

Hyuga quickly grabbed the math sheet: "We know you're an idiot! We prepared for the worst! But this is horrible!"

Shun blinked: "I didn't know it was possible to score zero out of hundred on biology. Your score is so bad…it's amazing!"

All eyes quickly glided over to the tiger as they spoke at the same time: "and what is with you failing English!? You just came back from the states!"

Kagome grabbed the English sheet into her hands, seeing the fourteen out of hundred points. "And I thought I was bad with English…"

"Japanese-English papers test on irrelevant details! No one there cares about precise grammar!" he shouted in his defense.

"Don't argue!" Riko quickly slapped the back of Kagami's head, silencing him.

"What should we do now? Looks like everyone here needs to focus on teaching him!" Hyuga sighed as his eyes continued to look over Kagami's scores. It was still unbelievable someone was this stupid.

Swiping her hands together, Riko turned towards the miko with her hand ready to receive the papers. "Well, at least we only have to worry about Bakagami over here. Kagome-chan should not be a problem neither, right?"

Kagome released another nervous laugh: "Uh well…"

The coach blinked: "What? Don't tell me…," she quickly took away the papers from the miko and looked over the scores. "Well, Japanese History and Language scores are high. About eighty points in each."

Shinji grabbed the biology test into his hands: "Hmm…seventy-nine…she is pretty good, coach."

"Yeah," she nodded, "you had me worried there for a bit, Kagome-chan-," she stopped mid-sentence as her eyes landed on her math scores. She brought the sheet of paper closer to her eyes. "Fifteen points!?"

Kagome scratched the back of her head: "he-he…"

"Don't _he-he _me!" Riko locked Kagome's neck in her arms. "Fifteen points!? What the heck, Kagome-chan!?"

"G-Gomen! Math has never really been my specialty!" she exclaimed, trying hard to escape from the coach's clutches.

Kuroko blinked, seeing the abandoned math sheet on the floor and scooped it up: "aren't managers in charge of numbers and money?"

Hyuga quickly brought his hand onto his face: "ugh….what are we going to do?"

Kagami released a chuckle as he saw the score over Kuroko's shoulder. Turning to his side, he looked at the miko finally free from Riko's head lock. "Looks like I am not the only idiot."

The miko quickly sent a glare over to the tiger: "say that again and I will have Nigou chasing you!"

Gulping, Kagami looked away: "…"

The captain released a sigh: "Looks like we will have to have some study sessions and basically concentrate on Kagami and Kagome-chan…"

"Huh? But how?" blinked the red head. "Are you all good enough to teach someone?"

"Are you looking down on us!?" exclaimed Riko.

"Of course we are. We are better than you at least," Hyuga's eyes dropped into a bored expression, seeing the coach give another quick slap on Kagami's head.

Shun released a chuckled: "we all mark above the hundred mark for our class. In fact, the coach is second."

Kagome blinked: "Huh? Riko-senpai, you're second?"

"What is the captain?" Kagami raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly at the hundred mark," Shinji snickered behind his hand.

"Huh? Captain…I thought guys in glasses are supposed to be-"

"You thought all men in spectacles are geeks!?" shouted Hyuga, cutting off the tiger. "At least I am above the average line!"

Kagome sighed: _'what am I going to do…math is the only subject I have trouble with…'_

"Who cares about marks if you can play basket-" Kagami was quickly met with a slap from the coach.

"Anyone can play basketball if they want…but idiots don't win!" she shouted to him, making him jolt from the sudden fire in her eyes.

"Alright, so that is that," sighed Hyuga, pushing in his glasses. "Everyone is coming to the coach's home study today! She has the biggest house."

Kagome's shoulders slumped down as she grabbed her sheet of paper: "Hmm…"

"I am sure you will do fine."

Looking to her side, Kagome blinked upon seeing Kuroko standing beside her. With a small smile, she nodded: "I will try my best."

* * *

Kagome chuckled nervously as she sat on Riko's bed. Although the team had been pretty shocked to see her math score, they were obviously more worried over their ace. If he did not pass, the hope they had was definitely gone once they went against Tōō. Her eyes were set on the tiger sitting in front of the round table on the floor as the rest of the team members stood around.

She could definitely feel the pressure coming down on him and possibly even her. _'Kagami-kun…'_

"Alright, the review test focuses on five main subjects!" Riko's eyes narrowed as she stood in front of a board she had placed in her room. "Since each of us have subjects we are better at, we decided your special coaching team!" She looked over to her right: "Mitobe-kun will be teaching you English. Kuroko-kun is surprisingly good at humanities. Izuki-kun will be in charge of mathematics while Hyuga-kun will teach you on Japanese Language. Lastly but not least, Tsuchida-kun will review with you on science subjects."

The miko blinked, pointing over to Shinji as he sat next to her: "What about Koganei-senpai?"

"I'm just in charge of watching over you two," he smirked.

"Koganei-kun has no specialities or weak subjects! Just like his basketball!" added Riko as she placed a few poster papers on the board.

"Hidoi!" he exclaimed.

Riko quickly slammed her hand onto the board, catching everyone's attention in her room: "There is no time to lose! This is the plan for you study schedule!"

"There is no time for rest in that schedule!" shouted Kagami, seeing that there was not even a set time for him to sleep! The girl thought of having him study twenty-four-seven!

"Alright, we will start with humanities!" Riko placed a few sheets of paper in front of the tiger. Looking to her side, she noticed Kagome sitting quietly. "We can start on math after this if you like?"

"No-no, there is no rush," she laughed sheepishly.

Riko raised an eyebrow: "You are not getting out of this one, Kagome-chan."

"Hai…," dropping her head, she released a sigh. Math was definitely her number one enemy.

"Want to go with me to get some drinks?" questioned the coach.

Raising her head, Kagome blinked before giving her a nod. The miko followed behind and exited the room after Riko released a threat to Kagami to not get distracted.

Fukuda blinked upon seeing the different basketball and athletic training books on Riko's desk: "Coach surely does take basketball seriously."

"We all do," replied Hyuga, crossing his arms.

Furihata released a chuckle: "who knew Kagome-chan had her weaknesses."

"Psh, and she calls me a baka," scoffed the tiger as he watched Kuroko sit across from him.

"She calls you baka over your actions, Kagami-kun," replied the phantom player.

"Uruse!"

* * *

"Do you want juice? Or ice tea?" questioned Riko as she looked inside the fridge.

"Anything is fine," smiled Kagome as she collected the empty cups for the whole team. Looking around the kitchen, Kagome blinked: "You sure have a big home."

"Eh, it's alright," Riko shrugged as she took out both the ice tea and juice. Coming to the counter where Kagome had set the tray with glasses, she began to pour half of them with juice. "We spend our time mostly outside training others."

"Ah, your father?" she questioned, placing straws into the juice glasses.

Nodding, Riko sighed while closing the gallon of juice. "Yeah, training professionals and such. He is a sports trainer."

"I see," Kagome grabbed the bottle of ice tea and began to pour them onto the empty cups.

"Ah, Riko."

Both girls looked over to the kitchen entrance and blinked upon seeing an older brunette male coming inside.

"Otou-san," Riko blinked as she held the straws in her hands. She noticed the questioning look on her father's face upon seeing the miko standing beside her. "Ah, this is Higurashi Kagome, Seirin's new manager."

Kagome placed the bottle back on the counter and gave out a bow: "Nice to meet you, Aida-san."

"Nice to meet you too, Kagome-chan," he smiled. "Quite surprised Seirin was able to get a manager this year."

"We are surprised ourselves," scoffed Riko. "She has been able to control that Bakagami very well."

"Ah, Seirin's ace?" blinked Kagetora. He gave them a nod before coming to grab a glass of juice for himself. "Well, I welcome you to the basketball family, Kagome-chan."

"Arigatou…," smiled Kagome.

Kagetora's eyebrow rose: "Are the boys in your room? I heard a lot of ruckus going in there."

"Yeah…," sighed Riko.

"They better not be going through your panty drawer or I will kill them," his eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Go away, otou-san!" Riko began to push him away.

Before any of the three could say anything, a soft ring was heard from Riko's father's pocket. Riko blinked, watching as her father took out his cellphone and looked at the caller on screen. Kagetora smiled at the two females: "Ah, gomen. I wish I could talk to you more, Kagome-chan, but I need to take this call."

"No worries, Aida-san," Kagome gave him another bow.

"Remember, Riko, keep them away from your panty drawer-"

"Go answer your damn phone!" Riko kicked him away.

"Hai, hai!" he sighed as he placed his phone beside his ear. "Ah, Koga-kun, yes I did get the latest magazine of Basketball Monthly. Have to say, we both looked good in that pictorial, huh?"

'_Koga?' _Kagome blinked, turning her head over her shoulder to see Riko's father walking away and into the hallway out of her vision. Her attention was brought back to a sighing coach. "Koga?"

"Huh?" blinked Riko, turning towards the miko.

"Ah, sorry…it just sounds familiar," chuckled Kagome. Although she knew she would never see her feudal friends again, she could not help feel hope when she heard the familiar names. Then again…Koga was a very widely used name in Japan.

"Oh well, yeah. It could sound familiar to you if you know about Ichiro Koga."

"Ichiro…Koga?" repeated Kagome.

Riko placed the last remaining straws into the cups filled with tea. "Ichiro Koga, the famous personal athletic trainer in Japan. He has trained many professional athletes in Japan's national teams. His specialty is training people who need endurance. Otou-san knows him through interviews and such so I guess you could say they get along pretty well since they have similar training styles."

"I see…," nodded the miko before grabbing the tray.

"Maybe you can meet him someday," chuckled Riko.

With a chuckle of her own, Kagome nodded: "Yeah…we will see."

"Now let's go see these bakas and get you to study too."

"R-Right…"

* * *

Sighing tiredly, Kagome clutched her school bag over her shoulder as she made her way to her home. After a long and strict study group session, she was not sure if her brain could absorb anymore. She was not surprised to find that her mother and grandfather had gone to bed early. She blinked seeing Souta in his room watching TV.

"Souta…go to bed, you have school tomorrow."

"Hai," he grunted under his breath. "Why are you home so late?"

"I had a study session," she replied as she made her way into her room. Placing her bag on her desk, she heard Souta telling her goodnight right before hearing the click of his door closing. _'I need sleep…'_

Turning around, she stopped in her destination to her bed upon hearing a ringing sound from her phone. _'Huh? Who is calling me this late?' _The miko flipped her phone open only to feel her eyebrow begin to twitch at the screen name.

Her eyes continued to stare, almost wishing it would hang up on his own but she only continued to hear the echoing noise of her ringtone in her room. Swallowing her tired anger, she placed the phone by her ear.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"_Ah! Kagomecchi! It feels nice having to hear your voice again!" _

Kagome suppressed a sigh: "Kise-kun…"

"_Eh~? Why does my Kagomecchi sound so tired? Are Seirin treating you harshly? Sending you too much work? Want me to say something-?!"_

"Kise-kun…really, everything is fine. I am just tired from a study session."

"_Study session?" _he questioned. _"Are you having test coming up?" _

"Unfortunately," she finally released the sigh as she came to sit on her desk chair. "All first-years are to take the review tests and if we want to attend the Inter-High this coming Saturday, we need to rank above the hundred mark."

"_Ano…where do you fall, Kagomecchi?" _

Kagome took a pause as she stared at the pencil holder on her desk. "Definitely below the average."

"_EH!?" _

The miko quickly retreated the scream away from her ear. Who knew Kise was just as loud on the phone.

"_Kagomecchi, I thought you were smart!"_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kagome's eyes narrowed at the slight insult. She heard a light chuckle on the other side of the phone.

"_Would you like some help?" _

Releasing a sigh, Kagome twirled slowly in her desk chair: "Kise-kun, as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, I really need to get some sleep before going to school tomorrow and fully concentrate on studying."

"_I know someone who is very smart," _Kagome could hear Kise moving around before coming back to the line. _"They are very smart." _

Kagome tapped her chin in thought. Someone very smart? Perhaps she needed this person's help if she wanted to attend the beginning of the Inter-High. "Is that person good at other subjects?"

"_Psh, smart in everything!" _

Kagome slowly got off her seat: "Okay…can you please tell that person to help me? I am really desperate, Kise-kun…"

Kise chuckled again: _"Only if you say goodnight first, Kagomecchi~!"_

"Seriously?" she eyed the phone with a twitch on her eyebrow.

"_Just a goodnight~" _

"Fine…," sighing she came to sit on her bed. "We can meet at Maji Burger."

"_Sounds good to me! I will bring him then…but first~" _

Seeing he was waiting for his prize, Kagome laid back on her bed: "Goodnight, Kise-kun."

She heard an excited yell from the blonde. Who knew that simple word meant a lot to him? Kise quickly came back on the line: _"Alright then…see you tomorrow after school, Kagomecchi! Goodnight!"_

Hearing the quite line on the other side, Kagome closed her phone and closed her eyes. She only hoped that this person that Kise would bring could be a huge help to her. _'He did say he was good at other subjects…maybe I could bring Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun so they can be helped…,' _slowly getting off her bed and towards her drawer, she stopped in her actions. _'Wait…Kise-kun said…he…'_

* * *

Kagami couldn't help but feel tied by an invisible rope as he sat across the miko while she ate her fries. His eyebrow rose: "Oi, why did you force Kuroko and me here?"

"A study session," she shrugged before coming to grab her notebooks.

"More!?" he exclaimed.

"What? Did you expect only to study for one night?" Kagome shook her head. "I can see we still have a lot of work to do."

"Coming from the one who got fifteen points on her math scores," he glared.

"I wouldn't be talking, Baka-gami!" she shouted back, watching as he unwrapped one of his many burgers from his tray.

Kuroko blinked as he sipped on his vanilla milkshake. His eyes stared at the miko while she took out her math book for practice problems. "So why here?"

"Ah, well…I got a call last night from someone. The person…offered to help us study," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Someone?" glared Kagami as he chewed on his food. "Who?"

The miko shrugged again while deciding to answer the question. If they found out Kise was coming, Kagami would surely flip the table and exit. But she could not help but feel uneasy on Kise's upcoming friend. Just who exactly was he brining? All she could was wait and see…and hope for no death.

"Why the hell did you drag me here Kise?"

"Mah, Midorimacchi~ don't be so grumpy! Kagomecchi needs your help!"

"Huh? Why do I have to help her nanodayo?" the green haired was quickly dragged inside the restaurant with a blonde by his side.

Behind them, the black haired male chuckled under his breath: "Oh come on! Don't you miss seeing Kagome-chan? I know I have! Come on! It is only a study session!"

Midorima held a growl under his breath: "Takao, stay out of it, besides, why do I have to help her get her score up if it is her fault for being an idiot?"

"Aww~ don't be so mean, Midorimacchi!" Kise looked around the area and set his eyes on the miko as she blinked back with a silent shocked tiger and phantom player looking at him like they had seen a ghost. "Ah! Kagomecchi! Kurokocchi!"

Takao quickly pushed the green haired male forward until the three stood at the end of the Seirin's member's table. Takao took a glance towards the miko: "Kagome-chan! I am so happy to see you again!"

Kagome blinked again, taken back by their sudden appearance: "R-Right…wait…Kise-kun," she turned towards the blonde as he came to sit on her right side, "you didn't tell me-"

"What the hell are Kise and Midorima doing here!?" exclaimed the tiger after dropping his burger onto his tray.

Midorima's eyebrows furrowed with annoyance: "trust me, I wouldn't want to be here neither, nanodayo."

Kuroko turned his attention to the blonde across from him: "Kise-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Eh? Kagomecchi didn't tell you? I called her last night and told her I knew someone who could help her with studying," he sent the phantom player a smile. "But I am just as surprised that you two are here."

"Well, when you said that you knew someone that could help in all subjects, I brought them along thinking that they could get some help as well, but…," the miko's eyes slowly glided over to an angry green haired male.

Kise chuckled under his breath: "Well, Midorimacchi is the best when it comes to school work, so I brought him along right after school. It was quite hard, but his friend there helped me after I mentioned your name."

Takao quickly grabbed a chair for himself and set it at the edge of the table. "Well, if Kagome-chan is ever in need of help, I am here for you!"

"A-Arigatou…," Kagome laughed nervously.

"I refuse to help my enemies," Midorima quickly turned around before feeling a slight tug on his sleeve. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed at the owner of his halt.

Kagome gave him a pout, one that she never thought she would bring out to a male. "Onegai…Midorima-kun. I really need to pass above the average line."

"Ah! Midorimacchi! You can't ignore Kagomecchi's words! She is asking you nicely!" Kise sighed: "Kawaii! She is even pouting!"

"Oi! We don't need his help!" shouted Kagami, seeing Midorima's glare on his person.

Midorima turned his attention back to the miko, seeing her fingers still on his sleeve. Kagome blinked again: "Please, Midorima-kun? Can we just set our basketball differences aside and come together for this? Besides…if you want your revenge against us, that is not going to happen if we fail in our upcoming tests because we won't be able to attend. Please?" She gave him another pout in which, Midorima quickly turned away and adjusted his glasses to hide the rose colored blush threatening to show.

"Eh? Shin-chan, are you blushing?" smirked Takao.

"Shut up, Takao," Midorima tugged his sleeve away from the miko's grasp before making his seat beside her. "Fine. I will help you study, but only for an hour. Nothing more."

"That is more than enough," she smiled. "Arigatou." She blinked at seeing his open palm towards her. What did he want?

"Let me see your math scores then from your mid-term. I need to see where you need help."

Kuroko blinked, seeing the slight hesitation miko gave from showing her embarrassing grade. Seeing she needed help, Kuroko slipped the sheet under her book and placed it on Midorima's hand.

"K-Kuroko-kun!" exclaimed Kagome. She was hiding it for a reason!

The green haired male's eyes narrowed at the phantom player before coming to see the score himself. His eyes slowly widened at the red marks on her paper. Takao blinked, hearing his silence: "So? What did Kagome-chan get?"

Curious himself, Kise made a glance and his own eyes widened. Was this a prank? Midorima quickly turned towards the miko, seeing her flinch from his sudden glare. "Fifteen points!?"

The miko pouted to the side as she scribbled on her notebook: "….well we all don't understand the subject, Midorima-kun."

Midorima released a sigh: "geez, I had no idea you were this stupid."

"Oi, she is only human," glared Kagami. "Give her a break."

Kuroko sipped on his drink, staring at the green haired male: "Kagami-kun got a zero on his biology."

"Nani!?" exclaimed Kise, coming to turn his attention over to the tiger. "A zero!?"

"Oi! Don't be releasing information like that!" Kagami turned his glare over to the phantom player.

Takao released a chuckle: "well, Shin-chan, if we want to get our revenge against Seirin, let's help them on their tests. I don't want to be playing knowing that these three won't be on the court."

The green haired player took one last glance to the silent miko before coming to grab her pencil: "Fine, but no complaining, you hear?"

"Hai…," she grumbled.

* * *

Kagome laid her head on her desk as the final test was done. After long hours of testing, she was sure her brain was about to burst, but she felt confident. Very confident. She would have to thank Kise and Takao later for bringing Midorima over to help her study. Who knew the guy was that smart…?

'_I actually had to beg…ugh…,' _Kagome blinked upon seeing Yuka coming towards her desk.

"So? How do you think you did, Kagome-chan?" she smiled.

"Well…I think I did fairly well. I just hope that my gut is right…"

"Don't worry," chuckled Eri as she came behind Yuka. "We will find out after school once the scores are passed out."

Kagome looked out the window, seeing the gym below. _'I just hope Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun do well…if not we all get a huge scolding from Riko-senpai!' _Kagome shivered at the thought of an angry coach. _'Which reminds me…Ichiro Koga was it? I should do some research on that…'_

"Kagome-chan."

Hearing her name, the miko looked to her side and noticed the phantom player walking towards her. "Kuroko-kun, how did you do?"

"Fairly well," he replied, seeing the tired smile on her face.

"And Kagami-kun?"

"Not really sure…he wouldn't talk."

Kagome released a long sigh before burying her face into her arms: "looks like we should prepare ourselves for Riko-senpai's wrath."

Kuroko nodded: "well, the coach said to bring our test scores at the gym after school, so I say let's prepare ourselves physically and mentally."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Kuroko-kun…," she pouted. "And if Midorima-kun finds out I failed…I can only imagine he will get angrier and say he wasted his time."

"Or you could just not tell him," the phantom player shrugged.

"True…," she chuckled as she sent Kuroko a smile.

* * *

Kagome gulped along with the other first-years as they stood in line in front of their coach. Why was she being treated like a player? She blinked upon seeing Riko let Fukuda, Kawahara, and Furihata go after seeing they had passed. This only made her even more nervous.

"Kuroko-kun?" Riko raised an eyebrow before seeing the phantom player give her the paper with his score. The coach's eyes widened at seeing the big fifty. "Woah, Kuroko-kun…you…passed. All there is left is those two bakas."

Both Kagami and Kagome flinched and shivered in fear with each step Riko took towards them.

"Kagami-kun, you know what is coming if you don't get above that one-hundred mark."

"H-Hai…," Kagami passed is sheet forward. He was too scared himself to even look and figured it was best to have the coach look first.

Riko blinked a few times before showing the tiger: "You ranked ninety!? How is that possible!?" She quickly took Kagome's sheet and noticed the eighty-nine. "How did you two rank above the average line so quick with only a few study sessions!?"

"Looks like Midorima-kun's study session worked," whispered Kuroko.

"I guess you're right…," Kagome whispered back. "But it looks like Kagami-kun is not so happy to admit that."

Hyuga sighed as he looked at the papers himself: "Well, at least they are able to go to the tournament this Saturday."

Kagome released a held breath; relief washing over her. Now one obstacle was out of the way and she could fully concentrate on the match ahead. Her eyes narrowed at thought of Aomine: _'T_ōō _Academy…'_

"Yosh! Let's do this!" smirked Kagami as he punched his fist into his palm.

The miko quickly slapped the back of his head: "Not so fast, Baka-gami! We have to heal up your legs." Kagome sighed: _'I guess I will have to use my miko-ki again…and a bit more in the next three days before the tournament comes.' _

Her eyes glued themselves onto the team members as they spoke: _'Aomine Daiki…'_

* * *

"Make sure you stretch enough!" shouted Riko as she watched her members in their assigned locker room. Saturday had rolled in fairly quickly for them and she was glad that Kagome was able to patch Kagami's legs back into top health, but she sure was starting to question what kinds of medical practices Kagome was performing.

"It's almost time for the first game!" she exclaimed again, watching everyone as they grabbed their jerseys. "Is everyone ready? Only three out of the four schools will be going to the Inter-High! Just like Koganei-kun said, it doesn't seem difficult at first glance. However…if you think we can lose one because it is a league game, we are finished! It comes down to now! We will win this game!"

Kagome sighed as she passed a towel over to Kuroko. Although she had wished to have seen more of Aomine's skills, the testing could have no arrived at a worse time. She had no time herself to be doing some research on Tōō Academy.

"Everything will be okay, Kagome-chan," whispered Kuroko, catching her attention.

The miko sighed again before giving him a smile. With a small nod, she watched as the team slowly walked out the locker room to head for their first match. She was left inside, staring at the door as it closed. _'Kami-sama…please help them…'_

* * *

"Eh!? Nani!? Aomine-kun is not here yet!?" exclaimed Momoi as she walked into the locker room and was quite surprised to see that the tan male was not in sight. Although she was not surprised to see the pissed off looks on her senpais.

"He won't answer, no matter how many times I call," sighed the captain as he placed his hand on his hip.

"That bastard…," grunted Wakamatsu as he sat on the bench.

"Sumimasen, sumimasen!" apologized Ryo as he gave his senpais bows. "It's my fault!"

Momoi grunted under her breath while her eyes narrowed: "I'll try calling him! Hojo-kun! Help the team prepare."

"Uh…hai…," he replied, watching as the pink haired female walked out the room.

The girl quickly pressured her fingers onto her phone as she waited for the rings to connect. Her eyes widened slightly upon hearing the answer click on the other side of the line. "There you are!" she exclaimed.

"_Hello?" _

"Oi! What are you doing!? Where are you right now?!" she shouted into the phone. She could definitely hear the heaviness in his voice. Was the idiot taking a nap!?

"_Where?" _he questioned in a bored tone. _"I'm at school. Oh, sorry. I overslept." _

"You overslept!?" Momoi blinked upon feeling Imayoshi taking the phone away from her hand and placed it beside his ear.

"Aomine, how long until you can get here?"

"_Oh, Imayoshi-san. I'll probably be there by the second half," _he replied.

"We are counting on you!" he sighed. "We are up against Seirin!"

Imayoshi's shoulder slumped as he heard the light chuckle coming from the device beside his ear. _"There you go again. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to crush those scrubs. Do whatever you can during the first half. Also, tell Satsuki that I thank her for leaving these papers here. Now…I need to make another call before I leave." _

"Oi-!" Imayoshi stared at the phone in his hands as he heard the hung off sound. He sighed, passing the cell phone over to their manager. "He says he will be getting here by the second half."

"Eh!? What is he thinking!?" she exclaimed, grabbing her phone, ready to call him back.

"Leave him," he sighed. "As long as he comes to play. Also, he said that you left some papers over there and he thanks you."

"Huh? Papers?" she blinked. Her eyes slowly widened: "You mean Seirin's information!?"

"Information?" repeated Imayoshi.

* * *

"Alright, that should be all the water bottles and towels for the first half," Kagome nodded while grabbing the basket full of supplies and reached to grab her own bag. She halted upon hearing a ring coming from inside the bag. Blinking she opened the zipper, hoping it was not Kise. He should know she was busy now.

Her eyes blinked at the unknown number. _'Um…' _

It continued to ring, only echoing in the empty locker room. Taking in a deep breath, she answered the call and placed it on her ear.

"_About time you answered." _

The miko's stomach dropped at the familiar masculine voice on the other side of the line. This voice- "Aomine-kun…?"

"_Oh? You even know my voice? I am flattered," _he chuckled.

"How did you get my number-?"

He cut her off: _"Satsuki has all of your information on paper. Even your address and number so I decided to give you call." _

Momoi had her information?! What the hell!? Kagome held a groan and sighed: "What do you want? We are about to see each other on the court. Couldn't you just have waited for your insults?"

"_Oh, I'm not there, neko-chan," _he chuckeld again. _"I won't be arriving until the second half." _

Second half? Kagome's eyes widened slightly, gripping her phone beside her ear. "So then why did you call?"

Aomine released a laugh: _"Make sure your boys get ahead in the first half…because if they don't, all hope will be lost for them on the second half. I wish you luck, neko-chan." _

Kagome continued to hold her phone even upon hearing the call end. Was he being serious? Or cocky? The miko could only feel the pit in her stomach continue to drop. What was she going to do? Closing her phone, she stared at the device in her hand. _'That bastard…'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Did anyone catch the foreshadowing of the small minor mention of a certain someone? Haha don't worry, more clues will be given! Also, hearts will be broken in the next chapter so prepare you emotions! Hope you all enjoyed reading! There will be a poll later tonight!

By the time you read this...I will be at work so hope you enjoy!

Please review?

Thank you for reading!

Ja~ne!


	13. Arriving Fear

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Oh look...new chapter. Oh and look...I am at MY LAST WEEK OF COLLEGE! Let us come together and celebrate! Although if you still have school...my deepest apologies, but I will try to make the last weeks of school for you less painful by bringing you more chapters and update the rest of my stories! Deal? Okay!

Well, here is the biggest match so far in Love Hoop and Kuroko no Basket! Now, I did tweak a few things and we get to see Riko and Momoi's cooking skills he-he-he. Also, guess what...many of you guessed that Koga would appear and you know what...you will find out in this chapter. But I am afraid that if you are familiar with the manga and anime...you know that this match will bring the biggest depression so far...

So go ahead and read at your own risk.

Also, thank you for all the reviews (long ones too! I enjoy reading them on my phone in class (yes...I do listen in class still...) it makes my day! Please continue on supporting this story! We get closer to the climax!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 13: **Arriving Fear

* * *

The Seirin males placed their bags on their assigned bench before coming to take off their jackets and white shirts. Looking to his side, Kagami's eyes scrunched at no sight of the blue haired male. Was he not noticing him? He continued to look around the court, watching Tōō Academy prepare for the match.

"What is it, Kagami-kun?"

The tiger looked over his shoulder, seeing the phantom's attention was on him. "I don't see Aomine."

Kuroko blinked, coming to see that he was right. There was no sight of his former team member.

"He won't be coming until the second half."

All Seirin members looked over to the entrance of the court, watching Kagome place down the box of towels and water bottles onto the bench. Her eyes remained low, not wanting to look over to their next opponents. Aomine's words of warning continued to echo in her mind. How could she help them get ahead by the first half? There was only so much she could do and she had no idea what Tōō Academy would bring onto the game.

"Nani?!" Kagami's eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to the miko. "What do you mean he won't be coming until the second half!?"

Riko blinked a few times, before turning to face the manager: "…how do you know that, Kagome-chan?"

With a low sigh, Kagome grabbed her clipboard: "Let's just say I got a call from a very unpleasant person before I came here."

The phantom player sent her a blink. A call? From who? His attention was drawn back over to the annoyed tiger, seeing him walk over to a dirty blonde male in the opposite team. Wakamatsu turned his head upon sensing someone coming over to him.

"Oi, where is Aomine?" Kagami's glare tightened.

"That self-centered bastard is running late," Wakamatsu straightened himself away from his bag as anger took over once again on his expression.

Kagome quickly made her way over to the red head, placing her hand on his arm to catch his attention before his anger spilled over: "Kagami-kun, it's fine. Come on." Trying her best to pull him back over to their bench, she was stopped by the call of her name.

"Higurashi-san?"

The miko looked over her shoulder only to feel her eyes widen slightly at the familiar brunette coming her way with a grin. Tōō Academy…her friends had told her about this. But it never occurred to her that he would be on the team.

"H-Hojo-kun?" she blinked, her hand dropping from Kagami's arm.

Kuroko walked over and stood beside the red head, both in silence as they watched the brunette coming over and grab the miko's hands into his own.

"Such a small world, isn't Higurashi-san?" he smiled.

Kagome's eyes dropped down to her captured hands before letting out a nervous chuckle: "Uh…yeah…small world." The miko caught sight of the jacket he wore. The same colors as the team. "Hojo-kun, are you a player?"

"Huh? Me?" he blinked. He shook his head with a chuckle: "Oh no! I am not good enough! I am just the manager's assistant."

"Manager's…assistant?" she repeated before leaning to the side and watched as the pink haired female she had met at the pool looking at her own clipboard. "I see…"

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, Higurashi-san. Is your health well? You haven't been getting sick, right?" he leaned closer, dismissing how the miko backed away. "I have some remedies that could help."

Kagami's eyebrow rose, resting his hand on his hip: "Oi…who the hell is he?" he whispered over to the phantom player beside him.

"I don't know, but they seem to know each other very well," Kuroko blinked again, watching as Hojo's hands continued to hold onto the miko's.

"Hojo? If I remember correctly, Kagome-chan's friends had mentioned something about a Hojo guy back at the okonomiyaki restaurant," Hyuga crossed his arms, coming to see the scene himself. He might be oblivious at times, but he sure could tell Kagome wanted to back away from the guy's hold. "They know each other from their middle school."

The tiger's eyes dropped into an annoyed expression, not missed by the phantom player and clutch shooter.

Hyuga raised a brow: "If it annoys you two, go do something about it. I particularly don't like that someone from Tōō Academy is getting awfully close to our manager."

Kagami took a step forward before coming to a halt the moment another hand laid over the two. Kagome blinked her cerulean orbs before trailing the owner of the hand upwards. She leaned an inch away upon seeing the large grin on the male's face as his eyes remained closed behind his glasses.

"My, my, is this the girl you were talking about, Hojo-kun?"

"Uh, hai, Imayoshi-senpai," Hojo gave him a nod before coming to release the miko's hands.

Imayoshi grabbed the miko's hand into his, holding the grin on his lips before coming to give her a nod: "Higurashi Kagome, correct?"

"Um…yeah," she whispered. Tōō Academy just had too much information on her!

"Imayoshi Shouichi; their captain," he introduced himself, before feeling the miko's hand retreating back to her person.

"Nice to meet you, Imayoshi-senpai, but should it not be your job to have your whole team here before the game even starts?" Kagome's eyes narrowed, watching the captain only chuckle under his breath.

"Gomen," he spoke. "We are actually in a bind without him too, but he did say he would show up around the second half."

"I am aware," she replied.

Imayoshi's eyebrow rose: "Oh? How did you know that?"

Kagome looked away, deciding not to answer his curiosity.

With another chuckle, Imayoshi adjusted his glasses: "Well, I guess you could call us the opening act." He gave the miko a smirk: "Do tell your team to go easy on us." Imayoshi turned around before slightly opening his eyes: "It was a pleasure meeting the mysterious Seirin manager."

The miko stood still as she watched Tōō's captain walk back to his team. Hojo quickly gave her a bow: "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Higurashi-san! I do hope we can come to catch up with each other." The brunette quickly turned to his team after hearing the call of Wakamatsu asking for a water bottle.

Kagome released a sigh: _'Why do I feel so uneasy…?'_

"Kagome-chan?"

Blinking, the miko looked to her side, seeing Kuroko's attention on her. "Ah, Kuroko-kun."

"You don't seem to be doing well."

Guess Kuroko was beginning to read her very well now. With a low sigh, Kagome sent him a small smile: "Don't worry, I am fine. Just a little worried, but that is just me being over concerned."

"If you are worried about Aomine, then don't."

Both teens looked behind their shoulders to see the tiger looking down on them from his tall height.

"That bastard will meet his equal today. Stop worrying. The game is barely starting."

Kagome blinked, watching as Kagami joined the rest of his team over to the court. She felt the light pat of Kuroko's hand on her shoulder, making her turn to watch him send a smile of his own to her.

"We will do our best to defeat Aomine-kun, Kagome-chan. I promise."

The miko trailed her eyes over to his person as he walked away and into the court himself. Making her own way to the bench, she placed her clipboard on the empty spot for her before coming to hear Riko's words.

"Aomine called you didn't he?"

Kagome released another sigh: "Obvious?"

"Sort of," she shrugged. "How he got your number is another question."

"Apparently Momoi-san has my information," she replied before coming to sit on her spot, having caught the attention of the others on the bench. "Number and everything."

Riko's eyebrow rose: "Everything? Nani? Is she trying to sell the information or something?"

"Who knows what she is trying to do with my information or if she had any of ours for that matter…but we should be cautious," Kagome took a small glance to the side, watching the pink haired manager sitting beside Tōō's coach. _'Looks like we have been researched about…but…,' _her cerulean orbs landed ahead, watching as the tiger stretched out his arms, _'I am afraid that Kagami-kun's legs have not fully healed. My miko-ki can only do so much when being in a world where I cannot fully show my power. Please be careful…all of you.'_

* * *

Shun watched the tiger stretching out his arms before turning to him on the court: "Kagami, you have already played Aomine once, right? I hope your motivation hasn't dropped since then."

Kagami released a scoff, narrowing down his glare onto the team wearing black: "No way. If anything, I am pissed! If these guys are the opening act, I'll pull so far ahead they can't catch up and make their star the world's biggest idiot!"

"I agree," spoke Kuroko, coming behind the tiger. "Aomine-kun is dangerous. We should score as much as possible while we have the chance. There is no point in getting angry at someone who isn't here. The opponent in front of you is everything."

"Well, let us give them a warm welcome," glared Kagami.

"Yosh, I am glad your minds are set and ready," spoke Hyuga, coming into his position. "Let's go all out from the start!"

Kagami came forward with Wakamatsu and waited before the referee blew his whistle and threw the ball into the air. Jumping up higher, Kagami got the upper hand and quickly pushed the ball over to Izuki only for Imayoshi to intercept and catch it himself.

The tiger cursed under his breath the moment his legs landed back on the ground, watching with a glare as Imayoshi ran over to their hoop to score. All eyes widened at the sudden cut Imayoshi made from Kagami's ball.

Kagome blinked: _'He's fast…'_

All eyes were set on Hyuga coming in front of the opposing captain, blocking him from making any further movements. _'We will break away now and take control of the game!' _he shouted into himself.

"You're quick, aren't you?" smirked Imayoshi. "We have no choice then." In a blink of an eye, Imayoshi passed the ball under his armpit over to Ryo. "We will start by having our kamikaze captain pave the way for us."

Catching the ball with ease, Ryo quickly took a step back and jumped up before releasing the ball towards the hoop: "Sumimasen!"

Eyes widened in shock at the first points given to Tōō and that being a three-pointer shot. Riko's eyes narrowed: "His movements are incredibly fast…"

Kagome could not help but feel her nerves coming in a waterfall inside as she watched the other Tōō players demonstrate just what they could do even without Aomine. "At least we can be sure of one thing…they are not underestimating us."

Seirin's coach nodded to her words: "They are definitely strong."

Hyuga released a sigh, watching Imayoshi beginning to run to his defense position: "calling yourselves the opening act was evil."

"Huh?" Imayoshi turned his attention over his shoulder. "I wasn't lying. You will know once Aomine gets here. We are cute little kids compared to him. I will tell you again, we are just the opening act."

Kuroko's eyes remained glued onto their opponents as they walked over to their defense. He could only hold truth on Imayoshi's words. If anything, he knew how strong Aomine was, but just how much stronger since the last time he saw him?

The miko's eyes narrowed upon setting her sights on the scoreboard. Having four point difference, she could only see that the gap would get wider if this continued on. Her ears quickly caught the sound of the ball hitting the rim of the hoop, rebounding it. She watched Wakamatsu jumping up at the same time as Mitobe before having caught in his hand.

"All right, take this!" shouted Wakamatsu before passing it with full force over to Imayoshi.

Imayoshi quickly caught it in his hand with a chuckle, watching from the corner of his eye as Shun jumped in front of him to stop him from scoring.

"I'll stop you!" he shouted. Shun's eyes widened the moment he jumped up and noticed Imayoshi's action were nothing but a fake and went for a double clutch. The ball once again made into the hoop, making Shun land on his feet and watch the widening smirk on Imayoshi's face.

"When you heard Aomine would be late, I bet you though you should score as many points as you can," Imayoshi turned to his defense position. "Sorry, I guess I misspoke. We are only an opening act compared to Aomine. We are probably stronger than you."

Riko cursed under her breath, watching the score board move from four points apart to six. "If they are this good without Aomine, we are screwed."

Furihata gasped lightly upon seeing the score chart from the past games. Blinking, Kagome looked over to the male next to her: "What is it, Furihata-kun?"

"Tōō's preliminary tournament scores: one-hundred and eight to ninety-one, one-hundred fifty-one to seventy-two, one-hundred thirty-one to eighty-one. That's amazing. They are all one-hundred point games."

The coach sighed as she came to cross her arms: "Yes. They are the opposite of Seiho."

"That makes them an offensive team," added Kagome, coming to stare ahead on the continuing match. Her eyes widened slightly upon seeing Ryo with the ball in his hand and throwing another three-pointer while giving his apology.

The ball hit the rim, coming for a rebound. Susa quickly caught the ball himself and pushed it back inside the basket, making Kagami curse behind him as he had tried to catch the ball himself.

Kagome shook her head slowly, having caught Riko's attention.

"Did you notice it?" she questioned.

The miko released a heavy sigh: "Yeah…I thought it was just at the beginning because they were showing off, but the care for teamwork is minimal. There is no coordination at all. I can't catch any patterns or anything, making it harder for me to observe them all individually."

"Looks like the boys caught on that as well," nodded Riko, coming to see the boys on their rush speed to get the ball on their side. "Their offense and defense is all one-on-one. In other words, you get the ball yourself and score yourself."

"So it is all individual skill," added Kagome. _'Definitely Aomine-kun's style and quite honestly…I am afraid of what is to come.'_ Her eyes landed on Shun making his way to stand in front of Imayoshi.

Shun returned the smile: "So that is your style."

"That's right," replied Imayoshi. "Our team gathered athletes from across the country. The more skilled a player is, the stronger his sense of self. We have been trying all sorts of things in the last few years though. More than holding hands and playing nice, this way works best. We are both offensive teams. This game should be interesting."

Shun caught the passed ball into his hands: "I don't know how interesting it will be. I'm not even sure we are the same type. Our style is full team play." He struggled to break free from Imayoshi's block but quickly passed by only to have Kagami cutting in the middle, stopping Tōō's captain from going any further.

In quick speed, Shun passed the ball over to Mitobe and over to Hyuga before Seirin's captain prepared his stance with Ryo coming towards him. "Forget one-on-ones," Hyuga's eyes tightened before he turned around and shot the three-pointer shot, making it in easily. With a low chuckle, he turned his head over his shoulder to see the look on Ryo's face. "I don't plan on losing this game. Tell that to your captain, you apologetic mushroom."

Ryo flinched back from the intense glare: "E-Eh? Sumimasen!" He blinked, watching Hyuga beginning to walk way. _'I didn't say anything…and what is an apologetic mushroom?'_

Catching the made shot into his hands, Imayoshi dribbled in place, releasing a chuckle to his opponents. "I didn't hear what you just said, but I understood something…," his smirk widened while catching Wakamatsu running over to the other side of the court, "from your play!" He threw the ball high and towards his teammate, watching as the ball continued to be high in the air.

"Another long pass?" blinked Riko. "They are fast!"

Kagome's eyes widened as she caught notice of Kuroko running behind Wakamatsu to grab the ball. Since when had he arrived there? She quickly took note on Wakamatsu's surprise of having not noticed himself of Kuroko's presence behind him. The miko's face dropped with a twitch of her lip as she watched Kuroko jumping high in the air in attempt to catch the ball.

'_Baka! You can't jump that high!' _Kagome clutched her clipboard, seeing the determination in Kuroko's face.

"Don't try things you are not used to, idiot!" Kagami quickly sprinted to Kuroko's aid and jumped higher to catch the ball into his hands.

Wakamatsu's eyes widened: "High! Too high! Just what nationality are you!?"

Both Kagami and Kuroko landed back onto the court before Kagami threw the ball over to Shun's hands. "Nice, Kagami! You too, Kuroko!"

Running forward, Kagami looked to his side at the phantom player: "What was that sad jump? If you can't get it, don't jump!"

"I got it."

"Liar!" he shouted back. "This isn't like you, anyway. This isn't overlapping with your middle school experience, right?"

Kagami caught Kuroko's attention with his words, seeing the phantom's eyes on his person.

"We are playing against Tōō now," continued the red head. "Are you asleep!?"

Seeing he was only trying to help, Kuroko closed his eyes with a small smile before coming to stare ahead: "But I got it."

"Stop lying!" glared Kagami.

Kagome relaxed into her seat, loosening her grip on her clipboard at watching Kagami having saved the ball. A small smile curved onto her lips. Those two definitely needed each on the court and that was something she was beginning to observe. She only hoped that the connection was strong enough the further they went.

"Those little shits have really done it now!" glared Wakamatsu, running back into defense.

Imayoshi released a chuckle: "Don't worry, let them be. Besides, it is just like she said." He turned his head over his shoulder, seeing the concentrating look glued on the pink haired female. "Just give it some time."

* * *

"Oh? I'm late again and they are losing again?" the blonde male sighed as he placed his hands inside his pockets. His gaze watched from the balcony entrance of the audience seats, seeing the score board from the match. Shaking his head, the male released another heavy sigh. "Seriously…what are they doing?"

His eyes blinked twice upon noticing a familiar green haired male on the edge of the balcony while holding a grey box on his taped left hand. He noticed the square sunglasses he wore over to conceal his image. "Midorimacchi?"

The green haired male slightly turned his head to the side and jumped back at the sight of a familiar person. "K-Kise?" His eyes narrowed behind the glasses: "How did you know it was me?"

"What are you, stupid?" shrugged Kise. "Those sunglasses are embarrassing. Please do us a favor a take them off." He pointed over to his eyes with his index finger with a pout.

"Nani?" whispered Midorima.

"Also, what is with the box?" Kise raised a brow in question while walking to stand beside his former Teiko teammate.

With an annoyed sigh, Midorima gave his reply: "It's today's lucky item, nanodayo."

It took Kise a few blinks on the item before composing himself: "Seriously? Also, I heard that you told your teammates you didn't want to see the game, but you came anyway?"

"Don't say that!" glared Midorima. "I just happened to be in the area, nanodayo!"

The blonde player blinked again: "Your house isn't anywhere near here."

Seeing he was discovered, Midorima turned his attention away from the suspicious blinks Kise gave off. Kise sighed, turning back to the game: "So? How is the game so far?"

"Nothing special," he replied, coming to replace his sunglasses with his own. "This is actually ridiculous. It looks like Aomine isn't here, but they can barely keep up."

"Aominecchi is not here?" Kise's eyes narrowed slightly at looking over Tōō's bench. "Well, let us not get discouraged. Seirin's first-year duo just scored. I am sure they are just getting started."

The green haired male took a glance from the corner of his eyes over to the blonde male: "have you forgotten, Kise? Momoi is on their side." He released a sigh: "She is not just a manager. During middle school, she helped us many times. In other words, if she is your opponent, she becomes exceptionally hard to deal with."

"Momocchi, huh?" Kise nodded. "She has known Aominecchi since they were little, right? Chotto…," Kise tapped his index finger on his chin, "didn't she like Kurokocchi? What if she can't play seriously against him?"

Midorima blinked: "Is that right?"

"Huh!? You didn't know!?" exclaimed Kise. "It was obvious! She was all over him every day! If you didn't know after seeing that, you must be a blind monkey!"

"Nani!? What do you mean a blind monkey!?" he shouted back with a glare. Composing himself, Midorima adjusted his glasses: "Well, if that is the case, it is all the more then, nanodayo. She would never wish for Kuroko to slack off in a game. Her role may be different, but her attitude towards basketball is no different from an athlete's. She would never intentionally lose a basketball game."

"Eh, but you are forgetting something, Midorimacchi."

"Huh?"

Kise's lips formed a smirk with his golden orbs coming to stare on the black haired female sitting on Seirin's bench. "Seirin have a weapon of their own sitting on the sidelines. She has proven herself worthy, wouldn't you agree?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed on the miko, seeing her own attention fully on the game with her head turning to each movement and score being made. "We will see."

* * *

Kagami felt a pair of eyes on him and Kuroko, making him look over his shoulder to see Momoi with a smile. "That's your ex-girlfriend everyone has been talking about? She is kawaii."

Running behind the phantom player, Kuroko blinked, his attention ahead: "Is that so?"

"Oi! There is something about the way you said that!" Kagami's eyes narrowed.

"Well, you are right," sighed Kuroko, continuing his pace. "As long as she is not playing a game."

Kagami's eyes blinked, not getting what he meant. Closing his sight, he scoffed: "Well, she may be kawaii, but definitely not my type."

"Hm?" Kuroko turned his head to the side, seeing the full on glare Kagami now presented.

"Cute isn't everything. A girl with guts is much better," he continued before coming to catch the ball in his hands and passing it over to his captain.

* * *

Momoi blinked down at her clipboard while hearing her coach's words. "I can see how they defeated a couple of kings." She turned to face him, seeing his fingers playing with his curly black hair.

"Coach, should we take a time out?" she questioned.

"No, it's fine," he smirked. "They are still making corrections after observing the real thing." Letting go of his hair, he crossed his arms: "Momoi-san, did you already hand those out?"

"Hai," she smiled, coming back to stare at her clipboard. "They…already know everything."

* * *

Shun quickly reached for the ball, intercepting and stealing the ball from Tōō's pass. Dribbling it over, he passed it to the tiger who was quickly met with Susa as his blocker. Kagami's eyes narrowed: _'These bastards are guarding deep. They are abandoning the outside so we can't get through!' _He quickly took a jump up: "You are naïve!"

Kagome blinked, watching Kagami release the ball only to quickly come onto his feet and head for a one man alley oop. She felt it could work, but the pit in her stomach was dropping in worry. What was this feeling?

Her eyes met with Momoi's pink gaze as she hid her smirk behind her clipboard. The miko's eyes glided over to Kagami before being stopped by Susa. The ball hit the edge of the hoop and was quickly recovered by Imayoshi.

'_It is like…they knew…,' _Kagome shook her head, seeing the surprise look in Kagami's face and the rest of the team.

"We must have been researched," spoke Riko, resting his chin on her palm, "by that girl."

"So she didn't just get our phone numbers," Kagome's eyes narrowed.

"I made some research myself," continued Riko. "Momoi is an information gathering specialist. She is an intelligence agent."

'_But just how much did she research…?' _Kagome's eyes narrowed as she watched Mitobe catching the ball and standing in front of Wakamatsu.

Both men jumped up as Wakamatsu glared at his opponent: "It's a hook shot! I already know!"

Mitobe's eyes widened the moment the ball was knocked out from his grasp as he was in the air. Shun's eyes widened: _'They know!?'_

Kagome gripped her clipboard: "This isn't good…"

"We have to do something!" exclaimed Shinji.

"There is no need!" smiled Riko. "We will keep playing like this! No matter how accurate their information, it is from the past. Humans grow. Don't act like you understand when you don't even realize that!" Riko's eyes narrowed as her last words were pointed over to the pink haired female.

The miko's eyes scrunched: _'No…Momoi-san wouldn't just be able to do that…there has to be something to it. __They all seem too confident…'_

All eyes landed over to the ball being passed over to Hyuga, struggling to break free from Ryo's person. Hyuga got into his stance, seeing Ryo's arms coming up to block his three pointer. Hyuga lowered his position, making Momoi smirk.

Kagome's eyes widened: _'No…they do know our movements! They know what we are thinking!'_

Trying to pass Ryo's blockage, Hyuga's eyes widened as Ryo's arm lowered to block Hyuga from moving to the left. Riko's eyes shook: "Impossible! They should not have this data! He has never shown it before!"

Kagome narrowed her sights on the pink haired manager. _'This girl…'_

* * *

"Normally, when confronted with a play missing from their data, a person cannot handle it. However, Momoi analyzes the data she collects and even reads how her opponents will grow." Midorima adjusted his glasses, watching the shock wash onto Seirin's side.

Kise released a sigh before coming to cross his arms: "This might actually be a match outside the court as well. Manager versus manager."

"Well, we will see how Higurashi handles it," the green haired male's eyes narrowed slightly, seeing the worry coming onto the miko.

* * *

"That girl…"

Riko and the others on the bench turned towards the miko, seeing the narrowed focus she held onto the pink haired female.

"She is gathering information on all the players…analyzing it, interpreting it and at the end, she narrows the results," Kagome's shoulders slumped.

"Nani?" Riko's eyes widened slightly.

"In other words…with all of that, she can predict how the players will grow." Kagome bit her bottom lip, not wanting to admit that it was a useful skill. To be able to analyze a player and know where they were heading…Momoi was definitely a threat even if she was not a player.

Riko's teeth clenched, bringing her attention ahead on the court to see Hyuga passing the ball over to Shun due to his immobility to move forward as planned. "This definitely could be a problem then!"

"Well, there is one player she cannot predict," whispered the miko. "Because even we can't."

Shun dribbled the ball in place before coming to pass it back over to his captain. Ryo's eyes widened at the feel of someone screening him from behind. Looking over his shoulder, Ryo took notice of Kuroko standing behind him, letting Hyuga move forward with his dribbling. _'W-When did they set up that screen?!'_

Momoi's eyes widened slightly, seeing the phantom player appear out of nowhere and helping Hyuga move forward before passing the ball over to the tiger. Kagami quickly dunked it in, releasing his anger into the shot. Kagome's lips curved slightly: _'Now six points behind and with two minutes left on the first quarter…we need to catch up and pass them in numbers before the second half arrives.' _The miko's eyes took a few blinks upon noticing the landing on Kagami's legs. His aura was…lowering in energy. She shook her head slowly: _'No…'_

"All right, nice, Kagami!" exclaimed Hyuga, running behind the red head.

"Good work as usual, Kuroko!" smiled Shun, giving the phantom player a high-five.

The pink haired female sighed lightly: _'Mah…I can never read him…'_

"Damn, this isn't going to be easy," spoke Tōō's coach, catching Momoi's attention.

Momoi smiled back onto her clipboard: "it's all right. I thought this might happen." Bringing the pen up to her cheek, she pressed the top of the object lightly with a smirk being sent to the miko. _'But I know Tetsu-kun has taken a liking to that girl…I wonder if she can beat my skill.'_

The buzzer echoed off into the court, signaling the end of the first quarter.

* * *

Imayoshi sighed as he sat on the bench, wiping off the excess sweat on his forehead: "A four point difference. Well, it figures."

"With Momoi's data, we can still beat them," spoke Wakamatsu before taking a sip of his water bottle after Hojo finished passing them out. "We don't need Aomine!"

"No," glared Harasawa as he stood in front of his team with crossed arms, "he will play. Don't make me tell you something as obvious as do no underestimate your opponent."

Momoi came forth, holding her clipboard: "Besides, starting in the second quarter, they will probably come at us with those two."

"Hai, without a doubt," Harasawa released a smirk.

* * *

Riko sighed, seeing the worry beginning to drop on her own team: "The more data you have, the more accurate it is. Looks like she has been researching the second-years for a whole extra year."

"Then that means she practically knows us like the back of her hands!" exclaimed Shinji.

"Not necessarily," spoke Kagome, coming to hand Kuroko a water bottle. "There is less information on these two since they are first-years. And with Kuroko-kun being difficult to predict and Kagami-kun still developing in training, she doesn't have all the information."

The coach's lips curved into a smile: "Exactly! If there is anyone who can counter Momoi, it is you two!"

"Yosh, it is up to you guys!" smiled Hyuga, catching the first-year duo's attention.

"Give them hell, rookies!" shouted Riko.

The miko's eyes followed the players as they walked back into the court. She quickly grabbed onto Kagami's elbow, catching his attention. He blinked: "Kagome?"

"Kagami-kun…how are you feeling?" she questioned in a whisper.

"Huh?" he blinked. He looked away, seeing the opponents coming onto the court: "I'm doing fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…"

Her fingers slowly released his arm, watching him return to the court. Letting her own arm drop to her side, Kagome sighed with her eyes coming down to the ground.

"Kagome-chan."

Hearing Kuroko's voice calling for her, she slowly turned her head to the side, seeing the worry in his own pupils.

"I'm okay, Kuroko-kun."

"You don't seem like yourself," he spoke. He was not going to be convinced that she was okay. Something was definitely worrying her. "Are you worried about Kagami-kun?"

Taking in a deep breath, the miko softly let it out as she came to watch her teammates get ready on the court. "I am worried about all of you. The second quarter is about to begin and who knows when Aomine-kun will appear…"

"Kagome-chan…I promise you that no matter what, I nor the team will give up even if we fall behind."

The miko returned her eyes onto the phantom player upon hearing his words. She could feel the wavering auras in all of them and here she was the one that was showing it more than anyone. What an idiot…

With a small smile, she gave him a nod: "Arigatou, Kuroko-kun."

He returned the smile before walking over to his team. Kagome released a held breath in her lungs, watching both Kuroko's and Kagami's auras slowly decreasing in size. _'Their energies are getting lower and Kagami-kun's legs…,' _curling her fingers into her palm, her eyes narrowed, _'please…all of you, don't strain yourselves.'_

The whistle blew once again, signaling the start of the second quarter. Shun caught the ball into his hand, wavering back and forth in his steps as Imayoshi blocked his path. His eyes quickly glided to the corner, seeing both Kagami and Kuroko ready in their positions.

Kagami took a quick look to his side, seeing the phantom player sharing a glance at him as well. Kuroko nodded: "Kagome-chan is getting worried."

"She needs to learn to stop doing that," Kagami released a chuckle before running off into a sprint towards their hoop.

Shun passed the ball over to Kuroko who had quickly moved it over into the air for Kagami to catch. In glares, Wakamatsu and Susa jumped up to block the predicted dunk from the tiger, but could not help but feel their eyes widen as Kagami seemed to be getting higher with both them lowering back onto the ground.

Kagami turned his wrist for the dunk, making the score. Wakamatsu released a mental curse, watching the heavy dunk before him: _'This jump…the real thing is ridiculous!'_

Imayoshi smirked, seeing the tiger slowly coming down from his high jump: _'we can't stop him even if we know it's coming. Oh well,' _he chuckled.

Momoi's eyebrows furrowed, seeing that even with predicted analyzes, Kagami's and Kuroko's abilities were still truly unpredictable. _'Well, we will just need to be a few steps ahead.'_

The miko blinked, seeing the slight flinch in Kagami's expression the moment his legs landed back onto the ground. She was not seeing things, the tiger was definitely holding in the pain. Shaking her head, the miko slowly stood from her spot on the bench.

"Riko-senpai…"

"Huh?" Riko blinked, turning her attention over to the standing girl. "What's wrong?"

"Call in a member change."

Blinking again, the coach raised a brow: "What are you talking about?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder: "Kagami-kun's legs…"

The coach's eyes quickly followed over to the tiger's injury, seeing from afar of the extent of the strain. She nodded, turning to face Shinji: "This is an emergency! Koganei-kun, get in as soon as possible!"

Kagome placed her clipboard on her bench before coming to grab the first-aid kit and grabbing the white tapping. _'I can't fully use my miko-ki in such an open space, but with Aomine-kun coming soon, I need to heal his legs the best I can.' _The miko straightened herself up as she used her teeth to separate the white wrappings from the sticky role and looked over to see Shinji ready with Riko by her side as she instructed him. _'Kagami-kun might get angry…but it has to be done.'_

"Seirin member change!" shouted the referee, taking the players on court by surprise.

"Kagami! Change!" Shinji sent the tiger a smile with a wave.

The tiger blinked in shock: "What? Why me!? We are just getting started!"

"Just go back!" he exclaimed with a smile. "It looks like Kagome-chan and the coach noticed."

"Huh?" Kagami blinked again before coming to stare at the miko with the bandages. "But-!"

The miko quickly made her way over to the tiger and pulled him by the collar of his jersey as she walked back to the bench: _'This baka is lucky I don't have to yell 'sit' for him to listen to instruction!' _Kagome crossed her arms, watching as Riko pointed over to the empty spot for him to sit on.

"Your injured legs haven't fully healed yet, have they?" questioned Riko, placing her hand on her hip.

"I'm fine!" grunted Kagami. "I'm totally-!"

"Bakagami," Kagome gave him a slap on the side of the head before coming to her knees and looking at his calves, "stop putting all the heavy weight on yourself. We don't want you to get hurt. Now stop being stubborn and let me do my job."

Kagami's lips closed, watching the miko as she touched his calf to see where the main strain in his muscles was located at.

"You're not sick and there is nothing wrong with you, so I won't tell you not to play," added the coach, her eyes on the duo in front of her. "Kagome-chan will tape your legs at least to get you prepared for the next game. So take off your shoes."

"Damn it! I was just getting started!" he grunted.

Kagome took a glance upwards, seeing the tiger clench his teeth in irritation. Coming back to her work, she could hear the team continuing on in their play and it sounded like it was not in their favor. She could see everyone was occupied in the game, giving her the opportunity to use a bit of her miko-ki in secrecy.

Her hand slowly gave off a slight glow onto Kagami's injured leg before coming to wrap it around with the white tape. _'That should do it for now…but if Kagami-kun strains it any further, my healing would be for nothing. He cannot overdo it.' _

* * *

"Seirin scores around Kuroko, but the movements of the remaining four second years are all known because of Momoi," Midorima's eyes narrowed, watching the game only further dig itself in a hole. "The hole left by Kagami is huge."

Kise sighed, his eyes landing onto the score board: "The score gap is getting wider. This isn't good."

"And it seems like Higurashi is getting worried herself," glared the green haired male.

Kise's eyes glided over to the black haired manager, seeing her tape Kagami's legs. "Kagomecchi…"

"Hai, hai. I made it Kagetora-san, no need to worry!"

Hearing another male voice coming beside the green haired male only a few feet away, both teens turned to see a man with black hair held in a high ponytail while wearing a black button up shirt and tight dark brown pants. The first two buttons on the top were open to see his chest as he held his cell phone device near his ear.

"Oi, at least I made it before the second half!" he laughed. "Don't worry, I will analyze your daughter's team. But within just two minutes that I am here, I can tell you that your daughter's team needs a lot of work." The male's brown hues narrowed, watching Seirin in their low stamina.

Midorima's eyebrow rose as he observed the male. Something about him seemed familiar. Kise blinked, leaning to the side to get a better view of the black haired male: "Oi…," he whispered to his former teammate, "isn't that Ichiro Koga?"

"Ichiro Koga?" whispered Midorima.

"Yeah…," nodded the blonde. "The famous personal athletic trainer for national athletes here in Japan? Wah…what is someone like him doing here?"

Midorima pushed his glasses back into his nose, coming to see the timer: "well, my only concern is if Seirin can make a comeback. They only have five minutes left before the first half is over."

* * *

Kagome stood from her spot, turning around to see Kuroko and the rest of the team members continuing on in their game. With nine points behind, she could only hope for a miracle and have faith in the boys.

"Please," grunted Kagami, "just hang in there."

The miko looked over her shoulder: "have a little more faith in everyone."

"I know!" he exclaimed, gripping his knees. "We will beat Tōō with team play!"

"So? How are his legs?" Riko crossed her arms as she came to stand beside the miko with both girls returning to look ahead.

"Kagami-kun can return to play, but I am afraid that he is over doing it," she spoke in a whisper, taking a small glance over her shoulder.

Riko released a sigh: "That baka…"

"We can only hope that he does not strain them any further," continued Kagome. "He is very dependent on his right leg."

"I have noticed that as well," whispered Riko. "Well, at least he is good to go now. Okay, Kagami-kun! You can go onto the court!"

"Yosh!" Kagami quickly set himself to put on his shoes before coming to a stand. Walking past the miko, he patter her shoulder: "Arigatou!"

"Gomen…"

The red head stopped in his steps and looked behind him, seeing the miko's dropped head. Blinking, he watched her bite her lower lip.

"This is the best I can do in healing you…I hate that we have to send you off injured," she whispered, "but the truth is, the team needs you. I'm not strong enough to actually help you all during games and bring everyone's full potential, but I have to rely on you all even if one of you are injured."

Kagami's eyes scrunched, finally seeing the worry in the miko and her fists shaking beside her.

Kagome closed her eyes: _'This is my weakness…feeling useless! It…pisses me off!' _

"What are you talking about?" blinked Kagami with a bored look. "This isn't like you, Kagome."

"Huh…?" the miko rose her eyes back to meet the tiger's slight glare.

"I think we can all agree that even with the title of a manager…you go over practice with the coach, you give us instructions outside and inside the court, and even massage and tape us," he shrugged, turning back to face the court. "If anything, you do too much. You're the manager, but…you are part of the team just as much as any of us."

"Kagami-kun…," Kagome whispered, "that is really unlike you to open up."

"Uruse!" he shouted. "I was trying to say that you trying to send me off with an apology hardly amps me up!"

The coach and the rest of the players on the bench smiled, seeing the slight stare shared between the miko and the tiger. Kagome chuckled lightly, nodding to herself: "Bakagami…you sure know how to ruin the moment."

Riko patted the back of Kagome's shoulder: "I will go make the change. Send him off."

"Hai," she smiled, Kagome nodded before coming back to see Kagami turning away with a blush and stretching out his arms.

The referee blew the whistle: "Seirin, member change!"

Kagome relaxed her shoulder, seeing the tiger take a step forward: "Go get them, Seirin!"

"That's it, show some spirit so you can entertain me, even a little."

The miko's eyes widened as she felt an arm snake over her shoulders, bringing her slightly down from the heavy weight. Her vision slowly glided to the corner of her eyes, seeing the familiar smirk and blue eyes on her.

"Aomine!" Kagami exclaimed, seeing the close proximity the blue haired male held to the miko.

"Aomine-kun…," Kagome's eyes returned back into a glare before coming to shove his arm away from her person and take a few steps away from the tan male.

"Feisty already, neko-chan? The real fun is just about to begin," he smirked as he held his sports bag over his shoulder. "Did you miss me?"

"Hardly," she glared.

He leaned in, taking amusement the way she leaned way: "I can tell you all were waiting for me. So what? Were you able to get ahead?"

"Ah, you're finally here?"

All eyes turned to Tōō's captain, seeing the same stitched grin on his face. Imayoshi ran his fingers through his hair: "Hurry up and get ready so you can play!"

"Eh?" smirked Aomine, seeing the score board. "But you are winning. Besides, there is only one minute left in the second quarter."

"No, you have to play," cut in Harasawa with a smile of his own.

Kagome's eyes tightened, seeing the grin on Aomine only get bigger. His presence alone was intimidating and she could not help but feel the worry that was pushed away, creeping back on her.

"Fine," sighed the blue haired male as walked over to his bench and dropped his bag onto the bench and took off his jacket. Throwing his jacket onto Hojo's arms, he looked back over to the miko: "Well then, let's go."

The referee lifted his hand with the blow of his whistle: "Tōō Academy, member change!"

Tucking in his jersey, Kagome's eyes followed his every step as he walked into the court with all Seirin members frozen in their place. _'They can feel that he is different…Aomine Daiki.'_

The red head's eyes tightened as Aomine made his way toward them: _'I never even met anyone this good in America. Kuroko's middle school's strongest regular, one of the five prodigies…the ace of the Generation of Miracles!'_

Riko's shoulders tensed, seeing each confident stride the tan male took: "Not only did we fail to get ahead, but we are now ten points behind."

"He got here at the worst possible time for us," whispered Kagome, watching Aomine stop in front of Kuroko.

Kuroko's eyes narrowed, seeing Aomine's person easily tower over him. "Yo, Tetsu. It's good to see you again. I was wondering what face you would make." With a smirk, Aomine released a chuckle: "I like it. You look ready to go."

"Hai," he replied. "I promise Kagome-chan to take off her worries by winning."

Aomine laughed at his determination: "I more or less understand what you want to say, but you will have to show me that promise with your play. I made her a promise that her team will only become disappointed after they lose. Say those words once you have beaten me," his eyes tightened with a smirk. Nothing but an intent of no mercy on his hues.

"Hai."

"If you can do it," he chuckled back, walking past the two first-year males.

With an angry growl, Kagami trailed his glare on each step Aomine took away from them: "Bring it on! We will show you right away!"

The echo of the whistle rung inside the ears of every player as the ball was given to Susa and quickly passed over to each Tōō player as they moved to one side of the court. The miko blinked, seeing the pattern with one side of the court being fuller of players than the other side.

"The balance is off…," she whispered.

"They have too many guys on one side," glared Riko.

"Are they doing it on purpose?" Kagome looked over to her coach, seeing the seriousness take over. Her eyes roamed back to the court, seeing Ryo pass the ball over to Aomine who stood a few feet away from an angry tiger.

* * *

"Ah, isolation."

Both the green and blonde males looked to their side, seeing the famous athletic trainer having ended his call and came to cross his arms. A smirk curved up his lips: "You two are basketball players, are you not?"

Kise blinked before coming to send the older male a smile: "Ah, yes we are! You are the famous Ichiro Koga, right?"

"The one and only," he smirked, his eyes coming to the corner to take a glance at the two teens. "Kise Ryouta and Midorima Shintaro."

Midorima's eyes narrowed as he held his lucky item in hand: "How did you know our names?"

"Who doesn't know about the prodigies of this decade?" Koga chuckled. "Blonde hair with good looks and green hair who always holds a lucky item in hand…I have read about the famous Generation of Miracles countless times in Basketball Monthly and other sport magazines. Quite the fame you young males have these days." The older male's eyebrow rose, seeing the speechless teens.

The green haired male adjusted his glasses: "then what is a busy and famous athletic trainer doing at a high school tournament?"

Koga shrugged: "I was told by a good friend of mine to come and observe her daughter's team. Seirin High was it? He wanted me to observe and give some advice to him on how I see them through observation. That was all."

The blonde male blinked before turning back to the court after seeing Koga's own attention drawn to Aomine dribbling in place: "You mentioned isolation."

"Ah yes," chuckled Koga, seeing Aomine and Kagami in an intense stare down of glares. "I am sure you two are familiar with the tactic. In order to allow special players to move freely, the remaining players gather to one side. After much experience, I have come to see that there are several reasons to use this technique, but in this situation, I can see that it is exactly what it looks like. I have read on Seirin and Tōō…they want to have a one-on-one between both teams' aces."

Kise and Midorima observed the slight smirk on Aomine's lips as he took a tighter grip on the ball. Koga sighed, placing his hands inside his pockets: "But isolation is mostly used with high skilled players. For a high school coach to place this much importance on a player of his age…he must be quite skilled." The black haired male glided his eyes away from Tōō's coach and towards Seirin's bench. Tightening his focus, his vision landed the female with long black hair standing next to Kagetora's daughter. "Hm…?"

Koga raised a brow: _'Is that…?'_

* * *

Aomine released a smirk upon seeing the tight concentration Kagami had on him before coming to dribble the ball side to side before easily passing through the red head in quick speed. Kagami's eyes widened, watching from the corner of his eyes as Aomine made his way forward.

The miko's eyes widened: _'H-He's fast! He broke past Kagami-kun that easily!?'_

In attempt to stop him, Hyuga made his way in front of the tan male, but found Aomine spinning in place and around the captain before jumping up to make the dunk. With a confident smirk, Aomine was wiped away of his grin the moment Kagami caught up and pushed the ball away from his grip.

Aomine blinked, quite surprised at the sudden appearance of the tiger: _'he caught up in the second it took to roll?' _

"He stopped him!" shouted Riko, snapping her fingers.

The miko looked up at the hoop: _'That was higher than usual…way too high…' _

Landing back on his feet, Aomine captured his balance back, lowering his glare on the red head before releasing a chuckle under his breath. His eyes quickly glided over to see Hyuga catching the ball into his hand and dribbling it over to their hoop.

"Now!" shouted Hyuga. "Fast break!"

Shun captured the passed ball into his hands and stopped in his tracks upon seeing three Tōō members in quick defense. _'They know our movements through research…'_

"You can take your slow fast break and shove it!" smirked Wakamatsu, planting his feet heavy into the court.

Imayoshi dove in to steal the ball only to see Shun pass the ball behind his back and over to the phantom player. Tōō's captain looked over on Kuroko and watched him pass the ball with full force with the use of his palm. "W-What is that?" His eyes tightened at the sight of Kagami catching the ball into his palm: "The pass only Kagami can catch!"

Wakamatsu cursed under his breath, seeing the tiger a few feet away from their hoop: "Ignite pass!?"

Kagami wasted no time in his jump, aiming for his own dunk before being blocked off by Aomine's hand. The ball was pushed away from his grasp and bounced down onto the court with the timer coming to a complete zero.

The buzzer sounded off, signaling the end of the second quarter…the end of the first half. The tan male blinked, coming down onto his feet: "Oh? It's over? I was going to score one as a quick warm up." He scoffed: "Sheesh…"

Silence spread on the court with all eyes tentivaly looking at the smirking tan male. Aomine turned around, giving his smirk to each player: "pretty good, though. At ten points behind, I thought you guys must suck, but you're not bad, are you?" His eyes were set on the miko, seeing her own glare on his person. "Oi, neko-chan, I am impressed that you stuck with such a team, I will give you that."

The miko's fingers curled into her palm: _'Aomine-kun…'_

* * *

"Aominecchi…," whispered Kise, "it seems he took an interested on Kagomecchi."

"He is completely unbearable," sighed Midorima. "He has no desire to play, nanodayo."

Koga raised a brow before coming to take a glance over to the blonde: "Did you say…Kagomecchi?"

"Huh?" blinked Kise, turning towards Koga. "Oh, Kagomecchi is Seirin's manager, sorry. Quite an interesting girl."

"Last name."

The two males blinked again.

"What is that girl's last name?" he questioned.

Kise crossed his arms: "Oi, why do you want to know?"

Midorima was just as suspicious on why such a well-known man had taken interest on Seirin's manager, but he felt that the male knew the girl…maybe? Turning his attention over to the miko, Midorima adjusted his glasses once more: "Higurashi Kagome."

The older male chuckled before coming to place his hands inside his pockets: "You don't say."

* * *

Aomine placed his hands on his hips as he made his way over to his bench. Annoyed over his teammate, Wakamatsu made his way towards the blue haired male: "Aomine! You bastard! Play as hard as you can! You just let Kagami block you!"

"Huh?" glared Aomine, turning his attention over to his teammate. Releasing a laugh, his shut his eyes: "I can't play that hard. I'm tired."

"Teme!"

"But…," his eyes slowly opened in a smirk, seeing not only the miko's eyes on him, but also Kuroko and Kagami, "I might actually try in the second half."

"The second quarter is over," the speakers sounded off as each team went over to their benches. "The third quarter will begin after a ten minute internal."

"That bastard…," growled Kagami.

The miko sighed before turning to the first year duo: "Come on, let's follow everyone to the locker room."

* * *

Clutching her bag, Kagome followed the team behind as they walked to their assigned locker room for the break. She hated to admit it…even to herself, but she knew that going against Aomine was going to be trouble. She…did not feel confident at all. With another heavy sigh, she looked to her right, seeing the silent Seirin member walking beside her.

Kagome sent him a smile before catching a smile: "Mitobe-senpai?"

Hearing his name, the silent male looked over to the petite female, seeing her hand over a black bag to him. He blinked once, seeing her nervous chuckle.

"Ano…do you mind giving these to the guys? I heard from my friends that this could help during half-time so…if you don't mind…?" she saw him grab the strap of the bag before tilting his head to the side in concern. Was she okay? Almost as if reading his thoughts, she waved her hand up and down: "Don't worry, I just need to run to the bathroom real quick!"

With a simple nod, Mitobe watched the miko run to the opposite direction before following the team into the locker room without their knowledge that their manager had left. But from what he could see, she was fast runner…

* * *

"Ryo, did you bring them?" questioned Aomine as he walked over to the first-year in the locker room.

"Uh…h-hai," he timidly spoke before revealing a food container filled with lemon slices soaked in honey.

"Thanks," he smirked before taking a slice and placing it inside his mouth for a taste. "Ah, these are delicious."

"Aomine! What are you eating!?" shouted Wakamatsu, coming behind the tall blue haired male. He quickly took the container away from Ryo's hands: "You haven't played enough for you to eat these! And, Sakurai, don't make him food!" he scolded over to the brunette. "What are you, his manager!? That is Momoi's and Hojo's job!"

"S-Sumimasen…," whispered Ryo.

Wakamatsu began to indulge himself in the slices as he spoke with a full mouth: "I'm way more tired!"

"Ah! Wakamatsu-san!" Ryo watched with concern with his senpai beginning to eat the slices quickly.

Imayoshi smiled, raising his hand: "Give me some."

"These are definitely delicious!" exclaimed the dirty blonde. He turned his head over to the former Teiko member: "You won't get any, baka!"

Lowering his glare, Aomine placed his hands inside his pockets: "I don't want anymore."

The captain shook his head as his hand came to rest on the side of his head: "Don't eat all of them, you guys."

"It's okay!" smiled Momoi. "I made some too! Hojo-kun even helped me!" She showed the pink container over to Imayoshi before opening the case. His eyes dropped, watching the full uncut lemons float above the honey and water mix along with what looked like some weird herbs.

"The herbs will help your muscles!" smiled Hojo, watching as Imayoshi quickly ignored his words and turned around towards Ryo.

"Sakurai! Do you have any more?"

Ryo sighed, showing him the cleaned out container in his hands: "Sumimasen…I'm all out."

Aomine sighed, stretching out his arms with his back turned to his teammates: "Yeah, Satsuki's cooking is terrible. I didn't think we would get stuck with two managers that didn't know how to cook."

Imayoshi's eyebrow twitched at the sight of the uncut lemons: "Isn't this a level below cooking!?"

The sound of two claps was drawn towards the door, seeing their coach coming inside and crossing his arms: "Come on, it's too early to relax. Let's talk about the second half."

"I'll pass," Aomine released an exhausting sigh, making his way behind the coach.

"Aomine, teme! Wait!" shouted Wakamatsu.

The blue haired male turned slightly to send his teammates a smirk: "I'll make all my shots in the next quarter. That should do it, right?"

Harasawa sighed, coming to run his hands through his hair: "Well, as long as you understand. Make sure you go warm up."

"Hai!" Aomine opened the door and exited the locker room, leaving his teammates in glares.

"Dai-chan!" shouted Momoi.

Hojo blinked, seeing the blue haired male close the door behind him. He wasn't sure what had brought him to join such a team that was self-centered, but he could see that it worked. In a weird and selfish way…it worked. He turned towards the coach: "Is it okay to leave him, coach?"

"That arrogant bastard!" shouted Wakamatsu. "Does no one care!?"

Imayoshi sighed, scratching the back of his head: "Who cares if he is? Haven't you ever felt it in a TV interview? There is plenty of arrogant top tier players. Put negatively, it's arrogance, insolence. But put positively, it's the overwhelming confidence that comes from successive victories. Don't get the wrong idea. I don't like or dislike Aomine. As long as he scores, I don't care what his personality is like. As long as we win, he is right. No matter what kind of guy Aomine is, I have no complaints as long as he plays." He quickly threw a ball over to Hojo who caught it frantically in his hand. "We are most likely to win if he does, right Hojo-kun?"

Hojo gulped, seeing the smirk spread on their captain's lips. This type of teamwork worked…selfishness worked. Everyone abandoned trust and the trust is in themselves. Every man was out for himself. But…it worked.

* * *

"Good work in the first half!" exclaimed Riko, watching her team rest and prepare for the second half. "I made you these so we can make a comeback! They will replenish your energy!"

She handed over her orange container to Hyuga and Shinji and could only stare with wide eyes at the lemons laying on the water and honey…also uncut. Hyuga quickly turned towards his coach: "Slice them! We are always telling you to slice them!"

"I washed them!" she chuckled nervously. "You can eat the skin and you will be able to eat lots!"

"There goes our food for replenishing our energy…," sighed Shinji.

Shun gave a sigh of his own before turning towards their silent partner and noticing him place a black bag on the bench. "Huh? What is that Mitobe?"

Mitobe shrugged and pointed over to the bag. Shinji made his way towards the bag and looked over at the tall male: "Is this yours?"

He shook his head.

Shinji blinked, seeing the silence yet talkative eyes in Mitobe before quickly diving into the bag himself to see if it was true. Hyuga raised a brow, seeing the enthusiasm rise in Shinji as he looked inside the bag. "Oi…what did he even say?"

"He said Kagome-chan gave him this bag!" Shinji quickly pulled a container and opened it for a miracle. His eyes shined at the sight of the sliced lemons in water and honey. "Ah! Kagome-chan made these!"

The team quickly huddled around, seeing the sliced lemons inside the food container. Hyuga's fingers came to grab a slice and quickly propped it into his mouth. His eyes widened before turning to his teammates: "These…are delicious…"

"Really?" blinked Kagami, before coming to grab a piece himself. Taking the bite, he blinked: "He is right…"

Riko tilted her head to the side and looked inside the bag herself and took out another container: "Just how many did she make?" She opened the lid and grabbed a slice. Eating the lemon, her eyes widened: "This girl…why didn't she tell me she can cook!? I could have told her to do them in the beginning then!"

"Calm down, coach," chuckled Hyuga, coming for another slice. "At least we know now, right?"

The phantom player looked around, seeing no sign of the miko: "Where is Kagome-chan?"

"Ah…good question," whispered Riko as she handed the container over Shun.

"Hm?" Shinji looked over to Mitobe and nodded: "Mitobe says she went to the bathroom! She should be here soon!"

"Well, hopefully she makes it back on time," Riko rested her hands on her hips. _'I would really like for her to give me some cooking tips.'_

Kagami blinked as he munched on the slices and looked over his shoulder. The phantom player had his head hung low in deep thought without moving an inch. "Oi, Kuroko, don't you want any?"

"Ah, no, I'm good."

The coach raised her eyebrow seeing the worry coming into the phantom player's eyes: "Kuroko-kun, you played the first quarter, so I am taking you out for a bit. You have to replenish your nutrients."

All attention was drawn to the silent phantom player, seeing him raise his head towards the coach. Blinking, Kuroko's shoulders slumped down: "Ano…please let me keep playing during the second half."

"Eh?" blinked Riko.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she came out of the bathroom and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Looking to her right, she noticed the empty halls. _'It sure feels more than empty here…almost ominous.' _Making her way forward, she stopped at the feel of a familiar aura to her left. The miko slowly turned her head to the side and watched a certain dark skinned male stretching his legs and arms before breaking into a few push-ups.

She stood still, not wanting to gain attention, but she could not help but see the cold and raging aura surrounding him. The miko shook her head and took a step forward, wanting to get away from his presence and back to her team.

"Oh? Neko-chan?"

The miko stopped in her tracks hearing the grin behind those words. She refused to look back and continued to stare ahead.

"I thought I heard someone coming," Aomine chuckled under his breath as he stood straight and grabbed his towel. "Seems like a neko was trying to sneak in."

"Stop calling me that," she glared, finally turning to face the tall male.

Aomine's eyebrow rose with a smirk: "Does it bother you?"

"Yes."

"Then I am not going to stop," he bent slightly forward to meet her eye-to-eye, seeing her glare tighten. "What? Did you want to see me or something?"

"Don't get so conceited," she held her ground, not wanting to show him just how much he was getting under her skin. "I simply came to go to the bathroom. Running into you was nothing but a bad coincidence."

"Or as Midorima says…fate," he smirked again, chuckling at the slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

"If it was fate…mine is definitely cursed," she spoke back.

Aomine rested his hands on his hips, liking the way she was holding her stand against him. Most would already have scurried off in fear. Looked like the neko would definitely entertain him. "You know, I feel bad for what I did."

Kagome blinked, taken back his words.

"I misread them a little," he continued. "I should have shown up sooner to destroy their spirit."

"You are a monster," she glared.

"Never said I was gentle," he chuckled as his hand came to grab a strand of her hair. He blinked the moment her hand gripped his wrist in reflex to stop him from inching closer to her person. This girl definitely was fast.

Kagome's glare only tightened: "Continue on with your warm-up before the game starts again. You will need it."

Aomine closed his eyes as he retreated his hand away from the girl. "Well, it seems we have less than five minutes anyways."

"W-What?" Kagome turned her head over her shoulder and noticed the clocks on the walls. Just how long had she been in the bathroom!? Cursing under her breath, she took one last glance over at the tall male. "Look, I can't be wasting my time here. Continue on whatever you were doing." The miko pivoted over to walk away, only feel hands quickly pick her up and set her over the male's shoulder. "Oi! What the heck do you think you are doing!?"

"With your petite height, you will be late to the beginning to the second half. Why don't I help you? Having long legs is a benefit," he smirked as he felt the girl struggle underneath his grasp.

"Put me down before I send you to hell, Aomine-kun!"

"Such a foul mouth, neko-chan," he shook his head as he clicked his tongue. "I like it. Don't worry, with my help, we will make it in time."

The miko cursed under her breath, feeling his slight sweat from his warm up sticking to her skin. _'The moment he lets his grip loose he will be getting it from me!'_

* * *

Hyuga blinked, seeing the seriousness in Kuroko's eyes from his request. Sighing, he crossed his arms and turned towards the female coach: "Aomine will be tough without Kuroko. Can we even manage it?"

Riko gave out a sigh of her own: "we used Kuroko's misdirection two quarters back-to-back…"

"You misdirection won't work throughout a whole game, right?" questioned Hyuga, turning toward the phantom player.

"I personally don't think we should do it," added in Shun, cutting into the conversation. "I have been watching with my eagle eye, but your effectiveness has already dropped off quite a bit. You should sit out for a while."

"I can do it," Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers wanting to curl into his knees. "No, I will do it. I made Kagome-chan a promise…I will do anything to beat Aomine-kun."

Hyuga uncrossed his arms, seeing the strong determination in the phantom player: "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but…"

The red head closed his eyes before coming to grab the last container of half eaten lemon slices from Shinji's hands. Walking over to the phantom player, Kagami handed him the food container: "Kuroko."

"Hm?"

"Just eat those on the bench, baka!" he scolded, pushing the container for the phantom player to grab. "You are the one who said you can't play basketball by yourself! Leave it to us! Now eat these! Kagome made them for us so you might as well eat! You can't keep a promise with no energy!"

Riko watched the interaction between the two before coming to grab her whistle: _'What would Kagome-chan do? Would she bench Kuroko-kun or have him play? Just where the heck is she?' _with another sigh, she sent her team a smile: "Yosh! We will take Kuroko-kun out for a little bit during the second half. Our battle will begin in the fourth quarter! But it's meaningless if we pass the point of no return! Be ready to play any time in case we get close."

Kuroko gave her a nod in understanding.

She smiled again: "have some lemons."

The phantom players stared back at the container now in his hands before coming to take a bite.

Riko placed her hands on her hips once more, her eyes landing on her players: "Their inside is especially strong. We will put Tsuchida-kun during the third quarter. You and Mitobe-kun will guard under the net! Hyuga-kun and Izuki-kun, keep doing what you did in the first half. Keep marks on mushroom number nine…and glasses number four." She sighed, turning her attention over to the tiger: "The biggest problem is Aomine-kun, but there is only one guy who can handle him. Kagami-kun, we are counting on you!"

"Got it!" his eyes tightened with a nod.

With a smirk, the coach parted her lips: "Let's go, Seirin! Fight!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Standing at their own benches, Riko looked over at the miko's clipboard, seeing that Kagome had made some marks over Aomine's movements. _'Hm…she could follow his movements? He is quick for the eyes though…'_

Lowering the clipboard, she looked around: "Speaking of which…"

"What's wrong, coach?" questioned Hyuga, looking over his shoulder as he stood with his team.

"Kagome-chan never came back…," she whispered.

Kuroko blinked, seeing it weird that the miko had never returned. Had something happened? His eyes quickly caught sight of his former teammate coming into the court with a smirk as he held onto a female over his shoulder. He blinked again, seeing the familiar black hair.

The tiger looked over his shoulder: "He is here-" he blinked along with the rest of his team members as the girl over his shoulder rose her head.

"Bastard! Put me down!"

Aomine smirked, keeping his hold on the miko: "I thought you guys might want her back. Sorry," he chuckled, "I am afraid I held her captive to keep me company while I warmed up."

"Teme!" Kagami clenched his teeth, holding his fists from actually moving forward to inflict pain.

Hyuga's eyes narrowed: "So he did warm up."

"He is completely serious now," whispered Shun.

The miko felt Aomine's grip loosen the moment he walked forward and quickly slipped away from his grasp before sending a slap Aomine's way. The court froze the moment Aomine's head turned to the side with a slight pink print rising from his skin.

Hyuga's eyes quickly widened: "W-What the heck is she thinking!? Is she not even intimidated!?"

Riko's lip twitched: "K-Kagome-chan…"

Momoi gasped, having never seen someone actually take action against Aomine like that. _'K-Kagome-chan?'_

"Don't you ever manhandle me again!" she glared at the male before straightening out her clothing.

She expected an angry comeback from the tan male only to hear a low chuckle escaping his lips. She blinked, taking a step back at the sight of his tightened glare accompanied with a grin.

"Good, I like that look in your eyes, neko-chan. Let's do this and keep fighting until the end. Looks like you have it in you too."

"Let the third quarter begin," the speaker announced the start, setting all the players into their positions on the court.

Kuroko and Kagami made their way behind the miko, sending their own glares over to the blue haired male. The tiger returned the smirk: "Oh, we all have it in us. We will defeat you."

"I look forward to it," Aomine raised a brow before walking over to his position.

"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko.

"Just fine," she released a heavy sigh, glaring at Aomine's back. "Let's just concentrate on the second half…"

* * *

Kise blinked a couple of times to register what he had witnessed. "Oi…Kagomecchi…did she really just hit Aominecchi?"

Midorima sighed: "Seriously, only children like you act like that."

Koga chuckled under his breath before coming to cross his arms: "Seems like Kagome has not changed one bit."

Both teens looked over to the black haired male. Did he know Kagome? Curiosity washing over, Kise took the initiative to ask: "Ano…Koga-san? Do you know Kagomecchi?"

"Kagome?" he questioned, turning his head towards the blonde. He took a pause before answering and looked over to the court, seeing the angry glare on the miko: "I have known her for many years…"

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Ooooh! The second half will bring you to tears! No I am kidding...well, sort of. We will see haha. But for many of you who get annoyed over Kagome's way of acting in this chapter, let's face it...everyone in Seirin (if familiar with the episode and manga) was not calm. They were all worried and not themselves. So don't worry, this will definitely bring the players and Kagome stronger!

So there you have it! Koga showed up! He will come to talk to Kagome but you will just to wait how! Also...Kiyoshi Teppei will be making an entry soon! How exciting! ( I love him!) Also, if you every have any ideas, feel free to message me because my good friend **Joker2113 **always helps me when I have writer's block. So if you have a favorite character and have ideas, message me, review it, or send me a message through Tumblr (link on profile!)

New poll on my profile if you are interested!

Thank you for reading and hope I didn't disappoint any of you!

Please review.

Ja~ne!


	14. Breaking Limit

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** I really don't know how I did in this chapter. It is super long and I unfortunately got horrible back pain. Due to that, I have been scheduled to see a chiropractor. Wish me luck...so here is an update before I go see what is wrong with me and hopefully I don't need to stay away from the computer (which is probably the main issue to my back pain).

Anyways, we see Kagami, Kuroko, and Kagome break and their friendship cracks a bit. So be ready for that. Also, Kiyoshi appears and...a surprise arrives at the end of this chapter!

I want to thank you all for the reviews (long ones too!)! I cannot believe how much love this story has received and that pushes me to write the next chapter as quickly as I can! So I hope I continue to meet your expectations...if not...gomen! -head drops-

Well, hope you enjoy! And don't worry, Aomine and Kagome will have more moments coming soon! Just stay put! Haha

**Chapter 14: **Breaking Limit

* * *

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she stood beside the coach, watching Imayoshi quickly pass the ball over to Wakamatsu who then ran over to the hoop. Worries screamed within her as she watched the match. It was only a matter of time before Aomine or Kagami got the ball and those two would be at it again.

Looking over her shoulder, she could see the tight focus the phantom player held on the bench. His keen observation was just like hers. Mostly watching Aomine and Kagami knowing that at the end of the match…only one would become victorious.

An invisible sigh passed the miko's lips before returning her eyes on the court. _'I hope subbing Kuroko-kun was the right choice. I know how much he wants to play to prove Aomine-kun wrong…but Riko-senpai choice is something we must trust.. We can't overuse his misdirection.'_

* * *

"Oh? They subbed the shorter guy?"

Both Kise and Midorima turned their attentions over to the older male, seeing the slight smirk on his lips. Adjusting his glasses once again, Midorima lowered his fingers: "it can't be helped, but they can't afford to sub Kuroko out."

"Kuroko, huh? Is that his name?" questioned Koga. "Interesting. Looks like you two are familiar with him."

"We were on the same team during middle school," chuckled Kise. "He is the phantom player and was a big help to the Generation of Miracles."

"Is that so?" Koga's eyebrow rose before setting his eyes on the miko. _'Such a small world. Who knew I would see Kagome again and under these circumstances. But…as much as I would like her team to win, my eyes don't lie. T__ōō Academy is at another league. Seirin still needs to train more if they want to be at their level.' _

"I don't believe they can endure this," he spoke, catching both teens by surprise at his words.

"Eh?" blinked Kise. "What do you mean, Koga-san?"

"I can see the potential in Seirin, but Tōō is more advanced in technique than they are," Koga released a sigh. "Saddens me to say it, but Seirin is going to lose this game. Oh how it will hurt me to see the pain in Kagome's eyes after this."

Midorima's eyes narrowed, already catching on that perhaps this man did know Kagome. He had mentioned knowing her for many years…but what was their connection? Kagome knew someone so high up in profession? They were lucky enough to even see him in person.

"How do you know Kagome?" he questioned with a glare.

"Hm?" Koga's eyes glided to the corner, seeing both of their attentions on him. With a simple grin, he returned his attention over to the game. "Let's just say Kagome and I have a past. I owe her a lot."

Kise blinked again, quite curious on the whole thing. Not only did they have a game to watch, but he could not help but want to ask more on how someone so famous knew Kagome. Why had Kagome not mentioned it before? She had said she was not familiar with basketball, yet she knew someone who was very familiar with almost all sports. All ears caught the sound of a basket being made by Tōō, making even Kise's eyes narrow with worry. _'Well…I will ask Kagomecchi later, but Koga-san already predicted this game. Could he be right? Would Seirin lose? Playing against Aominecchi without Kurokocchi is too hard. But…when I consider the rate of his growth, I get the feeling something is going to happen…Kagamicchi.'_

* * *

Aomine caught the ball in one hand after seeing Ryo trapped by Mitobe's movements. With a smirk, he watched with amusement as the tiger appeared in front of him with a glare to match his own. The miko's eyes narrowed, seeing the intensity being shared just between the two aces.

Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "it will be all him, not just now, but during the entire second half."

"I don't know how I feel about that…," she whispered back. "The ace of the Generation of Miracles and Seirin's ace who has a high jump…I can't help but be scared."

"You aren't the only one," she answered back. "How are his legs?"

"He can't overdo it," Kagome's shoulders slumped, seeing each Seirin member trying to block off a Tōō member from getting the ball. The court was definitely tense. _'If Kagami-kun over does it with his legs…who knows what might happen. Healing might take more than just one day…'_

Aomine's smirk only grew as he began to dribble the ball in place. "Good, you're fired up. Hope that this means it won't be like that time in the park. Well…either way, it's pointless." In a blink of an eye, Aomine moved the direction of his foot and passed the red head, surprising him in the process as Aomine made his way over to the hoop.

All eyes widened the moment Aomine broke free and headed in quick speed not even caring that the rest of the Seirin members could get in the way. Kagome gripped her clipboard with wide eyes: _'A-Again? Kagami-kun…can't keep up…'_

The tiger cursed under his breath: _'He didn't fake me out, but I still can't keep up! He is unbelievably fast!'_

All eyes watched as Aomine was blocked by Mitobe and Tsuchida, rising the hopes on Seirin's bench that they could stop Aomine from making his score. Riko shook her head: "A fade away!?"

Aomine took a jump back in his steps and aimed for the hoop, having everyone frozen in place at the unreasonable action the blue haired male was taking. Shun's eyes widened: _'how can anyone make a quick stop at that speed and jump backwards!?'_

* * *

"When it comes to movement, speed is not all about maximum speed. Your acceleration from zero to max and your deceleration from max to zero. Agility, how quick you are on your feet. Aomine Daiki easily transcends the rest of you with his feet." Koga chuckled, knowing that the other two males were listening in on his observation.

"He has always made unpredictable movements," whispered Kise.

"Well, it is going to get interesting," Koga rested his elbows on the rim of the balcony, watching all eyes on the blue haired male.

* * *

Kagami quickly appeared behind the tan male in a higher height and barely was able to push the ball away from Aomine's hands as he released it towards the basket. Kagami's eyes narrowed: _'Damn it! I can't keep up! He is even faster than before!'_

Aomine looked behind his shoulder, realizing how close the tiger had caught up to him to try to stop his shot. _'This guy…' _

The whistle blew the moment the ball made into the net, catching everyone's attention to the scoreboard. The miko bit her bottom lip at the sight of being twelve points behind and with nine minutes left on the third quarter. _'This is bad…'_

"Even I could do that," scoffed Wakamatsu only to hear the warning yell from his captain.

"No!" shouted Imayoshi. "Defend now!"

Hyuga quickly caught the ball from under the net and threw it over to a running tiger as he made his way over to their hoop. Kagome's eyes blinked: _'A fast break?'_

"Slam it in, Kagami!" shouted Shun.

"Take this!" Kagami caught the ball in his hands and jumped up for a dunk only for the ball to be knocked out of his hand with Aomine coming behind him. The tiger landed back on his feet, glaring at his opponent from over his shoulder.

"No you don't," smirked Aomine.

'_No matter how fast he runs, Kagami-kun can't break free from Aomine-kun…,' _Kagome sighed, lowing her arms to her sides.

Aomine's eyebrow rose: "You think it is that easy to make a fast break?" He watched Kagami straightening up on his own, furrowing his eyebrows upon observing his last jump to make a score: _'He just jumped from the free throw line. Don't tell me he was trying to dunk from there. Come on, now.'_

"Damn it, we almost got it," Furihata shook his head, "but we are doing better than I expected!"

Kagome looked over her shoulder, having not heard one word from the phantom player. Her ears quickly caught the sound of a familiar chuckle and made her sights change over to the blue haired male standing on the court.

"Enough," chuckled Aomine. "Honest basketball just isn't for me."

The miko took a step back, noticing the change in this aura and the lust for victory in his eyes. _'He…seems different, but I think Kagami is starting to get a feel for his speed and rhythm. All those days back in the feudal era and observing demons fighting, my eyes are able to catch every moment, but that doesn't mean I can play for them.' _

Aomine was given the ball once again and dribbled back and forth and behind his form as he bent his knees for his next move. He charged forward, smirking at the sight of the tiger coming behind him in equal speed to stop him. Aomine quickly dribbled the ball with full force to bounce under Kagami's legs and jump back up behind him before the tan male quickly spun around the tiger and headed back to his goal to score.

Kagami cursed under his breath trying to catch up and steal the ball back, but his movements were too rash and quick. Back and forth they went on the court, glaring at his opponent the more Aomine's grin grew.

'_W-What are these movements!?' _Hyuga's eyes widened, seeing the unfamiliarity of Aomine's quick feet. In all of the games he had witness in his life, he had never seen such tactics. _'I can't read them. Is this some kind of anomaly?' _

Kagami's eyes widened, realizing where he was familiar with these types of movements: _'These…are unconventional tricky movements! I have seen this plenty of times in America!' _He continued to block Aomine off, seeing it almost impossible to get the ball away from Aomine's hands. With Aomine's quick tricks, Kagami lost his footing, making him fall back on the court as the blue haired male was set free and rushed forward. _'It's…street ball!'_

Releasing a low chuckle, Aomine jumped up for a dunk, smirking even wider at the sight of Hyuga, Mitobe, and Tsuchida jumping up to meet the ball to stop him.

"No you don't!" shouted Hyuga.

"Three guys?" Hojo's eyes widened.

The miko's eyes expanded, seeing every fluid movement Aomine took in his jump as he was moving behind the basket. Riko quickly curled her fingers into a fist: "he is behind the basket! They stopped him from scoring!"

"No…," whispered Kagome, continuing to see the confidence painted on Aomine's features. Right before the ball could cross the line, Aomine threw the ball over the hoop's board, easily making it in with everyone frozen in shock. "What…was that?" whispered Kagome.

Kuroko's fingers tightened into his palm, seeing that Aomine had definitely learned new things since middle school. The crowd cheered in amazement of Aomine's display in skill as he came onto his feet and turned towards the court.

Shaking her head, Riko's eyes shook, not wanting to believe what she had witness: "W-What…bullshit...there is no way he could have made that shot!"

"Aomine-kun's basketball is more than aggressive," whispered the miko, "it is almost…messed up. Theory doesn't work against him!"

Kagami stood on his feet, sending the smirk back towards the tan male: "The Generation of Miracles is full of ridiculous guys."

* * *

"Oh, interesting," Koga rested his chin on his palm, seeing the red head come to the center of the court and meeting with Aomine once more as the ball was met with his hand. The sound of the dribbled ball echoed throughout as the two continued on a strong glare match. "That boy, what is his name?"

"Huh? You mean Kagamicchi?" questioned Kise.

"Um…," Koga blinked, lowering his eyes, "his name is Kagamicchi?"

Midorima released a sigh: "Kagami Taiga. He is a first year at Seirin."

"Hm, not bad for a first year," Koga gave himself a nod. "I can see potential in him, but he still needs a lot of work."

"You can tell?" Kise tilted his head to the side.

Koga chuckled under his breath: "I can tell many things that these players need with just simple observation. But it looks like Kagome can see it too."

Both males blinked before coming to see Seirin's manager with tight focus on the two aces on the court. They quickly took notice on how fast her pupils could follow Aomine's and Kagami's movements without trouble. Was she that focused?

The older male's eyes narrowed: _'But that boy…Kagami…he doesn't have much strength left to continue on.'_

Koga leaned back, crossing his arms: "in all sports, including basketball, fundamental movements and the ideal form have been polished throughout the sport's history. Because they have been refined to perfection, their options are limited and can be predicted. This gives rise to a strategic battle between the offense and defense. That is what makes this a game." Koga released a low chuckle. "Quite easy you all have it with rules and predictions of your opponents. But over the years in my experience of the sports industry, I can see how much the games have evolved to the point where even the opponent can guess the other's moves. But…," Koga's vision landed on the blue haired male, "he is going against all rules."

* * *

Dribbling the ball in place, head to head with the tiger, Aomine charged forward, not surprised that Kagami's reflexes reacted to run against him. Running to the corner of the court, Aomine aimed his shot, watching as Kagami extended his arm to stop him.

Riko shook her head: "W-What the heck is he thinking!? Aomine-kun is far from the hoop in that angle!"

"You can't get past me!" shouted Kagami. "There isn't a shot you can make from that position!"

With a smirk to match his shot, Aomine threw the ball with one hand, quickly letting it hit the backboard and straight into the net.

All eyes widened at the sudden shot. There was no form. No strategy. Kagome's fingers dug deeper into the clipboard: _'What was that shot? What that a hook shot? No…that was not a hook shot. There is no form to Aomine-kun's dribbling or shooting…that much I can tell. It is almost as if he is limitless and impossible to defend against.'_

Aomine walked over to the center who was passed the ball by Imayoshi into his hands. Standing still, Aomine began to dribble the ball in place with the only sound covering the stadium. Small and slow steps were taken by the blue haired male as he made his way forward, seeing his next obstacle being Seirin's captain.

With a small chuckle, Aomine's eyes darted to the side, letting the ball go to the other direction. Hyuga blinked, seeing the ball free from Aomine's grasps and extend out his own hands to grab the ball. _'What is it with this guy all of a sudden? His play is full of gaps now.'_

In inches away from grabbing the ball, Hyuga's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Aomine's arm extending out and grabbing the ball away from his own grasp and quickly dashing forward. Hyuga cursed under his breath with his head looking over his shoulder: _'Crap! It's an irregular change of pace!'_

"You bastard…," glared Kagami before coming to a full jump up in front of Aomine, seeing him aim for the hoop.

"He's jumping even…," whispered Kagome, "…higher!"

Aomine chuckled, feeling his body slowly parallel down in mid-air as he held the ball in his hands: "Hai. Hai. You can jump high. Good for you, but I'm tired of this."

All eyes were filled in shock, seeing the very laid-back shot Aomine released as the ball swiftly went over Kagami's head and into the basket. The miko stood frozen in her spot, not believing what she had witnessed: _'He scored with his body almost parallel to the ground!' _

Riko cursed under her breath: "usually the best players shoot at a consistent height, but Aomine-kun is all over the place. And he doesn't miss!"

The tiger's eyes tightened more, seeing no gap for an answer to stop his opponent. _'Damn it! I can't predict what he is going to do next! Fine! Then I'll just have to score more than him!' _Seeing his captain with the ball, Kagami signaled him to pass the ball and caught it straight into his hands while making his way to the hoop.

He stopped in his run and grabbed the ball between both his hands the moment Aomine slid in front of him, both staring in a glare for the win. Passing by the tan male, Kagami smirked, preparing himself for a jump only to feel the ball being pushed down and away from his hands. His eyes widened at the sight of Aomine having appeared in front of him with a smirk.

"Sorry," whispered Aomine. "You're so slow I took the ball."

Aomine quickly captured the ball into his hand and dribbled back over to the opposite hoop with Kagami tailing behind.

"Get back here!" shouted Kagami. Kagami quickly made a jump behind Aomine to push the ball away only for his body to make contact with Aomine's, widening the eyes of Seirin's bench. The referee blew the whistle, seeing the foul but all eyes landed on the tan male as his hand snaked behind his back and flicked his wrist to throw the ball to the hoop.

Everyone around watched as the ball made it into the hoop with ease even with Kagami's contact. The miko's eyes landed on the smug look on Aomine's expression: _'Kagami-kun…can't stop him…'_

"Basket counts! One free throw!" shouted the referee.

Kagome sighed: "Bakagami…"

"That boy is so getting it later!" Riko huffed, crossing her arms before coming to see the rest of Seirin dripping in sweat. Exhaustion was definitely covering them. She could only hope that their will to win would continue till the end.

Aomine released a smirk upon his legs connection back onto the ground: "This isn't you basketball, is it?" He caught the attention of everyone on the court as he turned to face them. "The only one who can beat me is me. You can't fight me on your own."

All eyes traced over to his form, watching him walk over to Seirin's bench. Kagome tensed as the tan male stood in front of her with his blue orbs staring down to hers. His finger came up and signaled Kuroko from behind. "Come on out, Tetsu. Let's settle this." Another chuckle was set free. "Eh, neko-chan? Will you let him play now?"

The miko's eyes narrowed: _'Dammit…and we are twenty points behind now. We have no choice…,' _with much pain to do so, her eyes traveled over to Riko, seeing her thinking the same.

Riko gave her a slight nod before coming to look at the phantom player: "Kuroko-kun."

"Hai."

Kagome looked over her shoulder, watching him remove his white t-shirt: "Will you be okay?"

"I'm fine," he smiled. "I've had plenty of time to rest. I'm going." He patted the miko's shoulder before coming to stand beside her and seeing the grin spread on Aomine's lips.

"Heh…good. Show me the strength of the new lights and shadow," he spoke. He walked back to the main court, leaving the two in silence.

"Seirin, member change!"

Tsuchida came back into the bench, giving Kuroko a high-five before stepping into the court. The miko handed Tsuchida a towel before setting her eyes on the phantom player. _'Kuroko-kun…'_

Kuroko walked over to the tiger, seeing him avoid the eye contact. Kagami scoffed: "Sorry. It's even harder by myself than I imagined."

"Sumimasen, I don't understand," added Kuroko. "We always intended to fight together. If winning were so simple, it would be too easy."

"Uruse…I know!"

Both males looked over to the miko, seeing her send them off with a small smile. The duo gave her a nod in which she returned before turning their gazes to the opponent.

"Let's go!" shouted Kagami.

"Yeah, bring it on," smirked Aomine.

Kagome's clipboard was brought to her chest, watching them take their places before seeing the ball being passed to Wakamatsu after the whistle was blown. _'Onegai…Kami-sama…please help us.'_

In only a few seconds, Wakamatsu ran over to the hoop and made the shot, making Tōō run back in defense. With quick reflexes, Kuroko caught the ball in his hand and spun in place before setting the ball free to the other side of the court.

Imayoshi turned his head over his shoulder: _'That's the cross-court pass they used in the Shutoku game!'_

Aomine's eyes trailed the ball over into Kagami's hand, seeing him ran over to the hoop right after. Cursing under his breath, the tan male chased after the tiger, seeing that Kuroko was being serious for their win.

Kagome blinked, noticing the blue haired male already having caught up with the tiger in speed as he dribbled away. _'Just how fast is he!?'_

The tiger smirked before sending the ball behind him and over to Hyuga's hands. Aomine's eyes widened slightly as he looked over his shoulder to see the same smirk on Seirin's captain.

"What's wrong, Kagami?" scoffed Hyuga. "That was a pretty nice pass." Taking his aim, Hyuga released the ball.

The miko looked over her shoulder, hearing the prayers from the benched players to make the shot. "Please make the shot, Captain!" shouted Furihata.

"What!?" exclaimed Hyuga, pushing in his glasses the moment the ball went into the net.

"It went in!" Furihata pumped his fist in the air.

"Our first score in the second half!" smiled Koichi.

Releasing an irritated sigh, Hyuga caught their attention: "Quit praying, first years." He shot them a glare as he pointed his finger to them: "When I am shooting, get ready to celebrate!"

Riko sighed, raising a brow: "Looks like he is in his clutch time."

"Looks like it," Kagome smiled nervously, watching the captain run back in defense.

"Let's keep it up!" shouted Hyuga.

With the game continuing on, Imayoshi's eyebrows furrowed the moment Kuroko intercepted in front of him to grab the ball. _'Dammit! What am I, stupid!? I didn't see him coming!'_

Kuroko quickly threw the ball over to Shun, seeing him free from any blockers and smiled the moment Shun made the shot with ease. Kagome released a held breath, seeing the two high-five each other. _'Two baskets in a row…perhaps we will be okay…,' _the miko stopped in her mental thoughts as she felt a rise of anger yet excitement brewing in the court. Her eyes immediately darted out for the source only to see Aomine standing still with his fingers curling in. _'Aomine-kun…?'_

The tan male gave himself a mental chuckle: _'it really is completely different when you are playing.' _Seeing the phantom player walk past him, Aomine sighed: "You're still the same, Tetsu. You really haven't changed since middle school."

Kuroko looked over his shoulder, seeing the slight dark emotion in his former teammate's eyes.

"Not at all," whispered Aomine. He turned his body to face Kuroko: "I'm disappointed. You still think you can beat me?"

The phantom player's eyes narrowed slightly: "I do. This is my basketball and I intend to keep my promise to Kagome-chan."

"Promise eh?" smirked Aomine. "Very well, then I will show her how much getting your hopes up can be crushing." He charged forward, seeing the ball in Seirin's hands.

Kuroko resumed in his concentration and ran beside the Shun before watching Hyuga pass the ball over to him. Preparing his palm, Kuroko pushed the ball with an Ignite Pass, aiming for Kagami's person only to come frozen as the ball was stopped mid-way by Aomine's hand.

The miko's eyes widened, along with everyone else after seeing one of Tōō's members actually catch one of Kuroko's passes. Kagome shook her head: _'I-Impossible…!'_

"Who do you think has caught more of your passes?" smirked Aomine.

"No!" exclaimed Riko.

Kagome's eyes narrowed: "Not even Takao-kun could catch Kuroko-kun's passes…"

"Damn it!" cursed Kagami, seeing that the pass was intercepted. His eyes widened, watching as Aomine dribbled the ball over Shun and passed Hyuga with ease before appearing before Mitobe and jumping up for a dunk. With quick speed, Kagami and Kuroko appeared in front and jumped up to defend the hoop only to be brought down from the strong impact of Aomine's dunk.

The miko's eyes widened, seeing the true power Aomine was displaying. _'H-He…passed five guys. All by himself...,' _she gulped nervously, seeing both Kagami and Kuroko down on the court trying to catch their breaths as Aomine landed back heavily on the court.

"How sad," Aomine's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You haven't changed at all since middle school. You haven't improved. Akashi was right. Your basketball will never win."

* * *

Koga sighed: "Well, that is that."

"Huh?" blinked Kise.

"Seirin is losing stamina and it seems like the light in Seirin's ace is coming down. I am sure Kagome is noticing this too. She has always been able to tell when one is in pain," Koga crossed his arms. "But it looks like that phantom player's spirit is being crushed down. Look."

Both teens looked over to see Kuroko's passes being intervened over and over again by Aomine before making a shot.

"Kuroko's passes are no longer going to work. They have already reached the fourth quarter and Tōō is at eighty-two points leaving Seirin behind at forty-eight. The gap is wide," Koga's eyes narrowed, seeing the sudden change in Kagome's expression as her focus was laid on Kagami. _'Looks like she noticed it.'_

* * *

Kagome blinked, seeing Aomine running back to defense, leaving the tiger come to a halt in his spot. Raising a brow, she watched Kagami beginning to limp with most of his support being on one leg. _'He…overexerted the use of his legs!' _The miko shook her head, seeing the small steps Kagami was taking back to the center of the court. _'No…he is done!' _

She quickly looked over to the coach: "Riko-senpai, pull Kagami-kun out!"

"Huh?"

"His legs," she whispered, watching as Riko's attention was drawn over to the tiger, seeing his small limps.

Riko's eyes widened seeing the stats in which Kagami's legs were at. She could understand Kagome's worry now that she was observing his walk. The idiot had been using his other leg to avoid the usage of the other! Baka! Walking over to the referee table, she spoke to the men.

Kagome closed her eyes, knowing that pulling Kagami out would anger him…but any further strain and she could see that the injury would only worsen to the point where he could no longer play. She didn't want that. She didn't want him to get injured and stop him from loving his passion.

"Seirin, member change!" the referee blew the whistle.

"Kagami-kun…," called out Riko, watching as Tsuchida began to stretch his arms.

Kagami blinked, turning his attention over to the bench: "Oi! Why again!? There is no problem with the taping!"

"Just get on the bench," sighed Tsuchida.

"I'm fine! Besides, the game is still going! I can't leave now!"

"Kagami-kun!" shouted Riko.

Kagami's eyes narrowed: "I can't back away now! We still have to continue on-!"

"Just get on the bench!"

Eyes widened at the owner of the command. Kagami's eyes shook, watching the anger and worry pouring from the miko's eyes as she clutched at her clipboard down to her side. The tiger flinched upon seeing the miko angry. He had never seen her so upset.

Kuroko blinked, watching as Kagami's fingers curled back into his palm. Had Kagami's legs worsen?

"But-!"

"No buts!" she shouted again. "Now get over here or I will drag you myself!" How much she hated to yell, but the baka was being stubborn with an injury. An injury! How many times had she had to stop Inuyasha from going into a reckless battle as he was injured himself? She hated to see people she cared about worsen because she couldn't stop them. Even Kagami ended up hating her…she didn't want to see him any worse.

Her eyes landed on his legs, watching him slowly walk over to the bench and pass by her person. Her vision was glued on the wooden court, feeling the rise of anger in Kagami's aura. _'He has been avoiding use of his injured leg and placed the heavy burden on his other leg.'_

Riko sighed, watching as Kagami sat on the bench after placing a towel over his head. She looked over at the miko, seeing her own guilt. "We can't let him play anymore in this game," she observed his legs once more, "or during the remaining two days of the championship league."

Kagome nodded slowly, not finding any words to form. She took one last glance at the tiger behind her, seeing his head dropped down in shame. _'Gomen…Kagami-kun…'_

Momoi blinked from her side of the bench, watching the whole scene unfold. She heard a slight sigh passing by Hojo's lips: "Do you think the game will be over soon, Momoi-san? All there is left is Kuroko-san. What should we do?"

The pink haired female sighed before placing her clipboard face down on her lap: "Nothing. Nothing else is necessary anymore."

* * *

Kise cursed under his breath: "Looks like that is it for Kagamicchi…"

"Looks like it," glared Midorima. "The idiot."

"But that is the first time I have ever seen Kagomecchi so angry. First time I ever heard her yell like that," Kise's shoulders slumped, seeing Seirin's spirits lowering.

Koga leaned onto the rim of the balcony: "She did it for his sake. A smart move from her. If she shouted it was for him to listen. She rarely gets angry, but she knew that Kagami would get mad at her for forcing him out of the game when they are so close to the end, but Kagami's legs are at their limit. Another jump and he could have easily torn his muscles."

"Seriously!?" exclaimed Kise.

Midorima's eyes narrowed, watching the miko stand still on her spot without looking back at the tiger. "So she saved his legs."

"More or less," whispered Koga, "but the game has already been decided."

* * *

Wakamatsu blinked, watching as Kagami's hands tightened in fists as his head was hidden underneath the white towel. "Oi, oi. He is crazy," he whispered, catching Ryo's attention.

"Huh?"

"Is he going to kill someone?" he questioned. "Everyone who has played against Aomine so far has given up or stood there stunned once they see how much better he is. Either way, they lost their will. But even after losing this badly, and even more than before, he is radiating rage. I've never seen anyone like him."

Aomine's eyes glided to the corner, seeing the miko's focus on Kuroko. Clearly she was blaming herself now. He released a scoff before coming back to resume the game, watching as Wakamatsu passed the ball over to Susa who easily made a basket.

Hyuga cursed under his breath: _'Dammit! Our defense can't stop Aomine and they already know what our offense will do because of Momoi!" _His eyes tightened upon seeing basket after basket being made on Tōō's side even with all their effort on defense. _'Shit! And we are forty point behind! There is nothing we can do!'_

Riko walked forward to stand beside the miko, seeing she was too silent and focused on finding a way to win. "Kuroko-kun has already passed his limit…I almost feel like subbing him out for Koganei-kun."

The miko watched as Aomine was given the ball and dribbled in place. Tall and strong he stood before the phantom player. She could feel her own hopes fading away. Was this really it? Was this all they could do against Aomine?

Aomine chuckled under his breath, watching Kuroko stand before him with determination. "This was quicker than I expected. It's already decided. Your special pass didn't work, you're out of stamina, and your light is gone. Your misdirection stopped working a while ago. Now you are worse than the average player. There is no such thing as a quick comeback in basketball." The smirk on Aomine's lips stretched. "I win, Tetsu."

Kagome shook her head, seeing the low drop in Kuroko's aura. _'No! I can't give up! If one person gives up, the rest follow!' _Kagome took a step forward, surprising the coach and the rest on the bench. "Seirin! Continue on until the end! Don't lower your heads! We are still standing behind you!"

The tan male's eyebrow rose with a glare as he dribbled the ball. His eyes glued on the miko who had given her team some encouragement to continue. She was wasting her time. He drew his attention over to the phantom player, seeing a different shine in his eyes.

Kuroko's teeth clenched together upon hearing Kagome's words. She wasn't giving up…then he wasn't going to neither. "It's not over yet," he whispered. "The possibility of victory is only zero percent when all the players and supporters give up. No matter how impossible it may seem, I refuse to make it zero percent myself. Kagome-chan is giving a small percentage herself and that is enough to make us continue." His eyes rose to meet Aomine's in a mid-glare. "That is why I won't give up!"

Aomine's eyes widened slightly at the new determination painted in Kuroko's eyes. All attention was on the two before coming to stare at the miko who held a strong stand.

Hyuga chuckled under his breath: _'Looks like we can't sub Kuroko out now. Kagome-chan and he are showing more determination than us.' _He released a sigh before sharing a few glances over to his teammates. His eyes landed over to the bench: "Oi, bench! Don't you dare gloom!"

Koganei quickly wrapped his arms around Koichi's and Furihata's shoulders: "Keep your voices up until the end! The guys on the court haven't given up yet! You can't sit here quietly!"

The miko smiled upon hearing the benched players cheer on the defense, making her take a glimpse of Kagami's head finally up from his anger. She sent him the small smile with a nod in which he returned. Her eyes glided over to the court, seeing Seirin in position. _'Do you best…everyone.'_

"Let's close the gap one shot at a time," whispered Hyuga over to Mitobe. "Keep running until the very end."

"Of course," chuckled Shun.

Aomine released a laugh, seeing Seirin back on their feet. His eyes fell back onto the phantom player in front of him: "I'll acknowledge one thing, Tetsu. You found yourself a light that won't dim." He quickly passed by Kuroko before making the dunk.

Kagome and the rest of the bench cheered for their team, watching each try to stop Aomine and Tōō was becoming harder and harder. Only with Tōō's scores coming up and theirs frozen in place. The miko's hand dropped to her side as the last minute ticked by. Holding the small smile in her lips, she watched as the team continued until the last second struck the buzzer.

No one gave up and everyone gave it their all until the end. But the scores had only been getting wider between the two teams, leaving Seirin with only false hope. She was surprised that even with the loss…no one shed a tear. Not one. Nothing but silent cries inside.

They were completely crushed.

They…had lost.

* * *

Kise and Midorima stood silently, watching as Seirin all held their heads down. Even they were shocked internally over the results. They had actually thought Seirin had a chance against Tōō. But they had seem to forgotten that Aomine was the trump card they knew was hard to flip.

Kise's eyes landed over to Kuroko, seeing his shoulder shake. "Kurokocchi…"

The green haired male's eyes glided over to the tiger, seeing his fist shake from the anger. "Looks like this will affect them greatly."

Koga released a sigh, already seeing the slight hold Kagome was having against her tears. It took him years to learn himself about the sports and hold back his demon abilities. He could only feel how hopeless and useless Kagome felt. Leaning away from the balcony, he took out his phone, catching the attention of Kise and Midorima.

"Ano, where are you going, Koga-san?" questioned Kise.

The older male stopped in his tracks with his back given to the two basketball players. "Looks like I need to make a few phone calls and make my move."

"Huh?" blinked Kise. He watched as Koga walked out the balcony, leaving him with Midorima. "What is he talking about, Midorimacchi?"

"I don't know," glared Midorima, "but I have a feeling this isn't the last time we will be seeing him." He began to walk way, catching Kise's attention.

"Oi! Aren't you shocked at all by these results!?" he exclaimed over to his former teammate.

Midorima sighed: "You should be worried about Kuroko instead of me." He looked over his shoulder, seeing the confusion written on the blonde's face.

"What?"

"Kuroko's basketball was completely useless against Aomine. It must be psychologically damaging," he explained. "Not only that, but Seirin is still a young team. It won't be easy for them to come back from that overnight. But it looks like Higurashi has a lot to grow from this too. I am sure she is hit hard just like the rest of them. We can only hope it won't affect their remaining two games."

He walked away, leaving Kise to look back at Seirin walking away from the court in silence. None of them were uttering a word. His golden eyes landed on the miko, seeing her at the end of the group as she stood still, staring at her clipboard. Surprisingly to him…he had never felt such pain from being reflected on the miko's eyes.

* * *

Walking out the stadium doors, Koga held the phone beside his ear, waiting for the answer. Hearing the line connect, he smirked: "About time you answered."

"_We don't all have free time like you, you damn wolf. What do you want? I am busy too you know?" _

"What? Getting snacks?" Koga's eyebrow rose as he walked away from the stadium.

"_Shove it, Koga! I can kick your ass now! I am not small anymore!" _

"Hai. Hai, kit," Koga's eyes narrowed. "Do you know if **he **is busy at the moment?"

Silence was shared between the call before hearing a reply from the other side. _"I know he has a meeting tomorrow until one in the afternoon. Why?" _

"Looks like we need to have a meeting ourselves."

"_About?" _

"Looks like our little miko needs our help."

"_Miko?" _There was a slight pause. _"Okaa-san!?" _

* * *

"Damn it!" Kagami's fist punched the locker, his eyes tightening with anger and the memory of their score.

The team stood and sat in silence as the memory of their loss was fresh. The miko stood beside the wall, watching as Kagami was on one side while Kuroko sat on the other, his back towards the team. She sighed, seeing Riko stand before the team. _'Their energy…is completely gone.'_

Riko placed her hands on her hips: "Miina! We still have two more games against Meisei and Seishinkan! We don't have time to be sad!"

Silence continued to press, no one wanting to raise their eyes. Kagome lowered her head as she moved to the side, letting the rest of the players leave the locker room for their next game. Riko followed suit, stopping to see Kagome down in her own swirl of anger and sadness. She parted her lips, wanting to help her stand back up to the old Kagome they knew. The one who held everyone else. Her eyes glided over her shoulder, seeing the still Kuroko and Kagami in place. She only hoped that one of the three would come up and bring the other two with them.

She nodded slowly before coming out of the locker room, leaving the trio inside. Riko sighed, seeing Hyuga standing with the rest of the team. "So? Are they coming?"

"They…need a moment alone," she whispered, coming back to stare at the closed door. "Those three will not forget this…"

* * *

The miko could feel the heaviness of the silence pushing her down as she stood. She didn't want to talk nor see the two, afraid that her words could choke her or her eyes finally released the tears she had been holding back.

"Oi."

Kuroko and Kagami jumped slightly at the heavy tone coming from the tiger, both still unable to look at him.

"This…might be our limit," he whispered. His eyes landed to the still phantom player before coming to see the miko's head down. "I thought…we could go further, but…look at us."

She and the phantom player knew where this was going. No doubt in their mind that Kagami was trying to sugar-coat the words. Kagome gripped the side of her skirt, wanting to yell at him for being an idiot and delivering those words to them. Nothing pained her more than hearing him speak like that and knowing Kuroko was being pained by them.

"In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together," he continued. He walked away from the phantom player and stopped beside the miko, seeing her eyes widen. She slowly turned to face him, her shock hitting him straight that his words had indeed stabbed them both. "Gomen…Kagome, Kuroko." He opened the door to exit and left the two inside.

The miko reached for the door, only to let it close. What was she going to say or do? She wanted to stop him and bring him back. Her body stiffened at the soft tone of Kuroko's voice.

"Kagome-chan."

She refused to look back. Afraid of his own words.

"Sumimasen…"

'_No…stop. Stop. Don't apologize!'_

"If only we were stronger…," Kuroko's shoulders slumped before coming to stand on his feet. Walking over to the miko, he stood behind her: "…sumimasen, Kagome-chan."

The miko watched as his hand came to open the door and exited out, slowly letting the door come back. Kagome shook her head before opening it wide and running out, stopping in her feet as she watched Kuroko walking over to their next match.

"C-Chotto!" she shouted. "Why are you two acting like this is the end?! We can't give up! This is not our limit! This…can't be our…limit…,"

Kuroko stopped in his tracks before lowering his head: "I know it isn't…"

Her cerulean orbs watched as he walked into the entrance of the court once more, leaving her in the dark hallway.

It streamed down. The reality of the loss was finally set in form of tears as they slowly slid down her cheeks. Kagami had set the reality of their limit. Kuroko was lost in himself. She…was stuck. She didn't know the answer on what to do next or what to say.

The hope was gone…

Leaning to the door, Kagome closed her eyes, letting the tears continue to stream down. How long had it been since she felt this vulnerable and weak? This wasn't her…this wasn't her…

'_Gomen…Kuroko-kun…Kagami-kun…'_

Brown orbs blinked upon witnessing the miko's silent cries to herself. He wanted to comfort her and give her words to push her forward, but he could not find the courage to do so. The brunette male took a step forward only to stop at the call of one of Tōō's benched members as they went into their locker room.

"Oi, Hojo! Come on!"

"Uh…hai…"

* * *

Wakamatsu pumped his fist high in the air as the team gathered and rested inside their locker room. "We destroyed our opponents in our first game of the championship league!"

"We know," sighed Imayoshi, lowering his water bottle from his lips. "You don't have to yell."

Momoi sighed as she clutched her clipboard close to her chest and looked over her shoulder to see Aomine's back to the rest of the team. Surely he was happy that he won against Seirin, right?

"You know, I thought they would be stronger, considering they beat Shutoku."

All eyes glided over to the benched players as they stood in front of their lockers. The male laughed: "Especially number eleven Kuroko, right? He was absolute shit towards the end! He was real uptight about it until the very end. He and the rest of the team should have given up sooner."

"Ha! And did you see their manager?" laughed another player, catching the attention of the rest of the team. "She was out in the hallway crying! Seriously! After that display of determination she only humiliated herself and the whole team!"

Momoi blinked: "Manager?"

"Yeah! That girl on Seirin's team was crying alone. Right, Hojo?"

Hojo rose his eyes from the floor as he leaned against the wall, blinking after hearing his name. "Huh?"

"Seirin's manager was crying huh?" smirked the male. "Quite pathetic."

Hojo's eyes lowered once more, remembering the heartbroken tears Kagome had displayed. Although she was crying all on her own…witnessing it was even more painful. The sound of a heavy body clashing with locker room was heard as all eyes were on Aomine as he had grabbed the male by the collar of his t-shirt and held him high, piercing him with his glare.

"You sure talk a lot for someone who didn't play," glared Aomine. "It's annoying, so shut up!"

"Aomine!" shouted Wakamatsu. "What are you doing? Let him go!"

With one last grip, Aomine dropped the male onto the floor before leaving the locker room, knowing very well he had stares stabbing him from behind. Momoi blinked, watching the door close: _'Dai-chan…'_

* * *

Coming out of the locker room, Aomine stopped in his tracks as he saw the miko from the corner of his eyes. He stood still, hearing the soft cries as she kept her face low. He could see the drops of her sadness coming to stain the floor.

He placed his hands inside his pockets and walked over to the miko, surprised that she had not reacted to the sound of his steps.

"Oi."

The miko blinked away her watery sight and noticed the familiar shoes in front of her. That voice…her eyes quickly rose to the owner of the tone and couldn't help but feel her pupils widen. She cleared her tears from her eyes and gave the male a glare.

"What do you want, Aomine-kun?"

The male remained silent, seeing the stains of her dry tears on her cheeks. "Why are you crying?" he questioned.

Kagome was taken back by his sudden question, but quickly brushed it over. "That is none of your concern," looking away, the miko stepped to the side and headed to follow her team only to be stopped by Aomine's grip on her forearm.

"Why are you crying?" he questioned again, his eyes glued on the vacant spot she had been occupying.

The miko pressed her lips together, wanting to break but she had to hold in her anger. Her guilt. So many things she wanted to say to his guy….so many!

"I thought you were stronger than this," he commented, surprising her slightly.

Her eyes widened at the floor, continuing to feel his grip on her arm. She relaxed slightly, continuing to hear his words.

"Kagami was the weak light in Kuroko's shadow, but I admit to one thing and one thing only, neko-chan," he turned his head slightly to the side, seeing the back of her head. "If those tears are for giving up, don't bother continuing on with the basketball team. I still wait for your challenge, neko-chan." His fingers slowly unwrapped from her arm, setting her free. "Hope this is not the last I will see you."

The miko's ears heard the echoing sound of his steps going farther and farther away, leaving her completely surrounded by the memory of his words. Her fingers curled into her palms before letting one last tear curl down her cheek.

* * *

The next day had arrived in a blink of an eye, but the memory of the game that left everyone in shock was definitely still lingering fresh. The blonde male sighed, clutching his school bag over his shoulder before coming to hear the echoing sound of a basketball being dribbled inside the gym.

Blinking, he opened the door, not surprised to see Kaijo's captain practicing on his own after school even with no scheduled practices. Making his way inside, he gave his captain a wave matching it with a smile. "Yo!"

"Kise…," Kasamatsu's eyebrow rose, seeing it abnormal to see the model coming in with no practice on his plans.

"Senpai, would you like to play some one-on-one?" he smiled, placing his school bag down on the ground.

"Would I?" whispered the Kaijo captain. "I thought you went to watch the final game of the championship league yesterday."

"I did," he replied.

Kasamatsu blinked as he held the ball between his hands: "And? How did it turn out?"

Kise sighed, scratching his cheek: "Well, let's just say it made me feel like playing basketball."

"That's not what I am asking!"

With a light chuckle, Kise nodded, looking down to the ground with the image of the miko and Kuroko coming into his mind. "Seirin…lost, that much I can tell you."

"Eh?" Kasamatsu was surely taken back. He had never imagined Seirin to lose after they had been beaten by them and beat Shutoku. Composing himself back, Kasamatsu dribbled the ball: "And? How did Seirin look afterwards?"

Kise's eyes dropped into a soft glare: "…let's just say I never want to see a girl so heartbroken."

"Huh?"

"Come on, Kasamatsu-senpai! Let's play!" Kise quickly stole the ball from the Kaijo captain and dribbled away.

"Oi! Teme!"

Kise aimed for a shot, eyeing the hoop: _'...Kagamicchi. Kurokocchi…Kagomecchi…hang in there!'_

* * *

Kagome sighed as she looked out the window of her class. Having afterschool cleaning duties surely was a pain, but at the moment, she didn't mind it. It at least gave her something to do and think away from the basketball game. Her heart was torn more after Seirin had gone against Meisei and Seishinkan and lost. Their goal of the Inter-High had ended.

Her hands placed the broom back into the storage room from behind, hearing Yuka chatter with Ayumi about a new candy shop. Her cerulean orbs dropped once more before coming to stare at the clouds. How long had it been since she spoke to Kagami and Kuroko? After the championship league…neither of them had even tried to look at each other.

"Ano, Kagome-chan?"

The miko turned her head over her shoulder, seeing Ayumi pointing at her phone placed on her desk.

"Someone is calling you."

"Hm?" the miko blinked before coming to stare at the caller. _'Riko-senpai? Oh, there is practice today, huh?' _Kagome flipped the device open: "Riko-senpai, hello?"

"_Ah! Kagome-chan! I am glad you answered! I have a favor to ask of you!" _

"Huh? What is it?"

"_Do you have that other uniform that was left in the basketball storage room? The one with the number seven?" _

Kagome blinked again, coming to stare outside. After she had given each member a new uniform, it had been weird that one was left over and Riko had simply told her to place it inside the storage room for later. It had not crossed her mind since then.

"Um, yeah? Why?"

"_I need you to take it to the address I will send you after you are done with cleaning duties."_

Kagome stared at the phone from the corner of her eyes before answering: "Wait…don't we have practice today?"

"_You need to do this favor as Seirin's basketball manager. Don't worry about the team, I will shape them back up," _Kagome could almost hear the smile behind Riko's words.

"Um…okay…wait, Riko-senpai? How is…Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun?"

"_Huh? You haven't spoken to them?" _questioned Riko through the phone. _"Don't tell me you three haven't spoken since the tournament?" _

The miko released a sigh: "Its…been hard to make conversation."

"_Well…Kagami-kun went to the hospital this morning and he sent me a text saying the doctor told him that because of his build, his legs take more damage than the norm. His body isn't strong enough to handle the strain of his high jumps. If anything, I think he needs flexibility and muscle training, but…Kagami-kun needs a few days of complete rest. He can practice…just not fully."_

Kagome nodded as she waved goodbye to her friends and headed down the stairs: "…that must be hard on him." Heading towards the basketball storage room outside the gym, Kagome looked for the box of spare uniforms and opened the box. "Well, I have the uniform here. Where do you want me to take it?"

"_I need you to deliver it to someone. I will send the address through a message. Okay, Kagome-chan, I have to round up these dorks! Good luck!' _

"Ah! Chotto! Riko-senpai? Riko-senpai!?" Kagome lowered the phone away from her ear and pouted. "Deliver it to who?" With a low sigh, Kagome placed her phone inside her school bag and grabbed the large basketball jersey with the number seven stitched in. _'Hm…did she recruit someone else?' _Her phone rung once more, coming back to open the device and see the sent message from the coach. "Sasaki General…Hospital?"

* * *

Riko closed her phone as she stopped pacing in the gym. She only hoped that the person that could help Kagome get her spirits back up, would also come and bring the first-years back. She sighed, looking at the empty court: _'Is it wrong that I am having practice after losing a game?' _Giving herself a bit of thought…she shook her head. _'No…they need this.'_

A small smile curved up her lips: "I just hope he can help Kagome-chan…"

* * *

A sigh passed Koganei's lips as he looked out the window from the boys' locker room. "Nothing is worse than practice after losing a game."

Shun shook his head as he looked through his bag: "Don't say that. You will bring us all down."

"Didn't we mess up a lot of our fast breaks during the Seishinkan game?" whispered Koganei, bringing his attention to his teammates.

"A lot?" blinked Shun. "Maybe like…two."

"Man, this sucks!" he exclaimed back. "I bet we are going to do more three man drills. One point five, maybe twice as much!"

Hyuga removed is shirt, closing his eyes as he heard Koganei's complaint. "No…"

"Huh?" they blinked.

* * *

Riko smiled, seeing her team members all gathered around as she presented herself with a glow. "Miina, why don't we try three times?"

"T-Three times!?" exclaimed the team, leaving Hyuga with a sigh and fake tears running down his cheeks.

"We just finished playing a game!" shouted Koganei.

Shun's hand came up in a plea as it shook: "W-We will die!"

"Eh?" she blinked innocently, rising four fingers. "What's that? Four?"

The team quickly turned around and headed to the center of the court with Hyuga exclaiming to the team: "All right, let's practice! Let's give it our best!" The captain looked around, not seeing the tiger: "Oi, where is Kagami-kun?"

"No idea…," whispered Shun.

"And Kuroko? Is he skipping practice?" he questioned.

"I'm not skipping."

The team flinched back at the sudden appearance of the phantom player who was standing between the captain and Mitobe. Hyuga blinked, composing himself back as he pushed in his glasses: "Oh…okay then! Man, I haven't experienced that in a while!" His eyes landed down, seeing the dog wag its tail to the team. "Ah! Nigou! You are here too?"

Kuroko nodded before coming to see both Koganei and Tsuchida glaring at him.

Koganei smirked: "Today is the day, Kuroko! We will stop you!"

Riko chuckled, watching the team go into a practice game between the two. Her eyes observed the phantom player, seeing his misdirection back to normal, something she sighed contently about. She caught the voices of Koganei's and Tsuchida's argument on not being able to catch and stop Kuroko's passes, making her chuckle once more. _'At least they are back to normal…'_

"Coach."

The female coach jumped slightly at the call of her title, making her look to her side. She blinked seeing the phantom player with Nigou at his feet. "Ah…Kuroko-kun. What's wrong?"

"Ano…have you seen or talker to Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

Riko blinked before feeling her shoulders slump. She heard the ball on the court stop completely in its movement, knowing the question had caught the attention of the team. She released a sigh before coming to let go of her whistle: "I sent her out on a job."

"Job?" repeated Hyuga as the ball was passed to him.

"Hm, have you spoke to her?" she questioned the phantom player.

Kuroko blinked before coming to stare down at the Nigou: "no…not really…"

"Eh…?" blinked Shun. "That is unheard of. Usually the three of you are stuck to each other! Are you three mad at each other?"

The phantom player scratched the back of his head: "It's sort of…complicated. Kagami-kun said something after the game and we…kind of got upset."

Hyuga's eyes narrowed behind his glasses: "What? Are you telling me that idiot opened his mouth and hurt Kagome-chan?" He gave the phantom player an innocent smile. "Well, why don't we show him the proper way to apologize to a girl?"

"And that is why I sent Kagome-chan on a job," smiled Riko, seeing the confusing looks the team gave to her. "It seems like she needed some time off from the court as well. Do you all remember what you said when you joined the team?"

The males' eyes widened slightly upon the coach bringing up their promises from the beginning of their year. Koichi blinked in worry: "are we…really going to do that?" Remembering back to Riko's threat of stripping naked and confessing their love.

With a smile, Riko placed her hand on her hip: "you don't want to lose the next one. Know why? Winter is going to be cold."

"Eh…?" blinked Furihata. "Winter?"

"That's right!" she snapped her fingers together. "The best high school is determined at the summer Inter-High. Then there is the winter championship! The year's biggest and last title to determine the year's strongest team! The Winter Cup! That is where we will put it all on the line!"

Shun's eyes narrowed: "It's our last chance of the year…"

"If we can't win this winter, she will really make us go naked…," whispered Hyuga, dropping his eyes in a gloom. His sights quickly went over to see their coach wearing an innocent smile that only screamed torture.

"But…isn't it the same level as the Inter-High?" questioned Fukuda. "This is going to be tough…"

"And with Kagami gone and Kagome-chan down…what are we supposed to do?" sighed Koganei.

"That is why I sent Kagome-chan away. Hyuga-kun…," Riko blinked, catching the captain's attention, "Teppei should be coming home soon."

Hyuga blinked once…and then again. "E-Eh…? S-Seriously?"

Shun sighed with a smile: "We might see a lot happen…"

"Ano, senpai?" All eyes turned over to Koichi, seeing him with a questioning look. "Uh, who is Teppei-san?"

"Oh, right," nodded Shun. "The first-years haven't met him yet. He is number seven, our ace."

"That's right," smirked Riko, "and the right person to bring Kagome-chan's spirit back up!"

Kuroko blinked, staring at the coach before hearing a low bark coming from the mascot beside his feet. Teppei? Someone who would bring Kagome back from her down mood?

* * *

"Hmm…room 503?" The miko blinked as she matched the message's details to the sign beside the door. After taking the trip down to the hospital, only questioned brewed within. Why had Riko sent her to a hospital of all things and with the Seirin basketball jersey? Her eyes landed on the name below the room number. _'Kiyoshi…Teppei. Perhaps Riko-senpai's friend?' _Clearing her throat, she knocked on the entrance, waiting for a reply.

"Ah! You may come in!"

Come in? The miko looked at her hands holding the jersey before raising her hand to slide the door open. He was going to let her in just like that without asking who she was? Well she did not sense any bad auras from the other side…so her instinct was something she could trust. Very slowly, the door slid open, revealing a neat and organized hospital room with a bag placed over the bed with a few shirts and pants inside. Her eyes landed on the familiar orange ball beside the bag.

'_A basketball?' _

"Oh? I thought you were a nurse."

The miko attention was drawn over to her left, seeing a tall brunette male walking over with a pair of basketball shoes. He held a genuine smile as he made his way to the other side of the bed near the window and placed his shoes inside the bag. His brown orbs landed on her again before coming to see the jersey in her hands.

"Is that…the new jersey?" he smiled.

"Huh?" blinked Kagome, coming to lower her eyes onto the clothing in her possession. The miko slowly extended her hands to deliver the jersey, watching as the male took it with a sheepish smile.

"Mah! These look great!" he released a light laugh. "It feels great holding this once again."

"Ano…"

The male's eyes blinked as he lowered the jersey away from his eyes and noticed the questioning blinks the miko was giving him.

"Are you a member?" questioned Kagome. Did the jersey belong to him? If so…how come she had never seen him at the club?

Scratching the back of his head, the brunette chuckled: "Yes, I am a member of Seirin's basketball club. Must be weird right since you haven't seen me participating. I truly apologize for that, but unfortunately some things came up and I was unable to play for the beginning of the year. You are the new manager, correct?"

Kagome blinked again, watching as he placed his jersey across the bed. "Uh…hai," she nodded. "Higurashi Kagome." She gave him a bow, lowering her eyes just for a second.

"Kiyoshi Teppei," he introduced himself. "Take the 'ki' from 'this tree, what is it? What is this tree?' Plus the 'kichi' of 'good luck' and it is Kiyoshi. A second year at Seirin. I am truly honored to meet Seirin's manager! Riko told me so much about you since you joined."

She was lost. His sudden introduction has lost her: "um...Riko-senpai…?" whispered Kagome, coming back to a straight stand.

Kiyoshi nodded with a smile: "She told me about you and the other first-years. I hear they are quite interesting."

"More or less," she chuckled back. "They are definitely…special."

The tall male nodded, seeing the drop of her lips. "Riko did let me in on the loss. I wish I could have arrived in time to help you all in the tournament." He bowed to the miko, surprising her.

"Ah! No! It's okay!" she shook her head as she waved her hands in front of her. "We…," her memories clicked back to Kagami's words and Kuroko's right after before leaving the locker room. Her hands slowly dropped to her side: "…we were just not strong enough. We had reached our limit…"

"Limit?" he blinked. "What limit? There is no limit unless you set it yourself."

"Huh?" Kagome raised her eyes to meet Kiyoshi's.

Kiyoshi gifted her with another of his smiles: "Since it is your first time losing a game along with everyone else, I know how hard it must have tumbled you down. I know the feeling very well, but those things that are seen impossible to beat or reach should be set as a goal to continue to get stronger…not to back down."

The miko blinked silently, slowly processing his words. She released a low chuckle as she lowered her eyes once more. Of course she knew that there was no limit to a person…but she could only guess that losing against Tōō was something she had not expected. But…she was only down and deep thought since the tournament, thinking of ways to bring Kagami and Kuroko back to their old selves.

Help them remember their goals and dreams.

Get them their resolve back.

Her friends.

"We should use that loss as fuel to help the whole team unite even stronger and sharpen our skills, don't you think, Kagome-chan?" smiled Kiyoshi.

The miko chuckled under her breath before coming give a nod to the taller male. She could see the meaning behind Riko's favor. She definitely needed this. She released a held breath: "Kiyoshi-senpai…would you like to meet the first-years?"

"Oh! I am quite curious about them," he nodded.

"I think you should test them."

"Test them?" he blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know why, Kiyoshi-senpai, but something about you is sure to help them see that this is only the beginning of the journey we have taken as a basketball family."

The male blinked silently, before matching his smile to the miko's. "Very well. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Shun sighed as he opened the door to his locker: "So? What should we do about Kagami? Is he going to be okay?"

"He is resting," Hyuga shook his head as he folded his t-shirt, "but I told him to come watch us play." A tick quickly appeared on his forehead while gripping his towel tightly. "He might be hurt, but he has some balls to not show up! And now with him running his mouth to chase Kuroko and Kagome-chan away! I'll hit him the next time I see him!"

Koganei looked over to a dressed Kuroko and blinked: "Kuroko, you're in his class, aren't you? Do you know anything?"

"No," he replied, closing the door to his locker. "I haven't spoken to him."

"You could have asked him something!" exclaimed Hyuga. "Put some sense into that idiot!"

"Sumimasen," blinked Kuroko, turning over to his captain. "It just seems like Kagami-kun is lost in thought."

"He must already realize that his words pierced through and wounded," whispered Shun. "Kagami needs to learn to think before he talks."

"Like you are one to talk," glared Hyuga.

Kuroko sighed before coming to grab his school bag from the ground and began to walk out the locker room: "Good work." Nigou's eyes dropped slightly as he followed behind his owner in a silent walk.

The team blinked, seeing the door close behind the phantom player. Furihata stopped mid-way from putting on his shirt: "Is he okay?"

"I am sure he will be fine," answered Hyuga.

"No, I mean…Kagami…," whispered Furihata.

Shun nodded with a sigh: "I get the feeling something is wrong with Kuroko. Looks like something was said in that locker room that hit the three very hard. Something that maybe made them run up against a wall or something."

"That is why the moment I see Kagami, I will make him apologize and then I will scold him for skipping practice! With Kagami acting all down, it is affecting Kuroko and Kagome-chan. There is always more to worry about."

Fukuda blinked, seeing Hyuga coming to grab his school's uniform shirt: "Uh, senpai, what is Teppei-san like?"

"Huh?" he blinked back. "Oh…," his eyes dropped down into a bored expression, "Teppei is weird. But I owe him. He is the one who encouraged me to play basketball." Hyuga nodded before coming to stare at his own jersey. "Yeah, he's…the man who created the Seirin High School basketball team."

* * *

Kuroko grabbed a ball from the basket that rested inside the gym, observing the lights that shined over the hoop. He blinked as he came over to stand before the net, holding the ball between his hands. Aomine's words of him not having changed echoing through his mind along with Kagami's speech of their limit.

He heard the light bark coming from Nigou as he sat still on the corner of the court, breaking him away from his mind. Narrowing his focus, Kuroko aimed his throw before setting the ball free. His expression unchanged as the ball hit the rim of the hoop and bounced back onto the ground and rolled past him.

Nigou began to bark with excitement as he ran to chase the orange ball and quickly sniffed the large hand that reached down to grab the ball.

"Come here," chuckled a voice, catching the attention of the phantom player. He blinked, seeing a tall brunette male scratching Nigou's stomach in a squat. "Good boy! Good boy!" His brown orbs met his: "don't you think he looks like you? At least someone told me that he did." The mysterious male grabbed the ball into his grip with ease as he came to a stand: "just like heard, you're not much good at anything besides passing. But who cares, right? I like your basketball."

The male passed the ball over to the phantom player, smiling the moment it landed in his hands. "You're not wrong," he continued. "I heard the story of the match. You're just inexperienced. That's all."

Kuroko watched the male dig his hand into a bag of brown sugar candy.

"Would you like some?" offered the brunette.

"No, thank you."

"Really?" blinked the male. He flicked the round candy up in the air and caught it in his mouth with ease.

"Who are you?" questioned Kuroko, seeing it weird that he knew him and his basketball.

"Kiyoshi Teppei."

Kuroko blinked, finally registering the name. "You're…Kiyoshi-san?"

Kiyoshi chuckled: "Take the 'ki' from 'this tree, what is it? What is this tree?' Plus the 'kichi' of 'good luck' and it is Kiyoshi."

"I see."

"Then, the 'tetsu' in 'dumbbell' and the 'hira' in 'lowly employee' and you get Teppei!"

"Ano…do you want something?" questioned the phantom player, completely dismissing the explanation of his name.

Kiyoshi sent him a smile: "You're interesting. After hearing it from your friend, I can definitely see how interesting you are. You see, basketball is about generalists. It's a sport for guys who can do everything. Put loosely, you will be okay with five scorers who can pass. That doesn't always work, which is why you have positions and sometimes teams keep a specialist as their sixth man. But I've never seen a specialist as extreme as you. It's extraordinary to specialize so thoroughly in a single thing."

Kuroko blinked against, watching as Kiyoshi set his bag of candy down on the ground and took a few steps back. He signaled for the ball in which he passed over. With a smile still on his lips, Kiyoshi dribbled the ball for a few seconds in the same spot as he spoke: "but aren't you the one assuming that is your limit?" He quickly ran ahead and jumped towards the hoop only to miss the shot.

The phantom player's eyes slightly widen at his words. His limit…?

Kiyoshi released a sighed, coming down on his feet and turned around to the phantom player. "It's impressive you can view yourself so objectively and play in that way. But you may be taking it too far. We are still in high school. Believe in your own potential a little more. Someone believes in you more than what you believe in yourself. Isn't that right, Kagome-chan?"

Kuroko's eyes quickly watched as Nigou ran in excited barks towards the entrance of the gym, watching as the miko appeared from behind and squatted down to pet the mascot's head. Kagome's eyes rose to see the slight surprise in Kuroko's expression.

"Whether the possibility is low or high…I will always believe in you and the rest of the team," she spoke. "Just like all of you believed in me when I didn't."

The brunette male chuckled, seeing the miko grab Nigou into her arms before she made her way to them. The miko sent him a smile: "Arigatou…Kiyoshi-senpai."

"Anything for my teammates," he chuckled. "But all there is left is that tiger you all talk about, right? Well, let us see him tomorrow if he shows up! See you two tomorrow!"

"Ah! Kiyoshi-senpai!" Kagome flinched the moment Kiyoshi's foot stepped over his snacks, hearing the sound of almost every candy crush under his weight.

The tall male sighed: "Mah! And I just bought these!"

Kagome laughed nervously before hearing the call of her name.

"Kagome-chan."

Blinking, she looked to her side and noticed Kuroko's eyes on her person.

"Sumimasen," he bowed to the female, surprising her. "I should have not left you like that without knowing how you felt. I will try hard to put that belief you have in me become real."

The miko blushed slightly upon hearing his words, making her eyes run side to side nervously: "Mah…don't worry about it, Kuroko-kun. The past is the past. What is important to move forward…together."

Kuroko rose his head, seeing the smile back on Kagome's person, making him return it ten-fold. His promise to get stronger now had returned for the sake of the team and himself.

* * *

Kagome jotted some notes down as she heard the sounds of the balls echo inside the gym. The next day had rolled in quickly and she had received many stares from the team on her whereabouts the day before. She simply answered that she had delivered a favor to Riko, but she guessed Riko had told them about Kiyoshi already.

"So? How did meeting Teppei go?"

The miko blinked as she turned her head to the side. She sent the coach a small smile: "Very well. He brings…life into the room. I wasn't expecting someone so energetic in the hospital."

"Oh yeah…that is Teppei for you," sighed Riko, crossing her arms as her eyes observed the male dribbling the ball to each other. "But I am happy that life is back in your eyes. I was becoming worried."

"Worried?" blinked Kagome.

"Has Kagami-kun come to you yet?" she questioned, seeing the miko drop her shoulders.

Kagome sighed with her eyes coming to stare at the court. Her vision trailing the phantom player as he practiced on his own. "No…we haven't spoken. It looks like Kuroko-kun hasn't neither and both of them are on the same class. I want to approach him, but I just don't know how."

"Bakagami needs to give an apology before I make him run twenty laps around the school!"

The miko chuckled nervously, seeing the fury burn in Riko's eyes: "Um…I don't think that is the best idea when Kagami-kun needs to heal his legs."

**Bark. **

Blinking at the sudden bark, Kagome lowered her eyes to the black and white furred dog beside her feet. She smiled as she noticed the small smile on his own expression. "Nigou, did Kuroko-kun bring you in again?"

**Bark.**

Kagome squatted down as she petted Nigou's head: "I sure missed you, little one."

Riko smiled, seeing their interaction: "He missed you and everyone else. I think everyone is slowly coming back to their resolve."

The miko's eyes darted ahead, seeing the team breaks into partners for pass practice. She blinked, coming back to stare at the dog: "Ah! I totally forgot! I made something for Nigou!"

"Nigou?" blinked Riko.

Kagome nodded as she scooped Nigou in her arms: "Yeah! I left it in my school bag in the locker room! I will go get it! Come on Nigou, let's show them!"

**Bark. **

The coach blinked, watching as the miko walked out of the gym, leaving her in curiosity. "Hm…," her attention was drawn back to the court, seeing the team's attention was over to the other entrance on the other side.

"Yo."

She blinked again, seeing the familiar red headed male walk in and completely changed in his workout attire. Koganei quickly waved at the tiger: "There he is! Kagami! We were worried about you!"

Hyuga's eyes narrowed as he clutched the ball between his hands: "Kagami, teme! You didn't show up after I told you to!" He flinched back as he saw Kagami in a deep bow.

"Sumimasen…," he whispered.

The captain blinked, not expecting for the tiger to apologize so naturally: "I-If you are going to apologize, just come in the first place! Also," he grabbed the red head by the collar of his shirt, "I heard from Kuroko that you said something to upset Kagome-chan. The apology should by those two!"

Kagami blinked as his eyes glided over to the phantom player and over to search for the miko. "Um…"

"You better!" glared Hyuga, making the rest of the team sweat drop at the threat.

"Hey!"

Riko smiled upon hearing the familiar voice and looked over to the second entrance, seeing the familiar tall brunette standing in his basketball jersey and shorts.

"Let's practice!" smiled Kiyoshi.

The team stood in silence before Riko's eyes dropped without expression as she finally took in Kiyoshi's appearance.

"Good to see you, Kiyoshi…," whispered Koganei.

"Yeah!" he nodded.

"Don't give me that!" shouted Hyuga, grabbing Kiyoshi by the collar after letting the tiger go. "Why are you wearing your uniform!?"

Kiyoshi released a laugh: "I got excited about coming to practice again. Besides, the manager handed it to me personally, so I just couldn't wait to wear it."

"Are you serious?" Hyuga shook Kiyoshi back and forth. "Are you!?"

"Yeah!"

"Are you!?"

"Sumimasen, is this Seirin's basketball team?"

All eyes darted over to the doors to see a male dressed in a tight black t-shirt with khaki pants leaning against the door frame. Riko blinked, seeing the mysterious male with a high black ponytail with a brown sports headband placed over his forehead. This person…

Straightening up, she turned towards the guest: "Aren't you-?"

"Eh!? Ichiro Koga!?" exclaimed Koganei. "The famous professional athlete trainer!?"

Kuroko blinked in silence seeing the smirk rise on the older male's lips. Just how many people were going to appear in a short amount of time? He caught the small chuckle escaping the male's lips as he leaned away from the door frame.

"The one and only," he pointed at himself with his thumb, sending them a wink.

Kiyoshi blinked: "Hm…I read about him recently in a new interview in Basketball Monthly…"

"Yeah," whispered Hyuga. "Looks like he has been taking professional basketball players under his wing and trained them for the national team…"

Fukuda's mouth opened: "W-What is someone like you doing here!?"

"Oh, just here for a visit," he smiled, walking over to the teens. He observed the team, seeing the gleam shine through. His eyes landed on the coach: "Ah, you are Kagetora's daughter, correct? Although he talks so much about you and I have met your old man countless times, this is the first time we have met."

"Ah…hai…," Riko bowed her head slowly. "Nice to meet you. Aida Riko."

"Well Riko-chan," smiled Koga, "I will admit I am quite impressed with how far you have come to coach this team. Not bad."

"Oh? You have been watching us?!" exclaimed Koganei.

"Just recently," chuckled Koga, placing his hands inside his pockets. "Riko-chan's old man told me to go see your match against Tōō and I have to say…you all have a lot of work to do." He noticed the drop in their eyes at the mention of their opponent. He closed his eyes, taking a hand out from his pocket and waving it up and down: "Mah, don't worry though. With the right practice and training, I am sure you will all get to their level."

"Ano…Koga-san?" Riko caught the male's attention, seeing that everyone had the same question. "We feel honored to be visited by someone like you…so unexpectedly and under these circumstances, but…what are you doing here?"

Koga blinked before coming to send them a smile: "Ah, I am here to see my woman."

"Your…woman?" repeated the whole team in unison.

"W-Who?" questioned Hyuga, taking a step forward.

"Kagome of course!" he laughed, dismissing the frozen shock taking over the team.

Kagome!?

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Koga has appeared before Seirin...just imagine Kagome coming in...

Also, Koga will explain to Kagome about how he came in profession and reveal some other stuff you all have been questioning, so don't worry! And also, Kagami, Kuroko, and Kagome will be back together like they were. They just need a little push from the miko.

Also...Riko's cooking is coming soon. Prepare yourselves!

Well, thank you for reading such a long chapter! Hope you all enjoyed!

P.S: New fun poll on my profile!

Please review...?

Ja~ne!


	15. Individual Strengths and Reunions

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** A fast update has arrived! Why you ask? Because I just could not believe the amount of reviews the last chapter received! I am being serious! I did not think it would be that popular, but it was! I hope I don't disappoint in this chapter as we all know Koga has appeared to look for Kagome. Wonder how that will go...

Anyways, I want to thank you all for taking the time to review (and long reviews too)! It pushes me to quickly write the next chapter for all of you because you all deserve it! So I hope you all enjoy! Not much basketball action in this chapter, but we do show Riko's cooking he-he. Fans already know how that goes.

Also, I do warn that Kagome gets sad news in this chapter...so I hope all of you don't kill me on this one. Please? But don't worry, she will be fine!

Well, without further ado...enjoy the new chapter!

**Chapter 15: **Individual Strengths and Reunions

* * *

The team was at a loss for words. Almost as if their whole vocabulary escaped their minds and broken through the windows. Kagome!? His…woman!?

The female coach was the first to come back to reality, realizing that standing frozen would only confuse them further. Taking a step forward, she caught the older male's attention: "Ah…c-chotto matte…your woman? Kagome-chan?"

He nodded with a confident grin: "Yeah. Higurashi Kagome is my woman!"

"Wait…nani!?" exclaimed Hyuga. "Kagome-chan never mentioned in having a boyfriend!"

Koganei blinked, coming to lean towards Mitobe: "…I have never heard of a man call another female his…woman. Is that allowed?"

Mitobe simply shrugged, curious himself on how Kagome had kept a relationship a secret this long.

Raising a brow, Kagami could not help but feel his eyes narrow at the black haired male in front of them. He just claimed their manager as his woman? What this real or was he playing a joke? Besides…was he not older than them!?

"Ano…Koga-san?"

The wolf demon blinked before coming to turn his head to the left and noticing the phantom player staring at him with curiosity. Koga jumped slightly, having not expected to experience his lack of presence so soon. Releasing a light laugh, the older male scratched the back of his head: "ha…I guess what they say about you is true. I barely even sensed you." Koga's eyes glided to the side with a sheepish grin: _'And that is saying a lot when I am a demon…are my senses getting rusty?'_

"Are you Kagome-chan's boyfriend?"

Hearing the question, Koga couldn't help but like the word and chuckled under his breath. "Ho-ho…"

The team waited for his answer.

"I wish."

"Eh…?" the team blinked in unison, leaving Kuroko to tilt his head to the side. What did he mean…he wished?

"Well, to explain-," Koga stopped in his sentence as he heard light footsteps coming inside, making him look over his shoulder. His eyes sparkled at the sight of the woman he was searching for, completely dismissing the gapping mouths of the males behind him – excluding Kuroko and Kagami who stood in confusion and a bit of tension at seeing this famous professional trainer claiming the miko.

But hopefully, their manager could explain a better story than he could.

* * *

"I am glad it fit perfectly," Kagome's eyes lowered onto her arms as she carried Nigou in his new mini jersey. "Kawaii!" Something about dogs always opened up the sweet side of her, but she could only guess it was her long miss of Inuyasha and the Feudal Era.

"Well, let's go show you off, Nigou," with a small smile, she heard Nigou's light bark before setting him down on the floor and watched him run inside the gym doors. Kagome stopped in her tracks and sighed: _'I just hope practice isn't awkward today is Kagami-kun decides to show up.' _

The miko shook her head: _'No. Think positive! You can't be all down for the team! More than anything, they need to be pushed to improve.' _Making her way forward, Kagome turned the corner and into the entrance of the gym, only to see Nigou sitting still with his tail unmoved. She blinked: _'Nigou?' _The miko took a few steps towards the mascot: "Nigou? What's wrong-?"

"Ah! Kagome!"

Hearing her name, Kagome's eyes rose to the owner of the voice only to let shock fill her inside as she noticed the confusing stares of Seirin on her and the male heading her way with open arms. What was this familiar aura? She blinked before fully taking in his features of his high black ponytail and those eyes she could never forget.

"K-Koga…?" she whispered.

The whisper of his name was not missed, only making him grin wider. He was definitely content that the miko had not forgotten him after this many year, but then again, to her it had only been a year but for him…hundreds of years.

"The one and only," he grinned, coming closer to the miko. "How is my woman doing?"

Oh that same tick appeared on the miko's forehead only letting it twitch at the familiar words.

"Huh?" Koga blinked, seeing Kagome's head hung low, hiding her eyes from his vision. "Is my woman feeling sick?" He took one step forward only to feel a harsh pull from her hand on his ear, making him wince. "Itai! Kagome! W-What the heck!?"

"You just know how to ruin the moment, don't you, Koga!?" she glared, ignoring the fright in Seirin's eyes from her harsh treatment on the professional trainer. Did she not know who he was!? "I told you countless times to stop calling me your woman!"

"B-But…after so many years, you still aren't giving in?" Koga struggled to get free, feeling her finger tighten their hold on his ear.

The miko's eyes narrowed, bringing him closer: "Giving in?! I told you already that I am not your woman!"

Koganei gulped, taking a step back: "Is that…our manager? I suddenly don't recognize her…"

"She is just as scary as the coach…," whispered Hyuga.

"Did you say something?" glared Riko, coming to cross her arms.

"N-Nothing!" they exclaimed together.

The phantom player walked forward, catching the team's attention. He stood behind the bickering duo and watched as Nigou ran to his feet: "Ano…Kagome-chan…do you know him?"

Kagome was brought out of her annoyance and blinked towards Kuroko, letting go Koga's ear upon noticing Seirin's questioning stares on her and the older male. She released a nervous chuckle, already having trouble to form an explanation. Seeing Koga had been here before she arrived, she could only guess what the baka wolf told her.

"Um…sort of?" she replied.

Koga rubbed his ear, quickly turning his head to face the miko: "Sort of?! Oi! We have known each other for years! We have been together through thick and thin-!"

"Stop making it sound like we were a couple!" she shouted, hitting him on the back of the head. The miko released a tired sigh, seeing that there was a lot of explaining to do from her part to the team and Koga to her. But in all honesty…she wanted to run to the wolf demon and hug him. The memories of her past were all coming in a flash. Kagome turned her attention to Riko, giving her small smile: "Um, Riko-senpai, do you mind if I have a word with him?"

Riko blinked, gliding her eyes back and forth from the miko to the professional trainer. She nodded slowly: "I…don't mind. Just make sure you are back before practice is over."

"Yeah, don't worry," smiled Kagome, quickly grabbing Koga as he was giving a stare to the dog beside Kuroko's feet. Pulling him away, they exited the gym, leaving the team dumbfounded without any explanation.

Hyuga blinked behind his glasses before pointing over to the open door: "Oi! They can't just leave us with an open imagination! What the hell is going on?!"

"Hm, I never thought that Kagome-chan knew someone so important…," whispered Kiyoshi as his fingers rubbed his chin. "Interesting."

"Do you think she has a thing for older men…?" questioned Koganei, quickly receiving blank blinks from the rest of the team.

"She has been having a secret life…," whispered Shun. "Well this triangle relationship has suddenly become a wreck-tangle…"

"Izuki. Stop," groaned the captain, rubbing his temples.

Kuroko blinked, turning towards the pun maker: "Triangle relationship?"

Shun could only blink back before opening his mouth to reply: "Huh? You didn't notice? That Kagome-chan and you two-"

His mouth was quickly covered by Riko's hand who released a nervous laugh: "Mah! Izuki-kun! Shouldn't you be writing that pun down before you forget?"

The phantom player could only stand confused. What did Shun mean by that? His eyes traveled back to the gym doors, wondering just how much Kagome was keeping from them. She probably had her reasons.

"She said so herself. They are not a couple. The old man is just seeking her attention," Kagami scoffed, catching the team's attention. He turned his body around: "Just trust her. I am sure that she will explain herself after she talks to him."

Hyuga quickly grabbed the tiger by the collar of his shirt: "Look who is talking. You haven't apologized to her, idiot!"

Kagami choked in his words, avoiding the glare his captain was giving him: "Uh…well…"

"Mah, let him go," sighed Riko, watching as Hyuga set Kagami free from his hold. "Let's get back into practice while I talk with Teppei. We will wait until Kagome-chan comes back and hopefully we can get an explanation."

"Are you curious too?" blinked Fukuda.

The coach scratched her cheek, setting her eyes on the exit: "…to be honest, yeah. Even I have never met Ichiro Koga and it looks like the two are very close."

"Remind me never to make Kagome-chan mad," whispered Koganei, seeing the slight nod from Mitobe.

Kuroko heard the light whine coming from the mammal beside his feet, making him look down. Squatting down, he noticed Nigou's eyes staring towards the open gym doors. His eyes landed on the small jersey he wore: _'Hmm?' _

His fingers came to touch the fabric, seeing the number '16' stitched. Had Kagome made this for Nigou?

* * *

Koga huffed, placing his hands on his hips as they stood a good few feet away from the gym. He definitely was not expecting Kagome's reaction to be pulling him by the ear. "Oi, Kagome, that hurt you know-"

He froze in his feet the moment he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. His eyes were set on the miko who had buried her face in his chest, muffling her small cries. Koga's shoulders relaxed as he could smell the salt of her tears as they ran down her cheeks. With a low sigh, Koga placed his hand behind the girl's back.

"Come on, Kagome. Now I feel bad for making you cry," he chuckled lightly. "You know I hate seeing you cry."

The miko released a low laugh before separating herself away from her old friend and wiped away the leftover tears hanging down the corners of her eyes. "Please tell me this is not a dream."

Koga smiled at the girl: "Not at all. I am here for real."

Kagome blinked, coming to remember Riko's father having spoken to a 'Koga'. "Wait, are you familiar with Riko-senpai's father?"

"Kagetora?" he questioned. "Yeah. We know each other."

"Wait…then that means you are the professional personal athlete trainer in Japan?"

"You know?" he blinked. "Oi! If you knew how come you didn't look for me!" he leaned in, eye-to-eye with the miko.

"I only heard the name! I never looked you up or anything!" she defended back. "Besides, with your status, how am I supposed to reach you!?"

"Just tell the people in my building or my manager that you are my woman-!"

Koga's head quickly dropped down the moment Kagome's hand slapped him from behind. She released a sigh with closed eyes: "You better stop calling me your woman. You know you could get in trouble for saying that to a minor, right?"

"Stupid laws. You know it wasn't like that in the Feudal Era," he groaned, looking away.

"Too bad," she crossed her arms. "You have to live by the laws now."

The wolf demon sighed again as he scratched the back of his head: "Yeah, yeah. And as the human population grew, we demons had to hide our existence and blend in. These ears don't help shit you know! And I can't even run freely in my normal speed!"

"Demons?" blinked Kagome. "Wait…so there are still demons out here?"

"Some. Not very many," he replied, placing his hands inside his pockets. "Only full-blooded youkai can live hundreds if not thousands of years. Youkai and hanyous had served in earlier wars, seeing that their skills benefited them more in that setting, but you could only guess where many ended as weapons and technology evolved."

The miko's eyes dropped to the ground, hearing that the many demons she had come to know in the past…were probably already in the next world. Her worries returned as she gripped her skirt. What about Inuyasha? Shippo? Sesshomaru? Where they-?

Koga blinked, seeing her distress and sighed: "Oi! Look, I didn't come here to give you a depressing story!" His hands rose frantically, afraid that the miko would release her tears once again. "Um…look...Shippo and Sesshomaru are still alive! Does that ease your worries!?"

Kagome slowly rose her head to face the wolf demon as her eyes were expanded in shock. "S-Shippo and S-Sesshomaru are…alive?"

"Psh, that youkai can't be killed easily," scoffed Koga, rolling his eyes. "We three stood away from the wars and such and Sesshomaru took the opportunity to start a business."

"Business?" she repeated.

"Well, that is for him to explain to you," he smiled. "His business stuff bores me, but as for your kit, he is much alive as we are. Sesshomaru and I took him and trained him to what we knew. He grew up to be a fine demon." Koga looked at his nails, cleaning them on his shirt. "All thanks to me really, Sesshomaru rarely came to show something to the kit."

The miko released a worried sigh and placed her hand over her chest: "They…are okay…"

Koga's eyes dropped, seeing the small smile on her lips: "Inuyasha though…" He caught her attention again, seeing his eyes turn to stare at some of the students leaving the campus. His eyes slowly closed: "He died about two hundred years ago."

Her pupils widened at the news before feeling her heart shatter slightly. The first she had ever come to love was…gone. Forever gone. The miko's head slowly dropped to stare at nothing but the dirt beneath their shoes. "I…see…," she whispered.

The wolf demon sighed, coming back to see the sadness overtake the female. As much as he and the hanyou fought over the years, it was a loss of friend to him as well. He could only imagine the pain in the miko. "Gomen…"

"Did he live a good life though?" she smiled, slowly raising her head once more.

With a small smile of his own, the wolf demon nodded without a word.

"Then there is nothing to regret," she continued, nodding to herself. "As long as he left this world with a smile, then I should not worry. I miss him dearly, but I am glad he was able to live a long life and see how the world evolved."

"He never stopped thinking about you," spoke Koga. "In fact, I think Sesshomaru has something that Inuyasha gave him."

"Huh?"

"Something about that if Sesshomaru were ever to see you again, to give you something," Koga's fingers came to rub under his chin. "I should tell him and remind him."

"Wait, can I go see Shippo and Sesshomaru?" she blinked; hopeful.

Koga released a small chuckle: "well, I need to talk them first. Sesshomaru has been busy these days, but Shippo and I are planning on going to see him soon and give him the news that I found you." He laid his hand over the miko's head. "I am sure he will want to see you and see how you are doing. I know one thing and that is your kit definitely wants to see you."

"So he knows?"

"Oh yeah," he sighed. "He yelled in my ear when I gave him the news on the phone…," his pinky dove into his ear, scratching it as he blinked in a bored expression.

"Phone?" she blinked. "You have a cell phone?"

"Come on, Kagome," he blinked toward her, showing her his device. "We are in an era where technology have taken over. Everyone has one."

The miko raised a brow: "says the one who wants to go run around wild."

"Hey! That is instinct!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, I should have asked this before, but what are you doing here at Seirin? How did you even know I was…here?" she blinked. "Have you been stalking me? How did you even become…a professional athlete trainer?"

"No!" he shouted. "What kind of man do you think I am?" He sighed and crossed his arms. "Kagetora-san told me to go watch Seirin's match against Tōō to observe and get my opinion on the team. Ah well, knowing me, I could not sit still unlike Sesshomaru cooped up in an office so I looked hard on something that could let me run around and be free. Sports was the answer. I started at college sports and went on professionally in track for Olympics and such, but I retired from the actual competitions and became a trainer for national athletes here in Japan. Quite a thrill for me. The best I can get, I guess."

"Oh…," she whispered, sighing with a scratch on her cheek. How much she wanted to forget that game, but she was quite surprised to know that Koga had taken sports into something else in his life. She never imagined him doing something like that. She only wondered what Shippo and Sesshomaru did exactly in this time.

"Are you their manager?" he questioned, seeing her nod to his question. "Then, here," he passed his phone to the miko, seeing her blink with confusion, "put your number. I want to be able to stay connected with you, but seeing you are doing something my profession revolves in, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Kagome took the phone into her hands and began to type her name and number. "Um, I don't want to impose you in anyway, Koga."

"Not at all," he scoffed. "I make the rules in my job anyways. Just give me a call if you need help in training this bunch or," he sent her a smirk, "if you just miss me and would like to go on a date."

The miko raised a brow before jabbing his phone onto his side, making him grunt. "I held back a bit because you asked for a date, but please do remember that you are older than me in this time. Way older."

Koga scoffed: "Tch, who cares what others think if we get together? That is there problem," he took his phone and placed it back in his phone.

"I do," she replied. "I have a reputation here too you know. And you have one in the professional world where the media knows you!"

"I don't freaking care!" he argued back. "As long as I have my woman, I don't care!"

"Again with the woman!" she jabbed his side again with her hand, hearing the same grunt. Her eyes turned to hear the echoing sounds of the basketballs being dribbled inside the court. "I need to go back…I am sure they want an explanation on how I know you…"

The wolf demon raised a brow as he crossed his arms: "well, I do hope that your team can redeem themselves in the Winter Cup." He chuckled before turning around: "I will be looking forward to Seirin making progress, Kagome. If you need any advice or me in general, don't hesitate to call. Well, see ya! I will text you later so you can record my number, alright?"

Kagome blinked, watching him walk away from her. She turned to face him: "Koga! Can you tell Shippo and Sesshomaru…hi for me?"

Without looking back, he gave her a peace sigh with his hand, signaling her a 'yes'. Her lips were graced with a smile. She never had thought in a million years she would see them again, but Koga had shown up again and in the best times where she felt vulnerable and weak. His existence alone reminded her who she was. She was a miko who had overcome many dangers and this was just another obstacle in life she could definitely walk over and stand strong. Her last hope was that she could see her kit and Sesshomaru…even if at least once.

Nodding to herself, Kagome slowly turned around and began to walk towards the entrance of the gym. She knew what awaited her…piles and piles of questions. Taking a deep breath inside, she walked in.

* * *

**Bark.**

The miko blinked, watching as Nigou ran up to her feet and waved his paw down to gain her attention. With a small smile, Kagome picked him up into her arms and was greeted with silence. Her eyes landed ahead, seeing that everyone had stopped in their tasks and held onto the basketballs or stood frozen at the sight of her.

"W-What…?" she whispered, smiling nervously.

Riko slowly made her way towards the miko before grabbing the girl by her shoulders and bringing her close: "why didn't you tell us you knew Ichiro Koga!?"

"H-Huh?" she blinked back.

Hyuga pushed in his glasses: "are you dating him?"

Kagome's eyes widened: "What!? No! I am not dating him! What makes you think that!?"

"He called you his…woman…," whispered Koganei, coming to lean towards the miko and nudge her arm with his elbow.

She should have known he said something like that to her team. With a heavy sigh, Kagome held Nigou in her arms and closed her eyes: "Miina…you all have the wrong idea."

"He sounded very confident when he called you his woman though," added Shun.

The miko's eyes glided to the corner as they dropped mildly in anger: "that baka has a habit of doing that even after telling him over and over again to stop. Look," she sent the team a smile, reassuring them that Koga's words of claiming her were nothing but a joke, "I promise you he is just crazy. I am not his women or nothing."

The team blinked in unison before they heard the phantom player speak up and break the silence. "So how do you know Ichiro Koga?"

"Oh well…," holding Nigou with one arm, she scratched the back of her neck, "we have known each other for a long time, so I guess you could say that we are close?"

"So he isn't your…boyfriend?"

Kagome blinked before shaking her head with a chuckle: "Oh no! Definitely not!"

"For a long time?" blinked Riko, catching the explanation Kagome had given. "You know someone so high in profession in the sports industry and you didn't even tell us?"

Kagome cursed herself mentally before giving her answer: "Um, I didn't want people to like me just because I knew someone like him. Besides…he is always busy so this is the first time I have seen him in a long time that is why I was surprised."

"So what did he…say?" questioned Hyuga, seeing everyone had the same curiosity.

Releasing a small chuckle, the miko's eyes lowered down to the Nigou, seeing his ghostly colored orbs on her person: "…he offered his help."

"H-Help!?" exclaimed the team, leaving Riko and Kiyoshi in silent blinks.

"But we will see," she added. "I don't want to impose on his work, you know? So…I will see when he is free," her hand came to scratch the back of Nigou's ears.

Kuroko blinked, noticing a new feeling and shine in the miko's eyes. Something was definitely different. Had seeing her old friend opened her old self? He noticed Nigou's head beginning to smile contently as she gently touched his ears. A small smile appeared on his lips – if Kagome was happy, he would have no problem on what was the cause. He could not bare to see the miko so broken after their loss against Tōō. At least she was smiling a real and sincere smile.

"Well, you definitely gave us a surprise, Kagome-chan!" laughed Kiyoshi, catching the attention of the team. He took a few steps forward and stood beside her. "We are very honored to have been visited by Ichiro Koga, so we definitely feel even more honored to have you as our manager, but not because you know him, but simply because someone who is humble is our manager."

Kagome's lips stretched a bit more into the smile: "Arigatou, Kiyoshi-senpai."

Riko sighed, releasing a smile of her own: "well, let's us get back into practice, but before that, I am sure the team is curious about you too, Teppei."

"Ah, right," he chuckle, turning back to face the team. "I've been in the hospital since last summer. Because of my surgery and rehab, I have been taking a break. Kiyoshi Teppei, 193 centimeters, 81 kilos. My position is center. Nice to meet you."

The miko looked from the corner of her eyes, seeing the confident and excited smirk on Kiyoshi's expression. _'So…he had surgery?' _

"Teppei, are you sure you are okay now?" questioned Riko.

"Yeah! I am completely healed," he nodded, turning towards the female coach. "I have forgotten some stuff, but I wasn't doing nothing in the hospital.

Taking a step forward, Shun caught Kiyoshi's attention: "well, did you learn something?"

"Yeah…," he nodded with confidence, "card games."

The team stood silently, seeing was telling the truth and not even giving it as a joke. Kagome blinked a couple of times as she stood beside the phantom player, seeing Kiyoshi with his proudness.

"The old man sharing my room taught me," he continued.

"So…?" whispered Koganei.

"It's fun," he finished.

"That has nothing to do with basketball!" shouted Hyuga and Shun.

Kiyoshi released a light chuckle as he placed is hands on his hips: "Also, one more thing. I'm putting my undefeated three year high school career on the line. I'm serious about doing this. My goal is, of course…where is it!?" he exclaimed, catching everyone off guard.

"What?" blinked Riko.

"Where is…what?" questioned Kagome.

"Where is the Inter-High being held?" he asked.

"It changes every year and we already lost!" exclaimed Shun. "We have our sights set on the Winter Cup now!"

Kiyoshi tilted his head to the side: "Where is that this year?"

"In Tokyo, every year!" shouted Hyuga, already feeling highly annoyed at the guy.

The miko sighed with a smile: _'Well…at least he brings humor into this team.' _

"Anyways," Kiyoshi caught their attention again, "if you are going to climb a mountain, you have to aim for the top. But, let's not forget to enjoy the scenery."

The coach gave them all nod before grabbing her whistle and held it between her fingers: "Alright, miina! Divide into two teams and let's have a practice game!" She blew on her whistle, receiving a 'yes' from her team as they headed back towards the court.

The miko looked to her side, seeing Kuroko heading to his team and watched as Kagami gave her one last glance before making his own way towards the middle of the court. She blinked, seeing that Kagami, Kuroko, and she were still at an awkward situation. Feeling her shoulders slump, she released a sigh, catching Riko's attention.

"Things are just…complicated with us three now," she whispered, watching as the boys quickly got into the game and seeing the ball being passed over to the tiger. "I don't know how at least bring Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun to mend their friendship."

"Give it time," replied Riko, watching as Kagami aggressively charged forward and towards the hoop.

Both girls blinked, surprised the moment Kagami jumped up with a yell as he dunked the ball into the basket with full force. Riko quickly blew on her whistle: "That's a foul, Kagami-kun! You are too forceful! Pay more attention to your surroundings!"

Kagome watched as the red head walked over with a light curse under his breath and made his way to his defense position. He was definitely acting weird, and it only made her feel tense. Was he bothered with something?

"That baka," Riko crossed her arms, seeing him walk past his teammates.

"Doesn't he seem…on edge or something?" whispered the miko .

Riko sighed again: "Yeah, it looked like he was just focusing with him being all silent, but I guess I was wrong. If anything, he is acting like he did when he first joined."

"When he first joined?" blinked Kagome.

With a nod, Riko placed her hand on her hip: "he wouldn't rely on anyone else. Not even try. Looks like he is playing basketball by himself."

Kagome blinked, before seeing Kiyoshi coming to stand in front of the two females without looking at them and smiled: "Don't worry. Let me handle this."

"Huh?" Riko blinked, dropping her hand to her side.

Kiyoshi turned to face the tiger, seeing his back towards him. "Hey, Kagami-kun." The brunette smiled, seeing the red head having turned his head over his shoulder. "I want to play soon too, but I don't think it is fair for me to ask to play just because I am an upperclassman. So…why don't we play some one-on-one for the starting position?"

The team blinked in confusion after hearing Kiyoshi request, even having caught the girls in the group of questioning looks. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed: _'One-on-one…?'_

Both girls heard a sigh coming from their side, seeing Hyuga with close eyes and crossed arms: "he hasn't changed. This is why I can't stand the guy."

"What do you mean?" questioned Kagome.

"He always plays hard, is obsessed with basketball, acts stupid, and…," Hyuga's eyes narrowed, seeing the smile still glued on the brunette's face, "he is always up to something."

All players moved to the side to where the coach and manager stood, watching as Kiyoshi grabbed the ball and began to dribble it in place while Kagami took his position in front of him. The brunette quickly made his fake left and right before coming to break free from the tiger's block and headed towards the hoop.

Kagome blinked, surprised by the sudden speed: _'Sugoi…he is bigger than Kagami-kun, but he is pretty fast.' _

Eyes watched as Kiyoshi made his jump to score only to see the tiger jumping higher and pushing the ball away from his grasp, surprising Kiyoshi himself. The brunette's eyes widened slightly: _'So high! His jumps really are unbelievable in person.' _

"Kiyoshi-senpai is…amazing," whispered Kagome.

Hyuga nodded, watching the match: "He hasn't played in a while, but he is doing this well against Kagami."

"But Kagami is the one pressuring him," added Shun, narrowing down his eyes.

Kagami grabbed the ball in his hands and watched closely as Kiyoshi stood in front of him in position. The brunette cleared the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve: _'This is harder than I thought it would be.' _

The tiger moved side to side with the dribble of the ball, seeing Kiyoshi's arms extend to the side to block his way. Kagami dribbled around the brunette easily passing and towards the basket.

Seirin's eyes widened, seeing the tiger having broken free from Kiyoshi's block. Riko blinked: "He…passed him!"

Kiyoshi looked towards the corner of his eyes, seeing the red head quickly making his way to score: _'Crap! I responded too slowly!' _With quick reflex, Kiyoshi jumped up, preparing to block Kagami's dunk only to see him dive under Kiyoshi's extended arm and switch the ball from his left hand to his right and dunk it behind the brunette.

"N-Nani..!?" exclaimed Kiyoshi, surprised the tiger had ducked under him in mid-air.

Both teens landed back on their feet, ending the match. The miko blinked: "S-Sugoi…"

"He dunked from behind…," whispered Furihata. "K-Kagami…wins!"

With a sigh, Kiyoshi turned towards the red head and smiled: "You got me. I lost." He placed his hand over the male's shoulder and nodded: "Just like I promised, you can start."

"Hai," replied the red head, keeping his back to the team.

"C-Chotto…," spoke Riko, taking a step forward.

All eyes watched as Kagami headed towards the door and walked out with a goodbye. Kuroko blinked, seeing the door close after the tiger left, leaving them all in silence. His eyes landed over to the miko, seeing her attention on the door as well.

"What are you thinking, Kiyoshi?" questioned Shun, coming to stand behind the tall male.

"Mah, he really is strong," the brunette turned to face his teammates with a smile. He quickly flinched as Riko hit the back of his head with a paper fan.

"And what are we going to do without you!?" she exclaimed.

"I can't help it…," he whispered, rubbing the back of his head. "Saying I haven't been playing isn't much of an excuse. This is the best I can do."

"That is not your best," Hyuga's eyes narrowed into a bored stare. "You are acting too stupid!"

The miko blinked looking down at Kiyoshi's feet and noticing him wearing his inside school shoes: "Um, Kiyoshi-senpai?" Her finger pointed down, catching the team's attention.

Hyuga's eyebrow twitched: "Those are indoor shoes, you moron! Don't tell me you lost on purpose."

"Oh, crap…," whispered Kiyoshi, blinking down at his feet.

"It…wasn't on purpose?" whispered Kagome.

"Sheesh!" Riko's head hung down, seeing the density in the tall male.

A small chuckle escaped the miko's lips, catching Kuroko's attention. With a small smile, she turned towards the phantom player: "looks like Kiyoshi-senpai will be an interesting person to have around, huh?"

Kuroko blinked, before sending her a small smile of his own.

**Bark. **

"Even Nigou agrees," Kagome came back to scratch Nigou's head, seeing him wag his tail contently.

* * *

"Here."

Looking to his side, Kiyoshi came to face a canned coffee drink as Hyuga held it in his hand. "Congratulations on your hospital release."

With a smile, Kiyoshi took the can into his hand: "Thanks."

Both teens walked out of the school gates after practice, seeing that they were the last two to exit. Night had already taken over, making them wonder if they ever tracked time during practice to even notice when night time was hitting. Walking beside the Seirin captain, Kiyoshi opened his can, remembering the faces of Kuroko, Kagami, and Kagome.

"Those three really are interesting," he commented with a smile.

"You mean, Kuroko, Kagami, and Kagome-chan?" questioned Hyuga.

"Yeah."

"Kuroko is fine and Kagome-chan helps a lot, but Kagami…his play is a lot like the Generation of Miracles," sighed the captain. "Something is wrong with him and it is noticeable that Kuroko and Kagome-chan are worried."

"Really?" questioned Kiyoshi, turning his head slightly to face Hyuga as they continued to walk on the sidewalk. "It seemed the other way around to me."

"Huh? You mean Kuroko?"

"That's just what it looked like to me," Kiyoshi took a sip of the coffee, coming back to stare ahead. "Don't get me wrong. It is obvious that there is something going on with Kagami-kun and Kagome-chan told me herself of her worries. I kind of understand what they are worried about. I have run up against that wall before. Well…they say fights solidify friendships."

"We are in trouble because their friendship hasn't solidified!"

Kiyoshi chuckled: "I told Riko to have the first years play in their practice game tomorrow instead of us, but why don't you help those three solidify their friendship? Isn't that an upperclassman's responsibility?"

Hyuga's eyebrow twitched at the question, quickly reaching for the canned coffee in Kiyoshi's hand: "I changed my mind. Give that back."

"Eh? I thought this was a gift?"

"I'm starting to get pissed."

"Eh!?"

"Give it back!"

* * *

Kagome blinked at the sight of the five pissed players of the opposite team. Sitting beside the tall brunette on the bench and with the captain on the other, she still had no idea what Riko had been thinking of sending all first-years into the practice game against Tokushin High.

"Um…Riko-senpai? Is this even a good idea?" she questioned, coming to look at her clipboard and setting her eyes on the five males across the Seirin players. "They…don't looks so happy about this." She could see the worried and fright expressions on the other three beside Kagami and Kuroko as they stood in line before the game began. The moment she had arrived to Tokushin, she had met with Kiyoshi, Riko, and Hyuga and letting her in on the plan to have the first-years play.

Something she was definitely surprised about.

Riko released a sigh, taking a glance to her right to see Kiyoshi's attention on the start of the game: "He insisted on watching the first-years play."

"Kiyoshi," spoke Hyuga, "what is this?"

"I mean, I added this practice game, but only because you asked me to, Riko-senpai," added Kagome.

"I want to see what these guys need to work on individually. So it will help me see exactly what I need to," she smile. "So that they can improve over summer break!"

The team on the bench gloomed, already imagining on the harsh practice the coach had in mind. They could only hope that they would get a tiny bit of rest in their vacation time.

"I know what Kiyoshi is thinking!"

Eyes glided over to Koganei, seeing the grin on his lips as his fingers came to rest under his chin.

"We are probably going to lose this game, aren't we?" he questioned, seeing that the attention was on him.

"Probably…," nodded Hyuga.

"Recently, Kagami has been playing selfishly," Koganei watched as the game carried on, seeing that Kagami had no even bothered to pass the ball to anyone else. "But they can't win that way. That is why you are making them lose on purpose, so he can realize he can't just win on his own, right?"

"That makes sense…," whispered Kagome.

Kiyoshi blinked before answering the male: "I see."

"H-Huh?" Koganei dropped from his confident position and blinked towards the tall male.

"That's amazing, Koga," smiled Kiyoshi. "You're not wrong, but…do you think he is so stupid he wouldn't notice if we didn't tell him? He didn't seem uncertain or worried to me. If there is anyone I want to notice something, it is him."

Eyes moved over to see the line of sight Kiyoshi held on Kuroko as he ran on the court. Kagome blinked, watching as Kagami dribbled the ball over to the hoop and dunked it in, seeing the phantom player simply standing and passing the ball only to the other three.

"Kuroko-kun?" she questioned.

Riko blinked, seeing the score board: "well…the first-years are doing better than I expected. Kuroko-kun's movements aren't bad either, but…our score is lower than I expected."

"Do you think it is because Kuroko-kun isn't coordinating with Kagami-kun?" Kagome blinked, seeing the slight hesitation in Kuroko's eyes on wanting to pass the ball over to the red head only to misdirect it over to Furihata.

"Maybe…," whispered Hyuga.

The miko sighed, seeing that time was ticking quickly as they simply sat on the bench, observing the team. Time had moved them over to the fourth quarter already and was surprised that even with Kagami's jumps and dunks, Seirin had only been at a two point difference. _'Maybe there is something else that is bothering Kuroko-kun…'_

Her eyes watched as the time hit zero, ending the practice game with forty-three to forty-one. She quickly noticed Kuroko standing with his back towards the tiger as he tried catching his breath. The miko's shoulders slumped: _'Okay…these two need to patch things up already. This can't continue.'_

Hyuga sighed, standing from the bench: "Alright then, well I will be going back to the gym and practice on my own."

"Want me to go?" smiled Kiyoshi.

"Nah…," the captain looked over to the tiger, narrowing his eyes down. "I need to have a small chat with someone before I go and practice."

* * *

"Oi, Kagami. Do you have a minute?" Hyuga had waited outside the Tokushin locker rooms they were provided with for the tiger after everyone had left.

The red head blinked, seeing the captain leaning against the wall the moment he exited the locker room. Holding the bag over his shoulder, the tiger nodded: "Uh…hai."

"Good," Hyuga's eyes narrowed as he leaned away from the wall and stood in front of the tiger. "What the hell is going on with you, baka?"

"W-What do you mean?" he blinked back.

"Don't act stupid," Hyuga crossed his arms, seeing that the tiger was beginning to avoid eye contact. "You know those two believe in you right?"

Kagami rose his eyes to see the seriousness in his captain. Was he referring to…?

"Those two are on edge, but because they feel something is off with you. So? What is it? Spill it."

The tiger released a sigh as he dropped his view down to his feet: "Kuroko and Kagome have always saved me until now, so I want to put some distance between us for a while."

"Distance?" blinked Hyuga.

"There is no way Kuroko is stopping now and Kagome is going to look for ways to help us, so I need to make myself stronger, even if it is only a little," he continued, curling his fingers into his palm.

"I see…," Hyuga adjusted his glasses before coming to slap the back of Kagami's head. "Oi! You know making them worry makes us worry right!? Then find the answer before those two crumble down as well! We all depend on you just as much you three depend on us. Also…you are making the wrong move in putting distance between you and a girl. Guys take that differently, idiot!" Hyuga came back to cross his arms. "She might get pissed later you know!"

Scratching the back of his head, Kagami lowered his eyesight once more: "I-I know…I will apologize to her…but I just need time to think to myself and get stronger on my own."

With a sigh, Hyuga nodded and walked past the red head: "Fine, but if you don't apologize to them soon, I will make you bow forcefully, you hear?"

"H-Hai…," Kagami adjusted his strap over his shoulder. "Well, excuse me, I am going to go practice some more."

"Good. See you tomorrow then," Hyuga shook his head as he headed towards his school to practice on his own, hoping to let out some stressful steam. _'Bakas…all of them. Why does a senpai have to patch their friendship?' _He looked ahead, remembering Kiyoshi's words from the night before: "Well…I guess it is my job as a captain and senpai to them."

* * *

"Ugh…why am I so forgetful?" the miko shook her head as she watched Nigou walkined beside her as they both made their way towards Seirin's gym. Having gone half way home, she had remembered to had left her paperwork that Riko requested for the summer house they were planning on using for summer break and practice. She needed those to sign tomorrow with the captain. "Hopefully it isn't locked…it is already past six."

The miko blinked, seeing the light inside being shown through the windows of the gym and tilted her head to the side: "Um…is someone in there?"

Quietly, the miko made her way over to the door and slowly opened the entrance, surprised to see Hyuga practicing his shooting with a basket full of basketballs beside him. She blinked watching as Nigou made his way inside in run and barked to catch the captain's attention.

Stopping himself from shooting, the black haired male looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the dog wagging his tail at him. "N-Nigou?"

"Gomen for disturbing your practice."

His eyes rose to see the miko coming to pick the mascot up into her arms. He blinked, lowering his arms from his aim: "Kagome-chan? What are you doing here?"

"He-he, I forgot a few papers on the chair this afternoon before the practice match, so I came for them," she smiled upon seeing the wanted papers and picked them up in her free hand. "I am surprised you are still here practicing, Hyuga-senpai."

With a sigh, Hyuga re-took his aim and released the ball, making the shot. "Since I didn't play today, I have extra energy. I guess I lost track of time."

"Practicing shooting?" she questioned, watching him as he grabbed another ball.

"Yeah," he nodded before releasing the ball once more. From the corner of his eyes he could see the miko lowering her eyes as she watched Nigou wag his tail from her arms. "What's bothering you?"

"Hm?" she blinked, coming to meet his stare on her person. "Nothing is bothering me-"

"Is it Kagami and Kuroko?"

The miko stopped in a blink before releasing a sigh. Guess her worry was clearly written off in her face. Closing her eyes, the miko nodded towards the captain in his question. Her ears caught the sound of the ball being dribbled in place before being shot into the basket.

"I guess…I just don't know how to help them or the team in general," Kagome gently set Nigou down on the floor, her eyes remaining down on the ground. "I had asked Kiyoshi-senpai to challenge both Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun and see if that could bring them back to their goal, you know? I was surprised when Kiyosh-senpai challenged Kagami-kun to a one-on-one and then making the first-years play in the practice game…I don't know what he is thinking to be honest." Kagome sighed, closing her eyes: _'And I should be able to think strategically…but right now I am just clueless.'_

"Yeah," replied Hyuga, coming to take another ball from the basket. "Kagami ended up beating them by himself in the practice game. Kiyoshi does things with reason so he is obviously planning something."

"But it looks like the plan is intended more for…Kuroko-kun," she added, coming to stare at the captain.

The captain sighed, lowering the ball from his eyes and turned towards the miko. "Alright, let me ask you this, Kagome-chan."

"Hm?"

"What do you think Kiyoshi has planned? Have you observed anything from seeing Kuroko and Kagami thus far?" he questioned.

Kagome blinked before lowering her eyes onto Nigou, seeing his tail wag with a smile. "If I were to voice an opinion, I think Kiyoshi-senpai is trying to show Kuroko-kun his current limits of his basketball. I have sat on the bench enough to take note on how each member plays, but Kuroko-kun…his style of basketball utilizes his teammates. To be honest, depending on the other four, he can be strong or weak. But in a negative way, he relies on others."

Hyuga held the ball to his hip, hearing Kagome's opinion and observations. Looked like their manager was doing more than just keeping the paperwork and keep Kagami and Kuroko in check. He blinked, seeing her sigh once more.

"Kuroko-kun has hit a wall and I think to break it…he may need to abandon his style…"

"Abandon it?" questioned Hyuga with a blink.

With a simple nod, Kagome continued: "he may need to find a new style just for him."

The captain returned the ball into his hands before coming to dribble it once more and readied his aim: "That makes sense, but the question is…will he be able to find it?"

"I want to help…not just those two, but the whole team," Kagome groaned, scratching her cheek. "I am hitting a wall too."

Hyuga released a scoff, eyeing the hoop: "Why don't you call Koga-san for some pointers or for him to come give us a session to train us." He gave himself a chuckle: "Ha! Yeah right…like someone like him would come and help a high school team."

The miko blinked towards the captain as she heard his words. Koga? Her eyes dropped down to see the mascot licking his paw as she gave herself a thought: _'Perhaps…I could call him for some advice?'_

"Ano…"

Both Kagome and Hyuga blinked upon hearing another voice and looked behind the captain to see the sudden appearance of the phantom player. Kagome's eyes widened as she heard Hyuga scream from the sudden shock as his hands automatically released the ball up into the air before coming to hit the backboard of the hoop.

The miko blinked her shock away and took a few steps forward: "K-Kuroko-kun?"

"Domo."

"Oi, what are you doing here?!" exclaimed Hyuga, coming to turn around. "Don't scare people like that so late at night!"

"Sumimasen," he apologized. "I just…wanted to talk to the captain."

"Me?" blinked Hyuga, coming to adjust his glasses.

"I overheard your conversation," continued Kuroko, coming to stare at the miko. "And you are right, Kagome-chan…I have reached a limit in my basketball."

"What…limits?" questioned Hyuga, raising a brow.

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed, giving the captain eye-to-eye contact: "Going forward, I will do nothing but hold Seirin back. Please make Kiyoshi-senpai one of our starters."

Kagome blinked, taking another step forward: "C-Chotto…Kuroko-kun…," the miko stood beside the phantom player, wanting to tell him that just because he had hit a limit, did not mean he had to be sitting down for games.

Releasing a sigh, Hyuga lowered his head: "Well, this is certainly a first. You two don't often come talk to me, but," he quickly hit the phantom player's head, surprising him and the miko from his sudden move, "don't get ahead of yourself, moron! Replace you as a starter? Think of the guys on the bench! It's not your place to say that! I'm the one who will say that!"

"But…," whispered Kuroko.

"I told you, no," he repeated himself, placing his hand back on his hip. Releasing another sigh, Hyuga straightened himself and turned towards the two. "When the team first formed, Kiyoshi played a heavy-handed center. He was taller than the rest of us, but he was also the only one of us who could do it. Kiyoshi was actually best at point guard, a role that utilizes your teammates. He thought it was best for the team for him to play center, but he also felt he was limiting himself by a playing a position he wasn't meant to play. But one day…Koganei suggested he played both."

"Both?" repeated Kagome. "That is unheard of in basketball, right? The positions are too different."

Hyuga nodded to her reply: "the center is the front line who uses power to fight under the hoop. In contrast, the point guard is the leader farthest from the basket. The moron Koganei suggested he be the leader under the hoop. In the end, Kiyoshi took both positions."

The miko blinked, surprised to hear that Kiyoshi had actually agreed in taking two jobs in a game. Her vision lowered to stare at the basket of balls, thinking to herself how someone like him could do things with a smile on his face.

"Kuroko, you and Kiyoshi are different, but is that really all you can do?" questioned Hyuga, seeing the silent stare the phantom player was giving him. "Well, I can't force you to do anything, so I won't say anymore. But if you really don't think you can do it, at least tell Kagami."

Kuroko and Kagome rose their eyes onto the captain, watching him turn to grab a ball from the basket. Bouncing the ball once onto the court, he caught it into his hands: "He believed in the two of you…and he still does. I spoke to him after the practice game today. He wanted to put distance between the two of you so that he could become strong himself because he believes you two will find your own strength as well. Seriously, just how awkward is he?"

The miko shared a glance with Kuroko, seeing he had the same thoughts as her. Kagome turned her attention over to the captain: "Hyuga-senpai, do you know where he is?"

"He said he was going to go practice some more. Don't know where though," he replied, setting his eyes on the hoop.

Kuroko gave the captain a small bow: "excuse me. Arigatou, captain." He quickly turned around and ran towards the exit, surprising him and the miko as he made his way out.

Hyuga stopped in his dribble and looked over his shoulder: "Oi, you sure you don't need anything else? Where is he going?" He blinked noticing the miko quickly grab Nigou into her arms along with the paper work and run towards the exit. "Oi! Where are you going?"

She stopped in her tracks and bowed to the older male: "Arigatou, Hyuga-senpai. We can take it from here!"

"Huh?" he blinked, watching as he was left alone once again. "Where are they going?"

* * *

Running after the phantom player as she held onto Nigou, she could not help but smile seeing that Kuroko had found his answer. The moment Hyuga had mentioned Kagami had gone off to practice, both of them were certain where he was. No doubt that he was in the outside courts of the nearby park where the three had first met.

She stopped in her run, seeing Kuroko at the edge of the court with bent knees to catch his breath. Feeling her lungs being filled with oxygen once more, she gave the phantom player some space to talk to the tiger, seeing that both teens needed to speak. A small smile appeared on her lips as she placed a finger over her lips to signal Nigou to stay quiet.

"Kagami-kun!"

Stopping himself from dribbling the ball, the tiger looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the phantom player with shortness of breath from his run. "K-Kuroko…"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he questioned, straightening himself up.

Kagami held the ball to his hip, watching as Kuroko came to stand in front of him: "What did you want to talk about?"

"Sumimasen," he apologized. "The truth is, I don't have all my thoughts together yet."

"Oi!"

"I don't know where to start," continued Kuroko. "Please give me a minute."

"W-What?" glared Kagami. Was he playing with him? "Sheesh!" With a low sigh, Kagami passed the ball over to Kuroko, watching as he caught it in his hands. "I got nothing to do while I wait. At least play against me. You can think while you play."

The miko smiled, watching them break into a simple play as she made her way to the court and placed her papers near Kagami's bag on the bench. Her eyes were set on the fast movements from Kagami and Kuroko attempts to stop the tiger. _'He just doesn't know how to go easy on his opponent.' _

In silence, Kagome continued to watch as Kagami scored one after another until he reached past his tenth point. Shaking her head, she chuckled lowly as Kuroko placed his hands on his knees after Kagami's shot.

"All right, my fourteenth point!" smirked Kagami, catching the ball into his hands under the net.

"You know, you could go easier on him. You can't expect him to think like this."

The two males looked over to their side, surprised to see the miko as she held Nigou in her arms.

"K-Kagome?" blinked Kagami, seeing her send them a smile.

"Kagome-chan…," Kuroko straightned himself from his bent position, seeing her take a few steps towards them.

Scoffing, Kagami raised a brow towards the miko: "I am going easy on him! He is just too weak!" Kagami turned his body to face the phantom player, seeing his attention was on the girl.

Kagome chuckled under her breath, coming to stand beside the two boys: "The first time we met…was a lot like this, huh?"

Kagami blinked, turning his attention away from the girl: "Um…yeah…"

"And when you later found out about what Kuroko-kun could really do, you were surprised, weren't you, Kagami-kun?" she questioned. "He told us he become our shadow, remember? We were both taken back by that." Her eyes landed over to the phantom player, seeing his eyes drop. "Kuroko-kun, I have been wondering something since then. Why did you choose Kagami-kun and me to become your light?"

With only a few seconds of shared silence, Kuroko rose his head to meet the other two in a stare. "Sumimasen. I have to apologize to you two. I…lied."

"Lied?" repeated Kagome.

"In middle school, I received a uniform as the team's sixth man."

"We know that," Kagami's eyebrows furrowed, not seeing where he was going with this. "You were the trump card of the Generation of Miracles."

"That's not quite right…," replied Kuroko. "They may have believed in me, but they did not trust me. It may be more accurate to say, they stopped being able to trust me. When I was a first-year, I was an unremarkable player. I joined the bench as the sixth man in my second year. Back then, I believe they still trusted me. But as their talents began blossoming like Aomine-kun, they lost their faith in me. The Generation of Miracles began placing their trust in themselves over everything else. If we were one point behind with only a few seconds left in the game, they could not pass. They had to do it themselves. The truth is, it didn't have to be you two. I simply…wanted to use you two to force the Generation of Miracles to recognize my style of basketball."

Kagami sighed before releasing a scoff: "I was wondering what you might say."

"Huh?" blinked Kuroko. His eyes landed on the miko, seeing her smile down on Nigou. "Kagome-chan?"

"Well," she spoke up, "I had a feeling this would be your answer to my question. In a way, I have always felt it from you. Kagami-kun is just like the Generation of Miracles so that may be the reason you were drawn to him. Even though you had supposedly quit the Teiko basketball team because you rejected the style of the Generation of Miracles, I had a feeling that would be the reason you chose to work with Kagami-kun. As for me, I guess you wanted me to join a club even though I had no experience in the sport. Perhaps it was coincidence I bumped into the two of you."

The tiger opened his eyes, seeing Kuroko's attention on the female: "everyone plays basketball for their own reasons. We two have our reasons in joining the basketball team-"

"No," Kuroko cut him off, surprising the two teens. "You two are different. In all of our games so far, both of you have trusted me. After thinking over your words after the Inter-High…those were not parting words, but words meant to make each of us stop relying on each other and become even stronger. So we could combine even greater strength to win. Allow me to correct myself. I am glad I go to Seirin. All our senpais are wonderful people, our classmates who work alongside us are great, as well, and both of you have been on my side and trusted me. I am not Teiko Middle school's sixth man, Kuroko Tetsuya. I am Seirin High first-year, Kuroko Tetsuya. I don't want to make someone else the best player in Japan. With both of you and with everyone else, I want to become the best in Japan! That is why I will become even stronger and defeat the Generation of Miracles."

Kagami scoffed again: "That is what I have been meaning to do all along!" He quickly passed the ball over to Kuroko, signaling him to throw it up near the hoop.

Catching the ball in his hands, Kuroko threw into the air, watching as Kagami jumped up and dunked it in.

Kagome chuckled, watching the two smile: "And both of you have it wrong. You don't want to be the best. We are going to be the best."

Kuroko smiled: "Hai."

Coming down from his dunk, Kagami looked over his shoulder to see the miko holding her smile. With a light blush, he scratched the back of his head: "I should…apologize to the both of you."

"Yeah you should," Kagome's eyes narrowed.

"Oi! Don't say it with such a straight face!" he exclaimed.

Kagome released a sigh as she came over towards the tiger and extended her arms out as she held Nigou in her hands. Kagami leaned away, seeing the dog close to his person. With an eyebrow twitch, he looked over to the miko: "O-Oi…I told you to keep this dog away from me."

"Hold him."

"H-Huh!?"

"If you are sorry, then hold him," she blinked, unmoved by his fear of the dog. "I will forgive you if you hold him for a minute at least."

"What the heck!? How does that justify my apology!?" he exclaimed.

"I agree with her," cut in Kuroko, coming to stand beside the miko.

"Don't add to it!" shouted the tiger before realizing how close Nigou was to his face at this point. He blinked, gulping down his nerves as he watched Nigou's tongue hanging out as his tail wagged side-to-side. "I refuse!"

"Do it," she glared, pushing Nigou even more.

With a bit of hesitation, Kagami gulped once more as he could feel the piercing stares from the two. He gave up. His hands slowly reached for the mascot only to feel the fur ball coming into contact with his skin.

Kagome slowly released Nigou after seeing Kagami's hands on him and chuckled at the sight of a happy Nigou. The mammal leaned closer to the tiger, wanting to lick his cheek only to have the tiger flinch away with a glare.

"Oi! No licking!"

"See? He isn't so bad, Kagami-kun," she smiled. "Dogs aren't so bad."

"Uruse!" he exclaimed. "How much longer!?"

"I lost count," replied Kuroko. "Should I start over?"

"Nani!? What do you mean you lost count!? Don't start over!"

Kagome tapped her chin with her finger: "Did we say two minutes?"

"It was one minute!"

"I think it was three," replied Kuroko, completely ignoring the tiger's complaints.

"Oi! Listen to me!" shouted Kagami, eyes going wide the moment Nigou escaped his hands and jumped onto his face, making him fall on his behind.

Kagome chuckled, watching as Nigou began to lick the tiger' face, completely enjoying the view of the flustered and annoyed red head.

"I'll get you back for this you two!" he exclaimed.

"Hai, hai," she waved her hand up and down as she came to admire Nigou's work on the tiger.

Kuroko's lips slowly curved upwards, seeing his two friends back to normal – if not…stronger than they were before. The three were back and had a clear mindset on what they wanted.

* * *

"Hmm, the beach and the mountains for training? I wonder how we were able to get the money for this…," the miko looked through the paperwork she had received back from the school for the approval of their summer break trip. Kagome sighed as she made her way to the gym: "Hopefully the guys are not worried about what Riko-senpai has planned for them…"

She stopped in her tracks upon seeing the female coach exiting the gym and sending her a smile as she made eye contact.

"Ah, Kagome-chan!"

"Are…you going somewhere, Riko-senpai?" asked Kagome, blinking as she made her way towards the coach.

The coach smiled with a nod and set her eyes on the papers in the miko's hands. "Did the school approve?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Kagome nodded, watching as Riko took out a slip of paper. "Are the boys practicing inside?"

"Yeah, I told them I had to go do something, so can you do me a favor?" Riko quickly clapped her hands together in plead, the slip of paper between her hands.

"S-Sure…what is it?" blinked Kagome, seeing unnatural for the coach to be begging.

Riko chuckled: "Can you tell the boys to see me in forty-five minutes at the cooking class."

"Cooking…class?" Kagome's eyebrow rose. "Are you cooking something?"

"I am going to have a tasting session," Riko's eyes gleamed with excitement on the thought of cooking. "You are coming too!"

Before the miko could word something out, the coach skipped away, leaving the miko blinking in silence. _'Cooking? Why would she be cooking for the boys?' _Kagome's eyes landed back on the papers on her hands: _'Well, I need to make a call today and ask Koga for help. Hopefully he can.' _

Making her way inside the gym, she could see the boys practicing with their own balls and was quickly greeted by Nigou running to her feet. "Konnichiwa, Nigou." She smiled, finally having caught Kiyoshi's attention.

"Oh, Kagome-chan!" he waved.

"Ah, Kiyoshi-senpai," Kagome made her way over to the tall brunette as he stood next to the basket of basketballs, watching over the boys continue on their practice. "How is everyone doing?"

"Very well," he nodded with a smile. "Where are you coming from?" he blinked, noticing the papers in her hands.

"Oh," she lowered the papers, showing the brunette of the contents, "well it looks like this year, at the beginning towards the end of the summer break, we will be taking two trips to the beach and to the mountains."

"Eh!?" exclaimed the team, coming to turn around and face the miko.

"Both!?" shouted Koganei.

Kagome blinked, bringing the papers close to her chest: "Uh…hai."

Hyuga grabbed a copy from Kagome's hands and read over the words. "Well, the qualifiers for the Winter Cup start right after summer vacation ends. It is important we use this vacation as effectively as possible. Let's give it everything we have!"

The miko nodded, coming to see the boys huddling around: "she does have planned some practice segments during our stay. Don't ask me what. She kept me out of her plans out of that one."

Kagome flipped through the pages and stopped as she heard the team scatter to begin their clean up. Her eyes landed ahead, seeing Kuroko rolling the scoreboard and bumping it into the red head the moment Nigou ran over to the tiger's feet.

"Oi!" exclaimed Kagami, looking over his shoulder to see the innocent blinks from the phantom player.

"Sumimasen," he whispered.

"That hurt," he growled under his breath. "Look where you are walking!"

"Kagami-kun, please don't stagger around like that," he commented back.

Kagami looked at the dog near him and pointed over with his foot as he held two basketballs in each hand: "it is his fault for hanging around my feet!" A little bark of Nigou made him flinch and made him take a step back as the mascot tried to gain the tiger's attention. "Oi! Get away from me!"

"Looks like after last night, he has become very fond of you," smile Kagome, making her way over to the two males. Her eyes continued to stay glued on the dog, watching as he ran around the tiger's feet. "And with the beach house and mountains as our trip for summer break, we will be able to take Nigou with us on our trips."

"Really?" blinked Kuroko, turning his attention over to the miko.

Kagome nodded: "the guesthouse where we will be staying will allow it."

"Don't bring him! He is annoying!" exclaimed Kagami, having heard the news.

"Kagami-kun…you're mean…," she pouted playfully as Kuroko did the same. "See, Nigou is barking for your attention."

Nigou continued on his run, closer and closer to the red head. Kagami's eyes widened: "Get away from me!"

Koganei blinked, seeing the trio and their mascot interacting as he stood with Tsuchida and Kiyoshi with the basket of balls. "Looks like they have started talking to each other again, but they seem to be arguing a lot more."

"Are they okay?" questioned Tsuchida, placing the ball in his hands inside the basket.

"They are fine," chuckled Kiyoshi, catching the two's attention.

"But, Kagome-chan has been away from practice a lot and those two didn't pass to each other during practice today," added Koganei.

"It's just for now," smiled the brunette. "They will be back to normal in the winter."

Hyuga blinked as he came to stand next to the tall male: "Hm, where did Riko says she was going?"

"I don't know," shrugged Kiyoshi, turning to the captain. "I thought she told you?"

The captain adjusted his glasses before turning his head towards the miko: "Kagome-chan?"

"Hm?" the miko looked over her shoulder after hearing her name being called. She made her way over to the captain: "What is it?"

"Did Riko tell you anything on where she was going? She had told me something about wanting to handle an important matter."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kagome tilted her head to the side: "I saw her before I came here and told me to let you all know that she wants the whole team to go to the cooking class in like forty-five minutes."

"C-Cooking class?" stuttered Hyuga.

Kagome nodded innocently, unsure where Hyuga's worry was coming from: "Yeah, something about tasting session."

"Tasting session!?" he exclaimed. He quickly turned around to face the team: "Everyone! Gather around!"

Kagome blinked, unsure if she had missed something. If anything, it seemed weird that Hyuga was worried that Riko had mentioned going to the cooking class. Should she be afraid to? She turned her head, noticing the boys coming towards their captain as she stood beside him. Her eyes landed down, seeing Nigou even coming to her feet and looking up at her with questioning eyes.

"We are currently facing grave danger," spoke Hyuga, coming to cross his arms as the team huddled around.

"Danger?" repeated Kagome. Where was this coming from now?

Hyuga nodded, closing his eyes: "in order to make two trips this year, we chose cheap lodgings, right?"

"Well, yeah, I was wondering that too," she whispered, coming back to look at the papers in hand.

"We will have to make our own food," he continued. "That is where our problem lies." He took a pause before opening his eyes and raising his head to face the silent team. "Coach will be cooking for us!"

"Eh?" blinked Furihata. "Is that bad?"

"Of course it is bad!" shouted Hyuga. "Don't you remember the Tōō game and her honey-soaked lemons!?"

Kagome blinked, remembering she had given her bag to Mitobe of the lemons as well: "Eh? Riko-senpai made some too? Well…that just means that there was more for all of you, right?"

"No! You don't understand, Kagome-chan!" Hyuga grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her lightly. "They were whole lemons! Whole lemons! Not sliced!"

Kiyoshi sighed, resting his fingers under his chin: "That's not cooking anymore."

"Y-You mean it's inedible!?" exclaimed Fukuda.

"Then why don't we just cook for ourselves?" suggested Koichi.

Hyuga sighed: "I wish we could, but…"

"Practice is so brutal, no one has the energy to even cook," added Shun.

"Just thinking about it…," gulped Koganei.

The first-years shook in fright of the terrors they could be expecting. Kagome's eyes narrowed, coming to cross her arms: "Oi, aren't you all being too mean?"

"Kagome-chan, you haven't tasted her food yet!" exclaimed Koganei, coming to lean towards the miko.

Kagome rose an eyebrow: "Still…you can't reject a girl's cooking like that. Feel honored she is at least cooking for all of you. Heck, not most girls are willing to cook for a whole team, you know."

Kiyoshi sighed, nodding the miko's words: "She is right, you guys."

"Kiyoshi! She is having a tasting session right after this!" Hyuga grabbed Kiyoshi by the collar of his shirt and shook him back and forth. "Tasting session!"

The tall brunette blinked: "Tasting…session…?"

"Yeah," replied the miko, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "Now get going. Don't make her effort go to waste."

The boys gulped in unison upon seeing the small glare on Kagome's eyes. Hyuga's eyes narrowed: "You are going to!"

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, watching as the boys walked past her after the court was cleared off. "I just have to make a quick phone call."

"You better not back out!" shouted Hyuga.

"Hai, hai," she sighed, seeing Nigou down at her feet as they were the last ones inside the gym. "Seriously, it probably isn't that bad." She smiled at the mascot beside her feet before taking out her phone from her skirt pocket and looking at the message Koga had sent that morning.

_**Good morning! How did my woman sleep? **_

"This baka wolf is asking for it," she sighed before pushing the call button and placing the device beside her ear. She waited patiently as she heard the rings coming in and expecting a simple hello only to be greeted by a very enthusiastic voice.

"_Kagome! You called me!? Now that is an honor!" _

"Calm down, Koga," she sighed. Seriously, just how much energy did this man have?

"_Oh? You sound stressed, Kagome. Everything alright?" _

"Yeah," she replied. "I…just have a favor to ask of you."

There was a pause before-

"_A favor!? Anything Kagome! Anything for my woman!" _

Kagome lowered the phone to her face: "I told you to stop calling me that!" She could hear the grunt of disapproval from the wolf before he replied back.

"_Well? What can I help you with, Kagome?"_

The miko sighed again as she returned the phone to her ear: "I was wondering if you could help me with training Seirin. We are going to the beach and the mountains for our summer break and they will be practicing during that time."

"_Hm, well, I wish I could go and train them myself, Kagome, but at the moment I have a meeting with two professional basketball players. But I can give you some tips that could help them. I noticed their leg strength was not strong enough, not even Kagami's and since you all decided to go to the beach, I would take advantage of the sand." _

"The sand?" she repeated.

"_The sand helps the muscles become stronger and since running in sand is heavier on the legs, trust me when I say that give them an hour on the sand, they will feel much lighter on flat ground," _Kagome could hear the light chuckle coming from the other side. _"That enough could improve their foot work. Why not have them play basketball on the sand." _

"But…they can't dribble or anything," she replied.

"_Exactly. They have to trust their passes solely on throwing the ball and their leg strength to take them. Actually, let me call Kagetora-san. I will have him take something to the beach with you guys. I will explain it to him and you can explain to his daughter on the plan. I am sure they will agree." _

"If…you say so," she whispered. A small smile appeared on her lips: "Arigatou, Koga."

"_Ah! Anything for my woman-!" _

Kagome ended the call, already knowing his next words. She shook her head: "He will never learn." With a low sigh, she turned her attention over to Nigou. "Well, Nigou, let's go see this tasting session. I am a bit hungry myself."

* * *

The team stood still in their seats as they watched their coach cooking whatever she was cooking on the main table. Sweat dripped down their chin in worry of the flavor that was coming to them soon. Hyuga gulped, swallowing his nerves as he watched a pot of something on the stove as the only sound being made was of her chopping.

"A tasting, huh?" whispered Koganei.

"Well, we can't just tell her to practice because she sucks…," whispered Hyuga, seeing the plates stacked in exact number for all of them.

"By the way," spoke Fukuda, "can you guys cook?"

"A little…," replied Shun, narrowing his eyes in worry as she chopped something he could not see.

"Pretty much…something edible," answered Koganei.

Shun sighed: "Mitobe is probably the best. What about you, Kuroko?"

"No one makes a meaner boiled egg than me," he replied, watching the coach pour something into the pot.

"It's ready!" smiled Riko, catching their attention with jumps. "Curry!"

Their eyes dropped slowly to their plating, seeing the rice half plated with the curry on the other side and whole vegetables of carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes on the sauce. Their faces immediately dropped at the presentation, unable to recognize the food.

'_Curry!?' _they all exclaimed inside their heads.

"T-Those are whole vegetables!" whispered Fukuda.

"What was that tapping sound?" trembled Koganei. "What was that!?"

Riko chuckled under her breath: "Just ignore what it looks like. It should taste fine! It's just curry anyway!"

"Okay…then…," Hyuga grabbed his spoon, along with the others as they thanked for the food. All of them took a bite only to freeze as the flavor exploded not even with a bite. Sweat continued to drip down, not wanting to swallow whatever it was they were eating.

'_It's so bad!' _they shouted inside their heads.

Tsuchida tried chewing into his food: _'The rice is soft like porridge…'_

'_The crisp uncooked vegetables are like a salad!' _Koganei tried looked up as he chewed, not wanting to make eye contact with the coach. _'And the meat is raw!'_

'_The sauce is mysteriously bitter and sour!' _Shun's eyes narrowed, afraid to swallow whatever he had put in his mouth.

'_This is a massacre of flavor!' _Hyuga's fingers trembled as he watched the whole full plate in front of him.

"Let me know if you want more," smiled Riko as she stirred the pot.

"S-She made a whole pot of it!" they whispered to each other.

Riko's eyes dropped slowly, watching the boys struggle in their food. With a low sigh, she hid her hands behind her back, avoiding them from seeing all the band aids she had placed after so many cuts from the knife. "It…wasn't very good, was it?"

Hyuga's vision came down to the plate once more before grabbing his spoon and diving for another portion. All eyes widened as he began to eat the whole plate in front of him, surprising even the coach. The coach blinked, seeing the cleaned off plate as Hyuga stood from his seat.

"Thanks for the food," he spoke, turning his back towards the team and walked over to the door. "It tasted good, but it was a little spicy. I'm going to get something to drink." Hyuga slid the door open before walking out and closing it behind him, leaving the team in silence.

"It had a unique flavor, but it was pretty good."

Riko turned to see Kiyoshi coming to stand before the pot, grabbing the ladle that hung off from it.

"It had the most important ingredient. It had love," he smiled. "But you may have gone wrong somewhere with your cooking. Why don't you try making it again?" he turned to face her, seeing her slight blush on her cheeks.

Riko nodded slowly, before letting her lips form a smile: "H-Hai…"

"W-What men!" exclaimed the team in a whisper. "You guys are such gentlemen!"

* * *

Kagome turned the corner in the hallway along with Nigou only to stop in her steps as she saw Hyuga down on the floor face front. She blinked with an eyebrow twitching: "H-Hyuga-senpai…? Hyuga-senpai!?" She quickly made her way towards the captain and turned him over, only to see his eyes completely turned to the back of his head. "Oi!"

Hearing a door slide open, she looked up to see Shun taking a peek. "S-Shun-senpai?!"

"Kagome-chan!" he exclaimed before setting his eyes over to the fainted captain. "Hyuga!?"

The miko got back onto her feet and moved into the room, only to see Kiyoshi slamming his hand on the table in front of the boys as Riko was occupied looking at the slip of paper that held the cooking instructions. She blinked with a lip twitch upon seeing sweat running down the brunette's face.

"C-Can anyone teach Riko how to make curry…?" he whispered to the boys.

Koganei looked over to his side: "Mitobe, you can right-?" He stopped in his words as he noticed Mitobe completely gone from his body after eating the food. "He is gone!"

"So…?" gulped Tsuchida. "Who is going to teach her? Izuki or me?"

Kagome walked forward: "K-Kiyoshi-senpai, you are dripping some kind of weird sweat…"

The boys turned towards the miko, a gleam of hope in their eyes. Koganei quickly grabbed Kagome's hands: "Kagome-chan! Save us!"

"H-Huh…?" she whispered, coming down to see the plate in front of him. She gulped, finally realizing why Hyuga was making a big deal. Biting her lower lip, she turned towards the main table and noticed the huge mess. "Well…I could try. But…I'm not that good." She only had cooked a few simple dishes for Inuyasha and the others, but those were simple bento lunches. Grabbing her hair into a ponytail, Kagome walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed an apron.

She made her way to the table and grabbed a few vegetables and began to chop the ingredients before placing them into the fryer.

"Oi, you put the rice first."

Kagome turned her head to the side, watching as Kagami got out the container of rice and placed it into a sauce pan with boiling water. The miko raised a brow, watching him cover the rice.

"Baka, the fryer isn't on yet. I just set it to the side," Kagome shook her head before grabbing an egg and cracking the inside into a small bowl and whisking it. "Besides, I never said I was making fried rice."

Kagami sent her glare while tying his apron from behind: "O-Oi!"

She chuckled before turning on the stove under the fryer: "Mah, calm down. I guess we can make fried rice then."

The tiger sighed before coming to help the miko stir the vegetables on the fryer. Both teens completely oblivious to the stares they were receiving. Awed as the two were cooking as if it was normal to do. Which it probably was…but they were teens! Riko blinked, surprised to see the two cooking together and making it look so easy.

Hyuga walked into the room with the help of Shun and was quite shocked at the scene before him. "O-Oi…what is going on?" he whispered.

"They…are cooking," replied Koganei.

Kagome smiled, watching as the rice was browning up on the fryer after she had added it in. With a simple nod, she grabbed a bigger plate and placed it beside the stove for the red head to serve it on. Kagami turned the stove off and poured the food onto the plate before coming to place it in front of the team.

"There," he spoke, surprised that the boys were awed by the scene.

"W-What!?" smiled Koganei, coming to grab some chopsticks. "This looks delicious!"

"Give me a taste!" exclaimed Furihata.

Koganei quickly grabbed a bite and his eyes widened with satisfaction: "I-It's…good!"

Kagome blinked coming to stand beside the tiger: "Is it?" she questioned, coming to stare at the rice.

"K-Kagami? Kagome-chan? How do you two know how to cook?" questioned Fukuda.

"Uh, well, I live by myself," he replied back.

The miko turned her attention to the tiger: "You do? I didn't know that."

"No one ever asked," he shrugged. He went over to sit with the boys to enjoy the food, leaving Kagome to blink on her own.

The miko looked over at Kuroko, seeing him eye the food: "Aren't you going to get some?"

Kuroko turned to face the miko, seeing her light smile. "Uh hai…," he nodded slowly standing from his seat and making his way to the group.

The miko felt a light tap on her shoulder, coming to turn to the source only to see Riko blushing with avoidant eyes.

"K-Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Both of you teach me how to make curry!"

Overhearing her request, Kagami looked over his shoulder: "Yeah, we can teach you, but…I'm a strict teacher."

With a light chuckle Kagome turned back towards the coach and nodded: "I would be happy to."

* * *

Kagome smiled at herself as she saw Riko's plate in front. After taking about twenty minutes into teaching Riko how to make curry, it was surprising even to her how much Kagami knew. She had even let him do all the work due to her curiosity on seeing the guy cook.

The team was awed at the new presentation of curry Riko presented in front of them. It looked like normal curry!

"G-Good! It looks good!" stuttered Shun.

"It's curry! It's perfect!" smiled Koganei.

Riko sent them a smirk: "I got it this time! Dig in!"

"Thanks for the food!" they all said in unison before grabbing their spoons and bringing it up to their mouths. Kagome blinked at the shock and frozen expression on the team's face at the first bite. Was it…not good?

The coach took a step back: "Y-You're kidding! Why!?"

"W-We don't know either…," chewed Koganei. He looked over at the tiger and the miko, seeing them confused themselves. "Oi, Kagami, Kagome-chan, didn't you two make it with her?"

Kagami scratched the back of his head: "We did…"

"We even tasted it," whispered Kagome, coming to look down at the pot.

"Then why?" Koganei's shoulders slump, wanting to get an answer. He blinked, seeing the coach walk over to the pot and stand next to the miko. "Coach's inability to cook is beyond human understanding…but it's almost amazing."

"Kagome-chan?"

Looking over her shoulder, the miko blinked upon hearing Kuroko's call. She noticed that he had a plate in his hand that had not been served. Had Riko missed him by chance? "Ah, gomen, I guess she forgot to serve you," grabbing the plate, Kagome served the rice and the curry before placing the plate before the phantom player.

She watched silently as Kuroko took a spoonful and blinked at the taste. "How is it?" she questioned.

"It's…good," he replied, seeing no problem with the taste.

Shun turned towards the phantom player, laughing sheepishly: "Kuroko, that's enough. Don't do anything crazy like Hyuga and Kiyoshi!"

"No…it really is good," he commented, turning his attention over to his senpais.

Kiyoshi blinked, seeing Kuroko's plate and took a step towards him: "Did you…Kuroko, did you serve yourself?"

"No," he shook his head, "Kagome-chan did."

"Did you, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

Kagome blinked giving a small nod: "Uh…hai. They forgot about Kuroko-kun, so I served him."

Kiyoshi quickly turned towards the coach: "Riko, could you plate another serving?"

"Huh?" Riko sighed as she came to grab another empty plate and nodded slowly: "Yeah, sure." Her eyes lowered onto the plate, wording out the steps both Kagome and Kagami had taught her. "First, you put the rice on the plate. Then, before you add the sauce…"

Eyes watched carefully on each step she took as she served the other portion. Kagome blinked as she noticed Riko beginning to sprinkle something on top of the serving. _'What is she putting?'_

"Has she been putting cheese on there?" questioned Koganei. "That is some serious cooking." He quickly slammed his fist on the table: "Oi! What is that!?"

"Eh?" blinked Riko, showing them the plate. "It is protein and vitamin C powder."

"T-That's it!" they shouted.

The miko chuckled under her breath: "maybe…don't put that in, Riko-senpai."

"But…they need energy," she whispered with a pout.

"Just…trust me on this one," Kagome handed her another plate. "Here, serve them again just…without the supplements, okay?"

Riko sighed before grabbing the plate and served the boys again, watching as they took another bite and released a sigh of relief from the normal flavor.

"It's…normal!" they exclaimed together.

"Oi! Say it tastes good at least!" shouted Riko.

Kagome could not help but release another light chuckle only to see Kuroko facing her with his spoon and bit of the curry. She blinked, seeing his innocent stare on her. "Want some?" he questioned. Her eyes landed over to the tiger coming to sit next to the phantom player and his own double portion of curry on his own plate.

The miko nodded slowly before taking Kuroko's spoon and taking a taste, completely oblivious to the light blush forming on Kuroko's cheeks.

* * *

"Arigatou, Aida-san," Kagome gave a bow to the driver in the car after she and Riko came out. Summer vacation had finally arrived which only meant their concentration would be fully on the training.

"No problem," he answered. "I was surprised to get a call from Koga and asking for a favor. I was even more surprised to know that you two know each other so well."

"Uh, well," Kagome laughed nervously as she straightened herself up from her bow. She had thought the ride with Riko and her father would have been awkward, but she was surprised that Kagetora had only simply asked questions about her and how she came to join the team.

"I smell the beach!" shouted Koganei, catching the attention of the girls.

Looking behind their shoulders, they both blinked to see the team coming down from the bus and looking out to the water.

"We must reach it quickly!" exclaimed Shun.

"Izuki, shut up," sighed Hyuga, crossing his arms.

"Let's swim!" Koganei pumped his fist into the air, excited solely on the sight of the ocean.

Hyuga's eyebrow twitched: "This is a training camp, you idiots!"

**Bark.**

Kagome chuckled, watching as Nigou ran to her feet and came to pet his head. It looked like the guys were not the only ones excited.

"Brats…"

All eyes landed onto the car, seeing Kagetora lower his sunglasses. They watched his eyes lower into a threatening glare: "lay a hand on my daughter and even Kagome-chan and I will kill you."

"Yes, sir!" they saluted in fear, watching as he rolled his window back up and drove off.

"Arigatou, Papa!" waved Riko, a huge grin spreading on her lips.

Shun looked over to his side, seeing some basketball hoops set on the beach sand. Blinking with confusion, he pointed over to the direction after catching the miko's attention. "Um, what are those?"

Riko chuckled innocently and smirked: "My dad brought them here for us. You can thank Kagome-chan for that."

"Huh?" the team blinked over to the miko, seeing her smile nervously.

"Don't tell me we are going to…," Hyuga's eyes widened slightly.

Kagome sighed, nodding to their suspicion. "Yup. We are going to play basketball here. I gave Koga a call."

"K-Koga!?" exclaimed Fukuda. "The Ichiro Koga?"

With another nod, Kagome pointed over to the sand court: "I asked him for advice to train you guys and when I told him we were coming to the beach, he said to train you guys on the sand."

"On…the sand?" whispered Kiyoshi, blinking at the sight of the tall hoops stands.

Riko crossed her arms as she walked over the court and turned towards the team with crossed arms: "After Kagome explained to me of Koga's idea, my father and I agreed and had him bring these over. Imagine the team's power as an equation. If the individuals' numbers are low, we will never make a big number. What Seirin needs now is to improve the skills of each individual player. But don't get the wrong idea. We are not creating a team of individual strengths, but increasing each one of the powers we combine as a team."

"Seirin wins as a team," finished Kagome, giving them a smile.

"Shooting, passing, dribbling…in order to improve all of your actions, we have to start with the foundation of your legs and hips," continued the coach. "That is why we are practicing on the beach. Koga-san's idea of putting the court was a plus. I can see why he is a professional." Riko patted the miko's back, surprising her. "I feel so lucky that we have someone who knows someone in this profession! Yah! I am just itching with excitement to get these guys working!"

Kagami's foot lightly stomped on the sand: "This…is going to make us twice as tired."

"Gomen," whispered Kagome, "but…Koga said that you all needed to work on your feet first."

"He…observed us that much?" blinked Hyuga.

Riko nodded to the team: "Hai. We will start by doing three times the normal amount of practice!" The coach quickly discarded her uniform shirt and revealed the navy blue tank top underneath: "Come on, Kagome-chan. Let's get this training camp from hell started!"

The miko sighed before coming to remove her own shirt and held down to her side. The team gulped seeing the seriousness in the two female's eyes, but also at the sight of the coach wearing the tank top and their manager wearing a tight white tank top.

"Let get started!" smirked Riko before blowing onto her whistle.

Just what had they agreed to…

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi: **So there ya go! A slightly longer chapter than usual because like I said...you all deserve it for the love that this story has received. I don't know how to thank you guys and girls for the reviews and everything! So thank you again for reading!

I hope I didn't disappoint...

Also, for reaching the 15th chapter and over 500 reviews, someone on Tumblr told me to post a picture of myself, so I said why not? So if you are curious on how I look, go see haha before I delete it?

Next chapter, Midorima and Takao make a comeback and Kagami along with Kuroko will be asking Kagome of her scar on her hip. Wonder if she will reveal the secret? Oooo, we will see. Hope you all enjoyed!

P.S: New poll!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	16. Releasing the Weight

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Guys and girls! I am so sorry for the long wait, but here is the longest chapter (yet!) Now...I had a very HARD time writing this chapter and I want to thank Joker2113 for her advice and support! I had some personal issues to resolve and writing was becoming harder for me as writers block was kicking in, but I kicked its butt instead and made myself write because I knew I could not leave you all hanging.

So a lot of things happen in this chapter and guess what...not only does Midorima appear, but Kise and Aomine make small appearances at the end! Also, Kagome may seem weak in some parts, but keep in mind that she is trying to adjust to her "normal" life after having the weirdest adventure in her life that no one would believe. As for if Seirin and the Generation of Miracles finding out about her past...we will just have to wait for that.

Without further ado, chapter 16 has arrived! Hope you all enjoy! I want to thank you all for the reviews! They really do push me to write. Trust me, I write these chapter with all my heart because with so many people reviewing, I know you all deserve the best. Please continue to support me and trust me when I say that reviews help authors quicken their pace in updates (hahaha). But me, even with ten reviews, I know that people want to read.

Can't believe I wrote this much. Hope I don't disappoint!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 16: **Releasing the Weight

* * *

Blue orbs followed the ball as it was passed from one player to the next on the sand court. The miko could feel the harsh rays of the sun beginning lick her skin. Even with wearing a skirt and a tank top, the heat was unbearable. Although her sweat was not comparable to the boys, she felt icky at knowing her clothes were sticking to her skin.

She tried her best to ignore the feeling and observe the males on their practice game on the sand. Sweat dripped from the Seirin members as the run on the sand only made their legs much heavier. The miko could see Koga's intentions in having them practice in this manner. The sole dependence of using the ball of their feet on the sand would make them feel much lighter on flat ground and even give them more stability and control over their feet. The miko had first thought Koga's advice was a bit silly, but she came to realize that Koga had been doing observations for years. He himself knew about speed and leg strength as a demon, but she was quite surprised how he was able to incorporate something that he used to do into a sport.

Kagome blinked once, seeing that the members were having a hard time adjusting to this kind of training, but the determination was clearly written on their faces. She could see the struggle of keeping their balance to react in their reflexes during their play, almost making them lose their footing completely.

"I can see why Koga-san is highly respected in his profession."

Catching the voice beside her, the miko turned her attention over to the female coach, seeing her hold her pink whistle between her thumb and index finger. The coach's attention was clearly on the boys, watching them struggle with their weight on the sand and playing since they could not even dribble the ball on the court.

Coming back to see the boys, Kagome noticed the captain slightly lose his footing on the sand before coming to throw the ball over in a pass towards Shun.

"Well, I still don't have much experience in seeing all the technical stuff in sports and training, but I can clearly see where Koga is going with this," Kagome replied, continuing to observe the team. "Koga is very…out there to say the least. He can have a hard time being still, but it doesn't surprise me he is in this profession. It definitely suits him."

"Which surprises me that you say that, Kagome-chan. You are awfully close with Koga-san and you say that you don't know this stuff, but to me it looks like you know something around technique."

The miko released a low chuckle to Riko's words. "I said I am not good with the sport technical stuff. I have knowledge on other things."

Catching her attention, RIko slowly turned her head to the side, seeing the small smile gracing the miko's lips. "Oh that's right. You did mention during the Shutoku game that you did archery, right? Do you still do it?"

"Uh…," Kagome scratched her cheek, trying to remember the last time she used her bow and arrows, "not really." Her cerulean orbs followed Kuroko's movements, seeing him try to pass the ball with a bounce on the sand only for it to lay dead and getting a scold by Hyuga. "I stopped after graduating from middle school after some things happened in life. It never…came back to me to continue." She figured it had to do with her inner feeling that if she held a bow again, she would be consumed by the memories of her past.

She quickly felt a nudge coming from the coach's elbow and noticed the smirk. Riko raised a brow after dropping the whistle from her fingers: "I think you should bring it to intimidate these guys when they don't listen."

The miko's eyebrow twitched, already picturing the frightened faces on the boys if they were to see her use her bow and arrows on them. "Although I do miss it, I highly doubt the boys would appreciate becoming my target practice."

"Eh~ they don't need to know," Riko waved her hand up and down before both girls came to see Kagami quickly jumping up and missing the hoop with the gravity taking him down face first into the sand. They could feel their eyes drop with a twitch on their lip, realizing that the tiger had wanted to dunk but the heaviness on his legs and the sand had strained him from getting that spring.

"Bakagami! Stop wanting to dunk all the time!" shouted Riko.

Kagome chuckled under her breath, watching as Riko walked towards the hoop to give a scold along with the rest of the teammates.

"Is dunking the only thing you can do, you moron!?" exclaimed Hyuga, placing his hands on his hips.

"Damn it!" shouted Kagami, raising his head from the sand. The sand was definitely getting him tired and he was sure that it wasn't just him. The unleveled flooring was something he was not use to and his jumps just were not working!

The miko released a low sigh as she crossed her arms: _'Baka…he needs to learn other methods besides just dunking.' _Her eyes landed down seeing Kiyoshi silent in a low squat on the sand as he tried catching his breath. Blinking once, she noticed him wipe the sweat from his chin before coming to question him: "Kiyoshi-senpai, are you okay?"

"Huh?" looking over his shoulder, the second-year brunette straightened his pose and sent the miko a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, Kagome-chan."

Kagome's eyes took a quick glance over to his knee, seeing his distressed aura. "Don't overdo it, Kiyoshi-senpai," she advised as her eyes came back up to his. "You did just get released from the hospital. If you need to rest, please tell me."

Kiyoshi's lips curved into a smile before shaking his head: "Nah, this is what I need. This type of training will be perfect for whipping my body into shape."

Crossing her arms once again, Kagome raised a brow: "I wasn't talking about being in shape. I don't want you to worsen your injury."

Kiyoshi chuckled, seeing what she meant. Although his physical shape was sort of lower compared to the rest in the team due to his time away from basketball, he had to give her credit for catching on his slight pain of his knee. His much larger hand came down to the girl's head, patting it lightly: "Arigatou, Kagome-chan. I know you are looking out for the team, but this is what we have to do to redeem ourselves at the Winter Cup."

"I understand that," she quickly replied, almost as if she was expecting that sort of answer from him. "But I don't want my friends to get hurt in the process." She had lost count the many times her demon friends and her other two human friends in the past had gone out to fight even with injuries and only worsen because of their stubbornness.

Kiyoshi nodded to her words before coming to stare at the boys: "we truly appreciate what Riko and you do for us and it is our turn to put the training and knowledge we are being provided with into our skills. In fact, Riko feels thankful that you contacted Koga-san for some advice. Getting professional advice definitely is something she does not mind getting." The brunette's eyes traveled over to the sand. "Thank Koga-san for us, Kagome-chan. We are truly grateful that he is willing to help Seirin even though he is busy."

Sending him a smile of her own, the miko spoke: "Koga offered himself to help and I have known him for a long time. Once he offers his help, he doesn't go back on his word. I am sure he enjoys helping people improve."

Kiyoshi released a light laugh: "something tells me he is mostly doing it for 'his woman'." He disregarded the tick on the miko's forehead appearing at his comment. It seemed like the girl did not like to be claimed that way and the anger definitely was shown on her features.

"Please don't tell me that you are all going to believe him in that," she glared, raising a brow towards her senpai.

"Gomen, gomen," he apologized with a laugh, raising his hands in defense, "but you can't deny that Koga-san is doing it because you are in Seirin. For that…we feel lucky to have you. I feel grateful to have been able to meet such interesting first-years."

The miko's eyes slowly glided over to the team, seeing them try to catch their own breaths from the harsh runs and the harsh sun hitting their skin. "I have a feeling they will hold this against me and Koga…," giggling under her breath, she noticed that Kuroko was ready to fall flat onto the sand seeing that he was having double the struggle of keeping up. Kagome released a sigh and turned back to face the tall male: "can you let Riko-senpai know I went over to the gym to set up for the next practice?"

With a small nod, Kiyoshi replied: "no problem. I will let her know, Kagome-chan."

"Arigatou, Kiyoshi-senpai," she waved away after lowering her view down to see Nigou's focus solely on the orange ball as it was passed back and forth between the members. "Come on, Nigou. Let's go to the gym and set up for the boys. I have your ball there."

With a light bark, Nigou followed behind the miko after she walked past Kiyoshi and crossed the street towards the gym near their bath house where they would be staying. His smile continued to be held as his hand snaked behind his neck to give it a light scratch. "Seirin has definitely gained some interesting people this year. I am glad I am able to play for one more year at least." With another chuckle passing through his lips, he returned his focus onto the sand court and signaled his teammates to be given the ball to resume his own training.

* * *

"Yosh, that should be everything," as the miko dusted off her hands together after rolling in the basket full of balls, her eyes roamed at her surroundings of the gym seeing it was pretty decent size to have for their stay. She smiled at the sight of Nigou running around freely in the middle of the court. "Thanks for helping Nigou."

Hearing the light bark from the mascot, she giggled at the sight of Nigou beginning to roll the small she had given him with his nose. He was happy to have the court finally to himself after watching many sessions of the team playing and him himself wanting to join.

The miko placed her hand on her hip as her eyes landed over to the tall hoop. She was worried – of many things. She knew that Kagami was doing his own thing along with the team, but Kuroko was another story. Almost everyone had a clearer view of what needed to be done to get stronger individually, but even she did not know what she could do to help. If anything, she wanted to help the phantom player find that new basketball style he needed, but at the same time, Kiyoshi had made a valid point that Kuroko needed to find it himself.

"What can I do as a manager, though?" she questioned to herself, releasing a soft sigh and leaning to the wall behind her. "It isn't like I could get a shard and give it to him. My senses in strategies are totally different…," the miko placed her hands on either side of her head as she ruffled her hair. "Ugh! What is going on with me? Even Koga was able to incorporate his skills into this world without showing his true nature." Seeing Nigou's ball being rolled over to her, she smiled and rolled it away for him to chase with a run. "I could make some practice matches, but they all need to concentrate individually."

Dropping her head with another sigh, she closed her eyes: "Usually I could easily come up with battle strategies, but who knew basketball was a whole different level. If this was against demons then maybe I could help in some way…," with Nigou coming back towards with the ball in his mouth, she sent him a smile. "Koga can probably give me a few pointers in basketball."

She rolled the ball once more before closing her eyes in deep thoughts. How long had it been since she meditated? How long had it been since she channeled her true power inside?

The miko inside her was definitely missed.

* * *

"Training in the gym right after the sand training!?" exclaimed Kagami as he followed behind his already tired teammates and a grinning coach.

"Do you have a problem with that?" glared Riko, turning her head over her shoulder as she continued her walk towards the gym.

"A-Ah…n-no…," he stuttered, feeling the threat solely from the coach's tone.

Hyuga sighed, shaking his head before coming to wipe the sweat off his forehead with the towel he had in hand: "Baka, it is barely noon and you are already complaining?"

"Uruse…," he whispered, turning his eyes away from the glaring.

"Ano, is Kagome-chan inside already?" questioned Kuroko, following behind the tall brunette. It had caught him a little off guard to have seen the miko away and even Nigou out of his sights.

Kiyoshi chuckled, lowering the water bottle from his lips: "Yeah, she said she was going to prepare the training in the gym."

"Tch, she didn't even stay for the whole beach training," scoffed Kagami before taking another large gulp of the refreshing liquid. He could only guess that the training in the gym would be Riko's plan and that was something his body knew would be twice as hurt the next day.

"Oi, she at least called Koga-san for some advice," added Riko, coming to stand in front of the gym doors. Turning to her team, she crossed her arms: "Listen, the Winter Cup will be here before we know it. We need to train as hard as we can with the time we have, got it?"

"Yes!" the exclaimed in unison.

With a smirk and a nod to accompany it, Riko turned around to open the door and walked inside. She looked around the court to see the basket of balls ready and even a few cones laid for the training she had planned. "Hmm, where is Kagome-chan?" she questioned to herself in a whisper while taking a few steps further in.

"Ano, coach?" Koganei's voice whispered lightly, catching the attention of the whole team and seeing his index finger pointing towards their manager with closed eyes and even breathing.

They blinked in unison, seeing it abnormal for the girl to be sleeping and so at peace. Was she asleep? She seemed to be concentrating and deep thought and they were surprised that the miko had not even moved from the sound of their heavy steps.

Kuroko leaned to the side, seeing his pet wagging his tail slowly with his eyes glued on the quiet female on the floor. Quietly making his way over, he squatted in front of the miko and observed her features. Perhaps she was tired and snoozed out while waiting?

"Is she asleep?" questioned Shun, walking with the team as they stood around the girl.

"Can she not hear us?" asked Koganei, scratching the back of his head.

Riko blinked, realizing she was in a straight crisscrossed position on the floor. Was that even comfortable to be napping in?

"Oi! Wake up."

All eyes wandered over to the tiger, seeing his hand coming down to ruffle the miko's hair. Her fingers quickly wrapped around his wrist, stopping his movements any further. The tiger's eyes widened slightly, along with the team (with the exception of Kuroko) as they saw her slowly open her own view.

Kagome blinked, a bit surprised to feel the questioning gazes from the team as they looked down at her. Her eyes landed ahead, seeing the phantom player in a low squat with Nigou in front of him and staring back at her. A small blush began to creep onto her cheeks, seeing that she was caught in her meditation – or in this case they probably thought she was sleeping – and now here they were observing her as if she was a fish inside a bowl.

"O-Oi!"

Hearing the tiger's voice above her, she slowly titled her head up to see her hand latched onto his wrist. Blinking again, she realized that her reflexes in meditation had unconsciously stopped Kagami's hand from touching her. Quickly releasing his wrist, she laughed nervously: "A-Ah…you're all back…"

Silence over took the area before hearing Shun's voice: "Kagome-chan…were you asleep?"

"I-I guess…," she chuckled, scratching her cheek.

Koganei quickly leaned in to catch her attention: "Y-You caught Kagami's wrist without opening your eyes, Kagome-chan! How did you do that!? You were like a ninja!"

"Uh…," the miko had not even realized that meditating had refreshed her senses. She simply had grabbed whatever had tried to touch her; her reflexes just popped out.

"Well, that was certainly…interesting," commented Riko, seeing that everyone was curious, but she had to get the boys into training before their bodies got colder. "But guys, let's get back into training! Don't let your bodies cool off!"

The miko blinked seeing Kuroko's hand being offered to help her back up. Silently, Kagome placed her hand on top of his and was brought back up to her feet. "A-Arigatou, Kuroko-kun."

"Are you tired?" he questioned.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, sending him a smile. "I guess the heat of the sun just got to me."

"Well, make sure to stay hydrated, Kagome-chan," Riko cut in, coming to stand beside her.

Kagome slowly turned to the tiger, seeing his eyes were on her person. Scratching her cheek, she sent him a sheepish smile: "Ah, gomen about that. I didn't mean to startle you."

"I-It's fine…," he whispered, looking away to cover the small blush threatening to escape onto his skin.

"It was probably his smell that caught your attention, Kagome-chan," spoke Kuroko, receiving a light chuckle from the miko and an angry glare to match the tiger's tick.

"Oi! Teme!"

Riko blew on her whistle, startling the trio: "You two! On the court!"

"H-Hai…," whispered Kagami, making his way past the miko and phantom player before his shadow followed behind.

The two resumed to observe the team, seeing that the results of Koga's training on the sand was definitely showing. Kagome could see the slight excitement showing on the coach's face and she was glad that she was able to help in some way. But just how much could this team improve until the arrival of the Winter Cup? Only time could tell…

"You will definitely need to bring Koga-san one day to shape them up even more," grinned Riko, catching Kagome's attention.

"I have a feeling that they would complain about you trying to kill them, Riko-senpai," chuckled the miko, seeing that Riko's eyes were almost shinning at seeing the slight results from the sand training. The two girls watched as Hyuga was giving the ball and aimed for a three-pointer shot and gave a slight jump upwards before his eyes widened slightly. The ball was released from his grip, easily making the shot and giving them the points.

"Their movements have improved just with the small practice session on the sand," commented Kagome, noticing that Hyuga's form had become more stable.

"Hai," smirked Riko, coming to cross her arms. "They were not seeing the point of it so I had them come here sooner so they could feel it themselves. Hyuga-kun got a better grip on that ball than he usually does. Did you see that?"

With a small nod, Kagome's eyes followed the ball coming towards Kagami: "Their legs aren't flopping around. I noticed that the sand training helped them focus more on the strength into the base of their big toes which is the most important part of stepping on the ground."

"Right," Riko could not help but release a light chuckle of excitement. "Koga-san definitely knows what he is doing."

'_Yeah…he is a demon that loves to run around barefoot,' _Kagome's lip twitched as she looked away to hold her sarcasm back.

Everyone's attention was quickly drawn over to the red head, watching as he aimed for a dunk. He suppressed his jump a little lower and simply flicked his wrist to the let the ball fall into the hoop, surprising his team entirely on his new take to score. Coming to land on his feet, Koganei placed his hands on his hips: "Eh~ you should have gone for a dunk there," he chuckled.

"Was the timing off?" questioned Tsuchida.

Hyuga blinked, noticing the silent tiger: _'if anything, wasn't it perfect? Did he hold back so he wouldn't jump too high?'_

Looking over at the phantom player, Kagome blinked, seeing his own focus was on the tiger. It was obvious to her that he was in deep thought of his own style. She only hoped that it would not take long before the Winter Cup was here. It definitely got her worried if Kuroko would find a way to push through the wall that was in front of him.

* * *

"Ow! Ow!" Kagami quickly looked over his shoulder as he sat on the floor in their resting room. He sent the phantom player a glare the moment he retreated his hands from his back as he was being helped in his stretching. "You are doing it too strong, baka!"

"Ah, sumimasen," blinked Kuroko, having been lost in thought to even realize he had pushed Kagami in too much into the stretch. Looking away, he noticed the rest of the team, minus Hyuga and Kiyoshi, stretching in partners after having taken a bath together. All their muscles were definitely sore already and they had not even slept yet. Kuroko turned back to the tiger as he felt someone was continuing to stare at him.

"Oi," called Kagami, "are you thinking about something? Is it about your new style?"

Kuroko took a small pause before answering: "I'm…just a little concerned. I don't have any ideas yet. I noticed that Kagome-chan has been putting a lot of attention on me as well, so that worries me."

Kagami released a scoff before coming to stand on his feet: "She is worried about you, baka. You said so yourself, didn't you?" His eyes landed onto the blinks of the phantom player. "Let us not try to make her worry."

"Have you two even talked to her?" questioned Koganei, coming towards the duo.

Kuroko shook his head in response before seeing Nigou coming to his lap: "No. Not really."

The tiger took a few steps away from the dog to keep the distance and looked over at his senpai: "We have been busy with training, that small talk isn't even possible. But it is obvious she has been in deep thought these days." His hand reached down to the water bottle on the floor near his bag and leaned onto the wall.

"Maybe she is thinking about Koga-san," commented Furihata, having overheard the conversation after his stretch. He blinked nervously the moment he noticed the tiger beginning to choke on his water.

"Kagami! Don't spit the water on the floor!" shouted Fukuda.

The phantom player blinked as he slowly looked to stare at Nigou. It was going to take a lot for him to find his new way of basketball, but he knew that time was ticking. He was going to find a new way and he was going to become stronger for the team.

* * *

A soft sigh passed a pair of male lips as the male's shoulders were patted with relaxation. Sitting on the massage chair located at the hallway Kiyoshi closed his eyes contently at finally getting some rest after a long day of training. There was nothing better than feeling his muscles being hit softly by a nice massage. "I feel rejuvenated," his voice thumped with each pat of the chair.

"You sound like an old man."

Kiyoshi slowly opened his eyes at catching the familiar voice. His view glided to the corner to see the female coach walking past him as she held a bucket of her toiletries. "Ah, Riko, have you seen Hyuga?" he questioned with his voice still wavering with each pat on his shoulders.

"He just went outside with a ball," she replied, stopping in her steps.

"Really?" he blinked, adjusting his body on the chair. "He is unbelievable like that."

Riko's eyes dropped slowly to the bucket in her hands before speaking out. "What do you think of this training camp?"

"What do I think?" he repeated her question, sliding down the chair after the massage on the chair ended. "Are you not satisfied with something?"

"No, but…"

Kiyoshi released a sigh, closing his eyes after staring intently at the ceiling: "The two of you, Kagome-chan and yourself are doing the right thing. This practice will improve everyone's fundamentals. If there is a problem, it will be with the players."

The female coach slowly turned her head over her shoulder after hearing his words. She had been worried that her training ways were not enough to make them stronger, but after hearing his words, he was right. The rest was up to them to improve. There was only so much she as a coach and Kagome as a manager could do.

"If there is something we need to improve the team even more," he continued, "it is for each player to understand his role. That includes the coach and the manager."

* * *

Coming out of the bath room fully clothed in her sleep wear, the miko dried her hair with her white towel as she made her way down the hall towards her and Riko's separate room. After the long hours of training, she was finally glad that she had the chance to just relax in a bath and feel her own muscles become washed with calming warm water and the sweat of the day just being completely wiped away.

The miko looked down to her legs, feeling the soreness coming in: _'I think I should start getting back in shape…,' _Kagome released a low sigh before continuing her walk ahead. Feeling two auras around the corner, the miko stopped in her steps and blinked. As she heard the faint conversation, Kagome quickly matched the voices of the female coach and Kiyoshi. Kagome blinked again, unsure if she should walk in and intrude into their conversation or walk away to let them continue. Kagome slowly turned the other direction only to stop once again upon her ears catching Kiyoshi's voice at a sudden subject.

* * *

Kiyoshi's eyes slowly opened to the light on the ceiling. A small smile decorated his lips as he thought of his next words. "You could call it establishing a style. When you are trying to learn a new technique, first you have to understand yourself. But Kuroko and the others haven't managed that yet."

Riko slowly turned her body to face her second-year friend. With a small pause being exchanged, she made her way with small steps to stand in front of the tall male, seeing his attention now on her. "Are you including Kagome-chan and myself?"

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath before coming to sit on the massage chair more comfortably: "I will say something that I have observes and I think you have realized it too, Riko. It looks like Kagome is not herself in some occasions. In some moments, she seems she is okay, but in other moments, it is almost like a part of her is lost and she herself is lost in thought."

Giving him a blink, the coach closed her eyes with a low sigh: "I have seen it and sometimes I want to ask her about it, but I don't want to pry too much into something that could cause her pain, you know?"

"It isn't only Kuroko and Kagami that need to find themselves, but even Kagome-chan," his eyes landed on his knee, remembering how Kagome had seemed awfully worried about his injury when he had told her he was fine. "I have a feeling she will discover the new her. Just give them some time."

With a small pout, Riko placed the bucket of her toiletries to her hip: "I hate how you act like you know everything."

"Eh?" he blinked. Was that a compliment?

"Seriously, why didn't you become the captain?" she asked with another a sigh to match her furrowed eyebrows. "I don't have any complaints about Hyuga-kun, but you are suited to the job, too."

"Hyuga is a better fit," he smiled, seeing where Riko was going with this. His eyes glided to the corner, avoiding her gaze as he held his smile to his lips. "You push them, and Hyuga pulls them. That is the best way. That is why I asked him to do it."

Riko stared at his expression for a few seconds before nodding to his reasoning. She never could read his mind, but she could always understand his feelings after he explained himself. His ideas have never been wrong and she had never been against them. "Anyways, you are saying we can't keep going at this rate, right?"

"If only we had some kind of spark," he added, coming back to relax into the chair.

* * *

'_A…spark?' _the miko's eyes landed down to the wooden floor under her feet. Her body slowly turned away from her made path and made her way back down the hallway. She brought herself back into her thoughts after hearing the duo's conversation about the team needing to find themselves individually. _'Find myself…,' _stopping in her steps, Kagome lowered her towel from her damp hair. _'Ever since I left the feudal era, I can agree that I have not been myself at all. The miko I once was who battled demons, healed, and had friends that were demons themselves…cannot be the same person in this era. Those times are over…'_

Looking ahead, the miko slowly turned her head to the window, seeing a hazy reflection of herself. Her own blue orbs coming to stare back at her person. "But by blood I am still a miko. I and with the rest of my friends saved Japan in the past.'

She gave herself a reassuring smile: _'Just because those times are over and I cannot fully use my abilities, that doesn't mean that I have to forget who I am.'_

* * *

The next day had been set with a bright light from the sun, having everyone awaken for the day. Kagami looked at his reflection with one eye open as he stood in front of the hallway sink that was located in their bath house. Brushing his teeth slowly, he could not help but feel the ache sticking to his muscles. Right after he woke up, he wasn't surprised to see most of the team lost in their deep sleep as their own soreness was weighing them down.

'_My body hurts so much…,' _he groaned mentally before grabbing his plastic mug and gulping the water to rinse his mouth. He leaned forward to spit out the liquid before coming back and jump back at catching the familiar ghostly colored hair from the corner of his eyes. "Oi! Teme! Do you do that on purpose!?"

Kuroko gave him a few innocent blinks, wanting to just bash him on the head for giving him a scare so early in the morning! Where the hell had the guy come from!? Or had he already been here and he did not notice? This was nothing to get used to no matter how many times he would try! He was sure he was not the only one!

"Ohayou gozaimasu," greeted Kuroko, turning to fully face the tiger as he held his own cup and toothbrush in hand.

"Stop sneaking up on me!" he shouted back before feeling a hand hitting him on the back of his head. He quickly turned, wondering who the hell now was messing with him: "Oi-!" he flinched at the sight of the miko holding her toothbrush and dressed in her sleep wear of shorts and a baggy blue shirt.

"Keep it down, Bakagami," she glared, setting her toothbrush down on the counter over the sink. "Some people are still sleeping. We aren't the only ones here, you know?" She sighed before coming to turn on the water to splash a bit of cold water on her face to wake up from the heavy sleep that hung on her eyes. Seriously, she could hear the tiger's voice from down the hallway!

Blushing, his turned his gaze away before taking one last glance at the girl: "U-Uruse! Tell this idiot to stop appearing out of nowhere then!" His view landed onto the phantom player once more, quickly noticing the explosion on Kuroko's hair. The phantom player's hair was all over the place! "Oi! Your hair!"

"Huh?" blinked Kuroko, taking a glance upwards to see some of his bangs flared up.

Leaning to the side, the miko noticed the phantom player beginning to slowly flatten his ends, only for them to come back up. "Ah, Kuroko-kun."

Kuroko looked over to the manager and gave her a nod, completely forgetting about his hair: "Ohayou, Kagome-chan."

"Ohayou," she smiled, chuckling under her breath to see Kuroko's bed hair. Who knew he had such a trait.

"Fix your damn hair," sighed Kagami, coming to place his plastic mug over the counter.

"I can't," replied Kuroko, his hand coming back up to his hair. He did not know how this even happened. He just always woke up this way and never seemed to be bothered by it. He looked around the counter to find a comb, noticing that there was none. Feeling gentle fingers touching his hair, he slowly turned his attention over to the owner of the hand and noticed the miko's eyes on his out-of-control strands.

"Hmm, do you move a lot in bed, Kuroko-kun?" she questioned, untangling a few hairs and finally smoothing out the ends.

"A bit…," he answered, his eyes staring at her features while her focus was on his hair. With one last blink, a rose colored hue appeared over his cheeks as he continued to stare the miko in front of him.

The tiger turned his head towards the duo and blinked at the pink appearing on the phantom's cheeks. Was that…a blush? Kagami's split eyebrow twitch, seeing Kuroko's head turn slightly to the side after noticing that he was staring at him. The bastard was hiding his blush!? Oh hell he would get away with it after so many times he would point out his own blushes!

"Oi! Teme! Are you blushing!?" he questioned, catching the miko's attention over her shoulder.

No response from the person.

"Don't you dare hide it, Kuroko!" Kagami pointed his finger over to the phantom player before seeing the miko turn back to see Kuroko clear his throat and turn back to them with the hue completely washed away.

"I am not blushing, Kagami-kun."

"You liar!" he shouted. "You were so blushing when Kagome touched your hair! Don't deny it!"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko raised his finger up to his lips, "people are still sleeping. Please keep your voice a little lower."

"T-Teme!" Kagami took a step forward, wanting to hit the male down for embarrassing him!

"Calm down you two," sighed the miko, finally lowering her hand away from Kuroko's hair. "Save your energy for training."

The tiger's eyes dropped with a twitch of his lip: "You are almost turning like the coach, Kagome. You want to kill us too, huh?"

"Ugh, this place is a dump. Are we really staying here? I feel like I am going to see a ghost."

The trio stopped in their talk as they heard a familiar male voice coming behind them and looked through the reflection. Their bodies froze as they noticed the familiar black haired male walking in front of the green haired. The orange uniform was too striking to forget and it only hit the miko with a bit shock as memory of the people flashed back.

"Uruse, Takao."

The three teens slowly turned their heads in unison, watching the other two males slowly walk away only to stop themselves. A pregnant silence washed over the area before Takao turned his head over his shoulder upon noticing who he had just passed by.

"H-Huh…?"

Shock filled Kagami's and Midorima's expression as they met eye-to-eye. They only hoped it was a dream, but the reality was that they were standing right in front of the Shutoku basketball members.

"Domo," greeted Kuroko, unfazed by their appearance.

The miko laughed lightly in a nervous tone – mostly afraid that Kagami and Midorima would suddenly be at their throats again at a public place. "Ohayou…it's good to see you two again."

"What are you three doing here!?" pointed Midorima, already having his morning ruined to see the three Seirin members at his stay.

"I could ask you the same thing!" glared Kagami, coming to face the green haired male.

Kagome sighed, closing her eyes with a shake of her head. Bringing her hand to her forehead, the miko could feel a headache already coming with their yells. _'Can these guys just wake up normally and have a low tone conversation? This yelling is going to get us in trouble! The bakas!'_

Takao blinked, resting his hand on his hip: "Shutoku has a long tradition of coming here to train together."

"And here you are enjoying your vacation!" accused Midorima, his eyebrows furrowing with annoyance. The last thing he wanted was to see these three during his summer break! "What with the tan!?" he questioned the tiger, seeing the darker color on his skin.

"We are not on vacation!" he exclaimed back to defend himself.

"Eh?" blinked Midorima, lowering his hand.

Kagome crossed her arms, catching the attention of the two males in front of them: "We are here for training too. So I can assure you we are not here to enjoy summer break like you think. As for Kagami-kun's tan, he is just a natural tanner. Simple as that."

"Oi! You are not helping!" he exclaimed towards her.

Takao blinked once more, noticing the miko's attire and quickly moved the tiger aside before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Mah! Kagome-chan! You are so kawaii! Who knew you looked so cute this early in the morning!" He sent Midorima a smirk: "Nee, Shin-chan, look, Kagome-chan is showing herself without makeup and bed hair."

"Oi!" Kagome turned her head slightly to the side to glare at the trickster. What was he trying to accomplish with this?

Midorima's green orbs landed over to the girl in front of him before a blush slowly crept onto his cheeks at the sight of the miko's bare legs. Although she always wore her school uniform, this was the first time they had seen her out of her school clothing and into other types of garments. Her slender legs had definitely caught his attention and he had to quickly turn his head away as he adjusted his glasses. "She needs to learn to cover herself more. Simple as that, Takao."

"Excuse me?" glared Kagome, sending him a raised brow. "I think I am covered enough. If you don't like it, then don't stare."

Midorima turned his head slightly to face the angry miko, gulping at the sight of her glare piercing into his person. "I-I…didn't mean it that way, nanodayo." Lowering his head slightly, he pushed is glasses once more. "I am simply saying-"

"Hentai," she spoke out, cutting him off.

He took a step back, surprised by the sudden insult and could not help but feel his eyes lowering into a glare of his own. "N-Nani!?"

Takao's laugh echoed into the hallway, quickly coming to clutch his stomach with both his arms: "Ha! Ha! Shin-chan a hentai? That is definitely a first! Priceless," he wiped away the tear on the corner of his eyes, gulping afterwards after noticing the glare being sent to him by his Shutoku member.

Kagome released a sigh, relaxing her eyes from her glare before rubbing her temple. Just what she needed…seeing some of Seirin's opponents during their stay here to ruffle their feathers. Mostly Kagami's but that was enough to set his concentration off.

"Chotto!"

Hearing a female voice coming into the picture, all males and Kagome turned to see Riko coming in holding a knife while wearing a red apron over her clothing as it was stained with red spots. The knife looked like it had stabbed the life out of someone and they did not want to know the story! What the hell was this girl doing!?

"Kagome-chan! I need your help!" called out Riko with a smile. After having a hard time cutting the meat, she knew she was not ready to cook on her own. She quickly had set off to seek for a help and lucky enough, the person she was looking for was right around the corner of the cafeteria. "Everyone is already waiting at the cafeteria for their food and I need your hands for help!"

The boys were frozen at the sight of the female coach covered in the red blood that was obviously from animal meat, but the sight was just not pleasant for their morning.

"What is your school, Kuroko!?" exclaimed Midorima.

"It's Seirin High School," he replied blandly.

Midorime sent the phantom player a glare: "That is not what I meant!"

Riko quickly grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her away from the boys before being dragged over to the cafeteria and out of the male's sights. Kagome blinked, wanting to let Riko know that Shutoku had arrived, but she could see that the female coach was more worried about her cooking. The miko sighed, ending her thoughts to help.

Kagome blinked before noticing the Shutoku coach walking on the other side of the hall and something clicked inside her brain: _'Hmm…maybe I can have Shutoku help with training…'_

* * *

"So? How is it?" smiled Riko, seeing the fright in Seirin as they saw the beef stew in front of them. She blinked, noticing that they were not even dipping their spoons an inch into the food. She slammed her palm at the end of the table, making them jump. "Are you going to eat or not?" she raised a brow.

"A-Ah…," Hyuga's voice trembled slightly, almost wanting to find someone else to eat it for him, but he knew he was hungry and needed the energy for the upcoming practice the coach had planned. He definitely needed this to fuel him up.

"Itadakimasu."

Hearing the sound of a spoon making contact with the bowl, all eyes quickly dived into seeing the phantom player eating his food without any fear. Koganei blinked, looking to his side and seeing no sign of death marking the first-year.

"I-Is it safe?' he questioned him in a whisper, afraid that the coach might overhear him and go after his head.

They were all startled by the coach early in the morning as she had come in with the same attire of blood and frightened the souls out of their bodies. They froze the moment she said she was making them breakfast, which made them want to bury themselves deeper into a coma, but the smile she had given was nothing but friendly and hurried them up on their feet.

Now all of Seirin found themselves sitting on the long wooden table with each facing a bowl of beef stew ready to give them their death beds. But the moment they saw Kuroko fully alive and with no problems as he ate, they were beginning to question.

"Kagome-chan made it with the coach," commented Kuroko, catching their attentions before resuming in his eating.

"Really!?" exclaimed Shun, quickly digging his spoon into the food. "Why did you say so before, Kuroko!?"

Riko's eyebrow twitched: "Oi, bakas! I am tripling your practice today!"

The team quickly dug into their soup, sweaty at the sight of an angry female coach. If anything, they were glad the food had not killed them off, but they were sure practice was the true death awaiting them.

Kiyoshi blinked up from his meal and looked around the cafeteria, noticing that the manager was…gone? His landed over to the female coach, watching her release a sigh before she snapped their heads off. "Ano, Riko?"

"Hm?" opening her eyes, she noticing his questioning look. "What is it, Teppei?"

"Where is Kagome-chan?" he asked, catching the rest of the team's attention.

"Now that you mention it…," Furihata's words trailed off, looking around himself to see no sign of the miko. Had Kuroko not said that she helped the coach make the food? So where was she now?

Riko blinked before crossing her arms and looking over to the exit: "Hmm, she said she was going to talk to someone to arrange something for you guys. So I trusted her judgment and let her go."

"Arrange something?" repeated Hyuga, lowering his spoon from his lips.

Kagami and Kuroko slowly raised their heads and looked at each other from across the table. Arrange something? That girl was always doing things behind their backs and meeting who know who! Kagami quickly swallowed his food and looked at the coach: "Did she say with who!?"

"Hmm…," Riko tapped her chin with her finger, "well she said she wanted to go talk with Nakatani Masaaki."

Tsuchida blinked: "Who…is that?"

"Oh, right," smiled Riko, closing her eyes, "Nakatani Masaaki is Shutoku's coach."

Hyuga sent her a blink behind his glasses. With a raised brow, he was beginning to feel confusion inside his head: "Shutoku's…coach? Where?"

Kuroko resumed to his food and took another slurp after giving them the news: "Shutoku High is here too."

"Nani!?" they exclaimed in unison.

* * *

"Oi! Kagome!" shouted Kagami as he came into the gym.

Hearing her name being yelled, the miko looked over her shoulder to see not only Seirin with short breaths, but also Shutoku beside them at the entrance of the gym doors. Riko blinked, seeing their manager standing in the middle of the basketball court with Nakatani in front of her with crossed arms. She blinked once more, noticing the smile on Kagome's lips.

"Ah, miina," greeted Kagome, waving her hand up in the air. "I have some good news!"

"N-News?" stuttered Koganei. He leaned over to Mitobe to give him a whisper: "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Mitobe simply gave him a nod as both teams made their way over to the miko and the Shutoku coach. Hearing a sigh from the older male, all eyes landed on Nakatani. "Higurashi-san here suggested we have practice games against each other for the next three days that we are here."

"Eh!?" they all exclaimed, surprised by the sudden news. Was this what Kagome had gone to do!? Behind their backs!?

Riko quickly clapped her hands together once as she made her way over to the miko's side: "That sounds like a wonderful idea! Right?" she asked her team, seeing not only the expression of anger and annoyance on Seirin, but also Shutoku.

"C-Chotto…," spoke Takao, taking a step forward, "I thought we were going to have individual training?"

"We were," sighed Nakatani, "but Higurashi-san was able to convince me saying it would benefit both teams in these games. I have no objection to it."

"Coach!" exclaimed Otsubo as he walked towards his coach. "How could this benefit us? We need to practice on our own."

"I understand that," nodded his coach, coming to see the Seirin team arguing with Kagome about her decision. "But it looks like we have another member to observe." His eyes landed on Kiyoshi, seeing him grin and ruffle the miko's hair with excitement. "They will use these practice games to improve individually and as a team, but we can use it to our advantage to observe their growth for the Winter Cup."

Midorima pushed his glasses in as he observed the miko arguing with the tiger. The girl was actually able to convince their own coach into having these practice games? What was she planning? Narrowing down his eyes, Midorima's lips slowly curved into a small smirk hidden from his teammates as he watched Kagome pull the tiger by his ear. Not only was she a great observer, but she also knew the famous Ichiro Koga – something he would definitely question her about – but it seemed that she was beginning to make an impact in the team. Even after the loss against Tōō, he had imagined the whole team being in depression without the wants to play, but seemed like they were more determined than ever.

Ears quickly were filled with the sound of a whistle, making them look over to the female coach as she smirked at both teams. "Alright! Line up and get ready to play! Show them what you got, Seirin!"

Seirin groaned lowly under their breath before walking over to grab their blue shirts to put over their clothes. Walking over to the middle of the court, their eyes dropped into a board expression as they stared back at the Shutoku members.

Kagome crossed her arms, watching the dissatisfaction in both teams. As much as she respected their rivalry and not wanting to play against each other now, she knew this is what they needed. They needed to see their opponents to get better. To reach higher than before. She only hoped they would not hold it against her. She blinked, noticing the female coach's attention on the tiger.

"Is everything okay, Riko-senpai?" she questioned.

"Hm," Riko tapped her foot on the wooden court, watching Kagami's legs as he made his way forward behind the phantom player. "I don't want him to play just yet. I need his legs to work on their own without having to over use them in these types of practices."

Coming back to see the tiger, Kagome placed her thumb and index finger under her chin, seeing that Kagami was beginning to take this seriously like any other game – which was not wrong, but it was not the time. Releasing a light laugh, Kagome scratched her cheek: "Ha, you can make him run to the convenience store and get us drinks. That should give his legs a good workout since it is located near the beach."

"Get us drinks, huh?" whispered Riko before coming to snap her fingers. "That's it. He needs to run. Good idea, Kagome-chan."

"Huh?" blinked Kagome, watching as the female coach took a few steps towards the tiger.

"Kagami-kun."

Hearing his name, the tiger looked over his shoulder and noticed the suspicious smile on Riko's expression. What did this girl want now?

"Kagome-chan said to go buy drinks for everyone," she grinned.

"Huh?" he blinked.

Kagome shook her head, quickly making her way towards Riko: "C-Chotto! I said it as a joke!"

"Run on the beach to the convenience store five hundred meters away!" Riko closed her eyes to match her smile, completely ignoring the light tug Kagome was giving to her arm. "Now go!"

"Oi!" shouted Kagami, quickly getting annoyed with the females. "Why!?"

"They will probably be heavy, so you can bring them one at a time," continued Riko, now ignoring even Kagami's protests.

"O-One at a time?" Kagami's eyes widened slightly at her reasoning. What the heck!? One at a time!? He would never get done!

Kagome tugged Riko's arm once more, finally catching her attention: "R-Riko-senpai, what are you thinking? I was only joking!"

Riko shrugged back to the miko before coming back to turn her eyes over to the tiger: "Everyone is practicing, so hurry."

"Oi! How many laps is that!?" he exclaimed, really hating that the coach was putting him out of the practice game. He wanted to take that smug look off Midorima's face! If he left, who knew what he would think of him! Grunting under his breath, the tiger took heavy steps past the two females as he made his way towards the exit.

Kagome blinked, watching his person disappear from her view before coming to turn to the coach. "Riko-senpai, was that even necessary?"

"Your idea did not sound bad," she crossed her arms, coming to stare at the court now ready with its players.

"It was never an idea!" exclaimed Kagome. "I was only thinking out loud!"

"And good thing you were," smirked Riko. Nudging her elbow onto the miko's arm, she chuckled at the sight of Kagome sighing in defeat. "I noticed during their sand training yesterday that Kagami-kun was getting the most benefit from it, especially in his legs. So don't worry, I had the same thought as you to have him run on the sand. If he wants his legs to get stronger, then the sand will help."

"Ugh…," Kagome crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. She could already feel the hate coming from him onto her. Her mind could already picture the angry tiger staring at her once he came back.

Seeing her concern, Riko patted the miko's back lightly: "Don't worry. You are doing the right thing. Never feel like you are wrong, Kagome-chan." She sent the miko a smile upon seeing the miko's attention on her. "We accept you as part of our family, so feel free to tell us anything okay?"

The miko's lips were slowly curved into a smile: "Arigatou, Riko-senpai." She blinked away: _'But I still feel the upcoming wrath of the tiger coming…'_

Eyes landed over in slight shock onto Kuroko the moment the ball was passed into his hands. The shock was not him standing one-on-one with Midorima, but the fact that he was holding the ball and not passing it to someone else. Kagome blinked, quite confused on his sudden actions. Was…he being serious? _'Can he go one-on-one…? Especially against Midorima-kun?'_

Even the both teams were slightly frozen at the fact that Kuroko wanted to go against the tall male. Kuroko dribbled the ball to his right and quickly lost the ball as Takao stole under his hand and passed it over to Midorima. With precise aim, Midorima released the ball and was made with ease into the hoop. Pushing his glasses in, Midorima walked past the still phantom player: "you have come to make some ridiculous plays."

"They are not ridiculous," spoke Kuroko, making Midorima stop in his steps. "I just want to be stronger since I have to keep my promise to the team and Kagome-cha." A small smile appeared on his lips before making his way towards his team.

"Don't make me laugh," he replied, looking over his shoulder, seeing the phantom player stop. "I don't know what you felt after losing to Aomine, but we already know your limits, nanodayo. I thought you played knowing them. Did you really think something would happen if you tried harder? A man who cannot play by himself cannot improve by himself."

"Who said he was by himself?"

Turning around, Midorima stopped in his tracks as he saw the miko standing in front of him. When had she appeared?

Having overheard his small conversation with Kuroko, she could not help but come over to butt in. Of course it was wrong of her, but she was not going to let someone talk badly of Kuroko nor the team. She sent Midorima a smile: "Besides, I admire hard work. We are all working towards the same goal. We are getting stronger individually and as a team."

Midorima's eyes narrowed into a slit as his focus was solely on the miko. "Higurashi, I advise you not to speak when I have not seen any improvement from any of you."

"You can't speak neither," she smirked. "We haven't fully shown you or anybody what we are capable of doing." She stood still as Midorima walked past her, fully aware he was annoyed with her words. With a gentle sigh, Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing both Shutoku's coach and Otsubo talking to each other on the sidelines. _'It looks like they noticed that Kagami-kun isn't here, but…,' _she followed their line of sight and stopped at Kiyoshi, _'they are also aware of Kiyoshi-senpai being back.' _

A small smile appeared on the miko's lips: _'we still have a lot to work on, but once the Winter Cup arrives, we will be ready.'_

* * *

Sinking into the hot water, Takao felt his muscles relax as the water seemed to soothe his ache all over. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of the small water fountain inside the bath house. "I feel rejuvenated," he sighed contently. His eyes opened once more in a playful glare as he looked at Midorima on the other side. "How long are you going to sulk, anyway? It is starting to get annoying," he questioned.

Ever since they had finished their practice game against Seirin, Midorima had been awfully silent. Too silent for his liking. Even with his little jokes here and there, Midorima had not even wasted his time to scold him or shut him up.

"Don't tell me it has to do with Kuroko," he raised a brow, not seeing any reaction from his teammate. "Kuroko's normal plays are nothing special. He has his unfair misdirection, though. You know, he should use his misdirection when he breaks away. An invisible dribble would be unstoppable."

"It's impossible, nanodayo," cut in Midorima, furrowing his eyebrow together. "Do you know why Kuroko only makes tap passes? Because he cannot direct attention away from the ball. During a game, you must never take your eyes off the ball. In other words, it has more presence than anything else on the court, nanodayo. That is why Kuroko never holds the ball. Unable to use his misdirection while holding the ball, it will not be long before someone steals it from him. However, conversely, if there were a way to overcome his weakness, he may show terrifying improvement."

"Eh~," Takao moved to the edge of the bath and rested his forearms on the border. "So let me guess, you are mostly annoyed at Kagome-chan having confronted you today?" A small smirk appeared on Takao's lips as he noticed the slight twitch on Midorima's green eyebrow. "Seriously? Does she easily ruffle your feathers?"

"Uruse," Midorima crossed his arms, coming to sit beside the lion sculpted fountain. Yes, he was annoyed that Kagome always seemed to have something to say back to him and not only him, but to anyone that spoke badly of Seirin. In a way – secretly – he admired her courage to go up to even the most intimidating opponent. No fear was written in her eyes and for that, he would give her credit. But the fact that she also knew Ichiro Koga was something that caught his curiosity. How on earth did she know someone so high in the profession?

Takao released another sigh, resting his cheek on his forearms: "don't let her get to you. She is only a manager."

Midorima's eyes closed, remembering the confidence that was on the manager's face. "I wouldn't underestimate her, Takao."

"Huh?"

"Just like Kuroko, Higurashi can also show some improvement. I think she can influence the team and possibly even make them stronger if she were to continue on this path. If anything, Seirin may become the center of attention with her help." Turning his head to the side, he opened his eyes: "She knows Ichiro Koga."

"Seriously?" blinked Takao, a bit surprised by the news. "How do you know that?"

"I came to cross paths with him," he replied.

"Huh…that is great and all, but…" Takao's eyes lowered, noticing that Midorima's attention was on the lion's head this whole time, realizing that he did not have his glasses, "you have been talking to a lion."

* * *

Walking down the hallway, Kagome held her wooden bucket of toiletries to her chest as she felt the refreshing cool air on her skin after taking a warm bath with Riko. Nothing was more relaxing than baths. Oh how she missed the hot springs out in the open back at the feudal era. Natural healthy water definitely was missed. _'Maybe I can book a hot springs for the team, but they are pretty expensive.' _

Continue her path down, the miko stopped in her steps the moment a sliding door to her left opened with full force. She jumped, startled by the sweaty and shirtless appearance of the tiger. He was breathless with drips of sweat clinging to his skin. Where the hell was he coming from!?

A glare was glued on his features, making her realize that he was still angry. He rose a white plastic bag filled of canned drinks, making her see the many drinks he had bought.

"I just finished shopping," he managed to word something from his lungs as he placed his black t-shirt over his shoulder.

"Huh?" blinked Kagome. "J-Just now?"

His glare tightened upon connecting his eyes on the miko. "No one was in the gym when I got back. I am sure these were not meant for drinking, but here. Here." Handing the plastic bag full of canned drinks, Kagome's hand slowly grabbed it, coming to stare at the large amount he bought.

"Oi! Kagami-kun! Put on a shirt!"

Hearing the shout coming from the coach, they looked over to see her coming towards them. Kagami scoffed under his breath before turning back around to walk away: "whatever, next time make someone else get the drinks. I'm going to go take a bath."

Kagome blinked, turning her attention to the tiger: "Ah, c-chotto, Kagami-kun the bath is…," her shoulders slumped down, seeing him turn the corner and gone from their sights, "closed now…"

"Did he barely come back?" questioned Riko, walking over to the miko. Her eyes lowered to the plastic bag in Kagome's hand and noticed the canned drinks. "Eh? Did he buy drinks for Shutoku as well?"

Coming to see the drinks inside the bag, Kagome noticed the amount was exact for Seirin and Shutoku: "look like it…just how many laps did he run?"

"He did way more than we asked him to do…," commented Riko, coming to grab a canned coffee drink. "But we won't see the results for a while, but if he keeps training like this, he will become an unbelievable player."

Kagome's eyes glided over to the path Kagami had taken towards the bath room. If Riko's words were true…then that meant Kagami's growth would definitely increase by the time of the Winter Cup.

* * *

"Game over!" a whistle echoed into the gym as both Seirin and Shutoku finished their practice game. Kagome sighed, seeing that this was now the third time Shutoku had beaten them. She had even hoped that with a little rest on Seirin, they would feel refreshed the next day to go against Shutoku, but she could feel their auras low in energy. With one game having started yesterday, Shutoku's coach had decided to have two back-to-back today. She was not sure what he was thinking, but both teams were extremely exhausted by now.

"Eighty-two to ninety-one, Shutoku!" shouted one of the Shutoku members who was positioned as referee.

'_Guess Riko-senpai's training is really overworking them…I just hope the ice buckets I prepared this morning for them can help them and their muscles,' _she looked down to her clipboard in hand, reading the rest of the schedule Riko had planned. _'They won three out of three games at this camp. Do we even have a chance at the Winter Cup? Although Kagami-kun didn't play in neither of the games, I guess everyone has been holding themselves strongly. That is some improvement…'_

Coming to stand beside his teammate, Takao rested his hands behind his head: "Maybe they just got lucky at the preliminaries," he chuckled under his breath at seeing the score.

"I don't like to think we lost because of luck," cut in Nakatani, having overheard Takao's words. "Takao, go run."

Takao flinched at his punishment, regretting at having opened his mouth.

"You guys who played should know better than anyone," continued their coach, his eyes landing ahead to see Seirin's manager talking to Hyuga and Kiyoshi. "They were stronger today than they were when we lost at the preliminaries. On top of that, they are that strong without Kagami. At this rate, we will have to be careful this winter."

Midorima's eyes narrowed as he watched the Seirin team walking out the gym and seeing the miko looking over her shoulder and sending them a smile.

* * *

The Seirin boys blinked upon seeing the tall blue buckets filled of ice outside the gym as Kagome made her way around each and every one them. Where had these come from? Kagome had told them she had a little surprise for them, and just like when Riko would say those words, they were becoming afraid their coach was rubbing off on the miko.

"What is this?" questioned Kuroko, blinked at the sight of the cold ice.

Riko chuckled under her breath: "Looks like Kagome-chan isn't the only one well informed about the human body. Kagome-chan told me she noticed that all of your guys' muscles were beginning to stiffen so, she suggested ice."

"It's great for sore muscles and fatigue," she smiled, remembering when her mother and grandfather would give her ice after hard travels in the feudal era and she could not even feel her own legs. The ice was a remedy that surprised her on how simple it worked wonders.

"I brought the buckets and Kagome placed in the ice," smiled Riko, turning her attention to the boys. "Trust me, it will help."

Koganei slowly made his way inside the ice bucket, wincing at the chill on his bare legs: "Ah! It's cold!"

Sighing into the ice, Shun closed his eyes, letting the cold run through his sore muscles: "we ended up losing all our games. Have we been getting worse?"

"Not at all," smiled Kagome, coming to help Kuroko into the bucket. She chuckled at the sight of his shaking legs seeing that he was not used to this type of remedy. When she had told Riko about the ice, she was thinking of packets…not whole buckets. But the end result was the same, so who was she to complain? She was simply looking out for the boys seeing they were working really hard.

"I agree with the girls," Kiyoshi slowly made his way into the bucket after rolling his shorts up. "You all have definitely grown. Have some confidence! We are strong!" He made a fist with his hand before pumping it into the air.

The team blinked, seeing the shake of Kiyoshi's legs, completely giving away that the ice was too much for him. He was trembling like a new born deer. The miko's lip twitched, thankful for his positive image, but he could be stubborn sometimes. _'H-He can't do it…'_

Hyuga released a sigh as he pushed in his glasses after relaxing into the bucket: "This guy always looks like an idiot…," his eyes landed on the miko, watching her place a bit more ice in Koganei's bucket. "So? What is the plan after this?"

Riko crossed her arms, coming to sit on the nearby bench: "Nothing. You are all allowed to rest for today."

"Seriously!?" they exclaimed in disbelief.

"We can't overwork you too much," smiled Kagome, having seen Nigou wagging his tail beside her. "Besides, all of you deserve it."

"Thank the heavens for their pure heart!" Koganei placed his hands in a prayer as fake tears ran down his cheeks.

The miko chuckled, watching silently as the team spoke to each other with no worries. These were the moments she liked to see; their smiles. Although most of them were just as worried as her about the upcoming Winter Cup, she knew that having a little bit of fun made no harm. Looking over her shoulder, Kagome smiled at Kuroko, seeing him talking to Kagami as Nigou scratched at the tiger's bucket for attention. One thing was for sure…she was beginning to fully trust them and love them like a family. Perhaps telling them about her life…would help her release some of that tension she had. But before she could say anything, she needed to wait until their own worries were set aside.

* * *

Dribbling the ball along outside the empty parking lot, Kagami eyed the hoop that was installed outside as night had fully taken over their day. As much as he was grateful for the day off, he could not just let it go to waste. He wanted to get better and as soon as possible.

"You are working hard."

Stopping in his path towards the hoop, Kagami caught the ball between his hands and looked to his side. He blinked, noticing Riko with crossed arms smiling at him. "Not…really," he replied, scratching his cheek with his index finger. "I was just putting this ball away, so I thought I would practice a little first. Actually…," he turned his head to send the girl a glare, "I have just been running on the beach by myself during this whole trip thanks to you and Kagome."

"What? Really?" she smiled innocently.

"And the game is always over by the time I get back!" he exclaimed, his eyebrow furrowing with annoyance. "Why did I even come here for then?"

"Huh? You still have not noticed?" blinked Riko, raised a brow at the oblivious tiger. "I will tell you then." Pointing over at the hoop, she sent him a smirk: "try jumping."

* * *

"By the way," Hyuga set his cup of warm tea on the table in front of him as he and Kiyoshi sat beside the balcony of their room, "what do you think Kagami's practice is?" Although he had noticed Riko was sending him off to run on the beach, he was beginning to question what the tiger's true training even was.

"Huh?" blinked Kiyoshi, lowering the cup from his lips.

"It is not just strength training, right?" questioned Hyuga, resting his elbow on the arm rest of his chair.

Kiyoshi lowered his eyes to the ripples of his tea before answering Hyuga's curiosity. "I think that is all he is doing, but…it is probably to draw out his true power. Don't you think his jumps are a little erratic?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess so," replied Hyuga, coming to grab his cup resting on the wooden table.

Kiyoshi nodded before coming to stare outside the window: "Maybe it is because he is good at one handed dunks with his strong right arm, but he tends to jump off his left leg. However, his highest jumps occur when he jumps off his right leg."

"Nani?"

"In other words, Kagami's strong leg is not his left, but his right."

* * *

Sliding the door to exit the bath house, Kagome placed the phone to her ear as she waited for the other line to answer. After much time in thinking to herself, she had a few questions and she thought that maybe Koga could give her some insight, if not something to ease her worries about the team's progress.

"_Kagome! You don't know how happy I get now when you call me! How is my woman-!?" _

Kagome bit back a groan, knowing his next words and decided to cut him off before she ended the call. "Koga, I told you to stop."

"_Right, right," _he took a pause, composing himself. _"Well? How is the training going at the beach, Kagome?" _

"So-so," she replied, walking down the path of the cement in front of her. "Riko-senpai is training them hard and it seems like they are improving individually, but Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun are still…trying to work on their own."

"_I see…well when I observed Kagami, many people would think that he is dependent on his left leg, but in fact his right leg is the one that gives him the boost,' _Kagome heard Koga release a sigh before continuing. _'He needs to start training his other side if he wants to be equally strong on both legs. His jumps would be incredibly strong and high.' _

Kagome stopped in her steps and rose her eyes to the night sky with only a few stars shining through the curtain of darkness. "And Riko-senpai is having him run on the beach every day. That should help, right?"

"_It could to some extent," _replied Koga. _"But he will need to train his left leg and arm before the Winter Cup if he wants to become stronger. And then? What about Kuroko? That is that ghost kid, huh?" _

Releasing a sigh of her own, Kagome nodded to the voice on the other side. "He is trying to find a new basketball all to himself, but it does look like he is having trouble. I am not sure how to help him, so I was wondering if you…had any advice?" She heard complete silence, wondering if the call had been cut completely. "Koga-?"

"_You don't sound like yourself, Kagome. Are you okay?" _

Lowering her view from the sky, Kagome continued her path down the road leading to the parking lot. "I guess there is a lot in my mind, but I think the one thing that is annoying me is that…I am unable to tell my friends who I am."

"_Who you are?" _he questioned. _"You are Kagome! No one else-!" _

"Who is a miko and traveled five-hundred years into the past to stop Naraku from having full possession of the Shikon no Tama. It kills me that I have to keep that a secret from them when they put so much trust in me. I think I just feel a part of me closed off because of it. I just wish I could tell them-"

"_Kagome, you can't tell them about the past nor about demons." _

The miko released a sigh, feeling her free hand fisting the fabric of her shorts. The words she was afraid to hear were released into her ears.

"_I know you trust them. I know you want to tell them to release your true self, but we don't know how they would react and you know that. Look, with the many years I have lived, some people have known about our existence and most of them did not take it lightly. They thought of us as crazy." _

Kagome replied with only silence, hearing the soft sigh from the wolf demon.

"_Why don't I talk to Sesshomaru about this? If he gives you the permission to tell them…then you can tell them." _

The miko blinked, seeing a little light into her hope.

"_I will see what I can do, but for now Kagome, please don't-" _

"I know," chuckled Kagome, seeing he was worried over her. "I won't say anything to them just yet. I know it is not just me thinking this way. I know you all wish to be freed from your disguises and be free as a demon. Don't worry, I will stay quiet, but thank you for trying Koga. I feel at least a bit freer that I am able to talk to you about this."

She heard a light chuckle coming from the wolf demon: _"and I have nothing against your friends, but we need to be cautious first. Okay? I am going to talk to Sesshomaru tomorrow morning, so I will ask, okay?" _

"Okay," nodded Kagome, walking around the corner of a bush. "Arigatou, Koga."

"_Anything for my woman!" _

"Bye, Koga," she quickly pressed the button to end the call and sighed. Kagome shook her head: "that baka." The miko continued her walk ahead only to stop with slightly widened eyes at the sight of Takao coming down with closed eyes. She blinked once as she heard the black haired male sing his heart out. _'T-Takao…?' _

Takao released his voice with the rhythm of the song he had in mind as he held a plastic bag of goods he had picked up from the store nearby. Placing his hand inside his pocket, he continued off from his hum and sang out loud: "an instinctive situation, with this imitation that is searching for a reason to fight. The light that seeps from the darkness, break apart your captured self! Accept your freedom and struggle past the instability! The pulsation sends me up into the air and preoccupies the spy! Bring back the Catalyst 'a simple way to best' and rhythm like this never ends! Sometimes your voice reached to me because I don't want to face the fate!" He quickly jumped onto the wooden bench, placing his left leg at the back rest as he pumped his fist up and then to his lips like a microphone. "You say you want to jump back up? You remember the catal rhythm, don't you!? To the past of resounding resignation in your chest! You are shaking here too like a rusted scoreboard, aren't you?! Now head without hesitation towards the future! It doesn't matter even if it's an after image – future aspect!"

Kagome blinked, quite shocked at this image of Takao. Who knew he had the guts to sing so loudly in public…

Takao quickly blinked, feeling a pair of eyes on his person. Turning his head to the side, a pink hue dusted over his cheeks as he noticed the miko staring at him with her hand covering her lips to hold back a laugh. "A-Ah…"

'_Or maybe he didn't do in public…,' _Kagome chuckled behind her hand, wanting to release the laugh that threatened to escape her throat.

"It isn't what you think, Kagome-chan!" he exclaimed, jumping down from the bench.

Lowering her hand, she clutched her stomach without any strength to hold her laugh: "Ha-ha…gomen, Takao-kun! I was just really caught off guard with that!" She chuckled even more, unaware of Takao's pink getting darker. "I had no idea you had a talent to sing."

Takao grumbled under his breath as he looked away, scratching the back of his head: "I…I didn't think anyone was watching me." His eyes widened slightly as he turned his head side-to-side: "Ah! No one is with you, right!?"

"Don't worry," Kagome calmed her laugh, looking at the black haired male in front of her, "I came out here for a walk alone."

"Oh…thank the heavens," he sighed, placing his free hand over his thumping heart. If anything, he was more afraid that Midorima would catch him one day and never let it go…but then again, he could always have his green haired friend join him at a karaoke day. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the miko walking past him and down the path of the empty parking lot. "Oi, where are you going?"

"Walking," she replied, looking over her shoulder. Before Takao could say something else, both teens were quickly startled at the sudden grunt over the bushes and took a few steps back at the sight of Kagami jumping up and slamming his right hand onto the back board of the hoop. Kagome blinked, unaware that Kagami had been on the other side this whole time. Tip toeing a bit over the bush, the noticed Riko on the other side giving him a talk. "Riko-senapi and…Kagami-kun?"

Kagome was quickly brought down by Takao's hand over her head and blinked, noticing their squatted position. "O-Oi!" she exclaimed, soon seeing Takao's finger over his lips.

"Ssh," he whispered, his free hand making a hole into the bushes to get a glimpse from the other side. "Do you know what they are doing?" he whispered again, catching her attention.

"Why are we even hiding?" she dropped her eyes a bit, blinking at the hawk-eye male.

"You never know what they might be hiding," he replied.

Kagome's lip twitched before coming to hit Takao on the back of the head: "I am on their team, remember!?"

"Ah…right," he chuckled nervously, having forgotten that she was part of Seirin. "For a minute there, it almost felt like you were part of our team."

"I don't even want to ask how or why you thought that," sighed the miko, coming back to look through the hole. Although…he was right. What were those two doing on the parking lot? And suddenly Kagami's jump…that was way too high.

Takao raised his head, seeing the faint print of Kagami's right hand on the back board, seeing it a few inches upwards from the hoop. "Oi, he easily jumped higher than the hoop," he whispered.

Riko's voice reached their ears, quickly gaining their attention into the hole. "You are tired, so that is all you can manage right now," she smiled, crossing her arms once more. "Try jumping the other way now."

"Huh?" blinked Kagami, not seeing her thinking.

"The other way?" whispered Takao.

The miko's eyes slowly widened as she came back to stare at the hand print above: _'Wait…that is his right hand! Meaning he jumped with his left leg…,' _Kagome's eyes lowered to the tiger, seeing him prepare his stance. "Is he going to jump with his right leg?"

"Right leg?" repeated Takao, taking a glance over at the miko. Hearing a coin fall off his pocket, Takao reached to retrieve it, only to feel the miko's hands pushing him away.

"Watch out!" she exclaimed, coming to fall on top of him as the hoop stand fell back onto their previous eavesdropping spot.

"Baka! You hit it too hard!" shouted Riko.

Looking over her shoulder, Kagome blinked at the sight of the backboard laying on the ground with Kagami's left hand print much higher than the right. Her eyes slowly widened, realizing that Koga's words were right about the tiger's legs. His right was definitely the strongest one. Her ears caught Riko's voice once more, coming to turn her head towards the hole.

"Do you understand now?" questioned Riko, coming to Kagami as he had fallen back and laid upside down with his legs against the bushes. "Your greatest weapon is your jumping power, but you haven't drawn out your full strength. For now, work on preparing yourself physically. After that, it is up to you." Turning around, Riko began to walk away with her last words being sent to the tiger. "Don't forget to stand the hoop back up, Bakagami."

Kagami laid silently in his position, staring at the clouds as they curtained over the stars. "My jumping power…a style that utilizes that strength…there is only one answer." Narrowing down his eyes, he rose his hand up in the air before making a fist: _'Aerial combat. That is the only place I stand a chance against the Generation of Miracles!' _

"Kagami-kun…," whispered Kagome, seeing that he was in deep thought on his own.

"Ano…Kagome-chan?"

"Hm?" the miko lowered her eyes, seeing her position above Takao. Her cheeks began to heat up, wondering just how long she had been like that. What the heck!? Why had he not pushed her off!?

"I really like this position," he chuckled with a smirk, "but I think someone could walk in and see our new romance."

"There is no romance, baka!" she exclaimed, wanting to hit him on the head again. Raising her leg to get off him, she stopped at the sound of shoes coming their way. Looking ahead, the miko's eyes slowly widened at the sight of Kuroko coming to see their awkward position. "K-Kuroko-kun…?"

"Domo," he greeted, feeling his eyebrow wanting to twitch.

Takao released a chuckle, tilting his head back to greet the phantom player: "Yo! What are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that," questioned Kuroko, turning his body to face the two.

Kagome quickly got off the Shutoku basketball player and dusted her shoulders. "This baka was about to get hit with the hoop stand because he wouldn't stop eavesdropping so I had to save his butt."

"Now, now, Kagome-chan, you were eavesdropping too," he smirked, looking at the miko's glare on him.

"You forced me down!" she exclaimed, getting her hand ready to hit the idiot. Releasing a sigh, the miko turned her attention to the phantom player, hoping that he would not get the wrong idea. "What are you doing here, Kuroko-kun?"

"It's almost time for dinner," he replied, blinking. "So I came to get Kagami-kun and you after Hyuga-senpai told me you two had gone outside."

"Huh?" blinked Takao, coming back to his squatted position. "It's that time already? It sure got late pretty fast. I guess we should go eat."

Kagome raised a brow as she slowly made her way up to her feet: "Did Mitobe-senpai cook this time?"

"Hai," replied Kuroko.

Both Kuroko and Kagome blinked as they were brought back down onto the floor beside Takao, making them look at him questioningly. "Duck!" whispered Takao, looking into the hole once more. He chuckled under his breath as he got a glimpse of his green haired friend walking into the empty parking lot holding a drink in his hand.

"Keep quiet," chuckled Takao, holding back a laugh at seeing the tiger and his friend on the same parking lot. He held Kuroko with his arm over his shoulder and his other hand covering the phantom player's lips. "This looks like it is about to get interesting."

"We haven't said anything," whispered Kuroko, his words being muffled behind Takao's hand.

Kagome looked over at the black haired male and raised a brow: "And why do we have to hide again?"

"Let's just see what they do," he snickered.

Kagami titled his head up from the ground, noticing Midorima standing a few feet away from him. A quick tick appeared on his forehead at the sight of the over-obsessed horoscope male. He did not need to see this bastard right now.

Midorima's tick appeared beside his eyebrow, seeing that the tiger held the same annoyed expression on his face. Why did the heavens have to mark him with such bad luck in seeing this guy?

Kagami came to stand on his feet and walked over to the hoop stand. Lifting it back up, he glared at the green haired male."What do you want?" he questioned with a harsh tone.

"Nothing," Midorima's eyes narrowed to match the tiger's glare. "I simply went to buy something to drink."

"A drink?" repeated Kagami. His eyes landed on the can being held by Midorima's taped fingers. A red bean soup drink? He raised a brow, seeing it weird that the bastard was drinking something that usually was not bought during summer. "I am surprised you can drink that during the summer."

"It's cold, baka," replied Midorima, surprised by how small Kagami's brain was to not know that there was also cold drinks of this flavor.

"That is not what I am talking about!"

Kagome sighed under her breath, feeling the tension rise with just the two standing across from each other. They were not even playing basketball and here they were arguing. They were acting like kids for Kami's sake. Her eyes glided to the corner, seeing Takao placing his hands over his lips to hold back the laughter wanting to escape. It seemed he got amused by their bickering.

"I have lost faith in you," spoke Midorima, catching their attention.

"Where the hell did that come from?" glared the tiger, already feeling like he was being insulted.

Adjusting his glasses, Midorima turned his body to face him: "before losing to me, you were destroyed by Aomine.

Annoyed by his words, Kagami took a step forward with a growl threatening to escape: "I will win next time! It won't always be that way!"

Midorima raised his eyes to see the prints on the clear backboard. Scoffing under his breath, he lowered his view to stare at the tiger. "Don't tell me you believe you can fight him in the air. Is jumping all you think about, baka?"

"What!?" glared Kagami.

Walking over to the abandoned ball, Midorima placed his can on the cement and grabbed the basketball into his hands. "Simply jumping higher will not change the results. That is only half the answer. It is not yet a weapon." Turning around, he noticed the tiger's guard going up. "Come. I will correct your simplistic thinking."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, seeing the seriousness in Midorima's eyes. "He's…not just picking a fight…what does he mean by half the answer?"

"Who knows," whispered Takao, seeing Midorima in his stance. "Is there something beyond those ridiculous jumps of his?"

Kuroko blinked in silence, quite curious himself to see where Midorima was going with this to challenge the tiger. The three of them watched as Midorima passed the ball over to Kagami as he made his way towards the hoop.

"We will play ten tries," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "You are on offense and I am on defense. If you score even once, you win."

"What?" glared Kagami. Did he think he was that weak? "I don't know what you are thinking, but you really believe you can stop me ten times in a row? If you are so sure you can stop me, let's see you do it!"

"Don't worry," replied Midorima, "I will not lose. In today's horoscope, both my fortune and match up are much better than yours."

Kagome sighed once more, shaking her head in the process: "These guys are acting like children." But she could see where Midorima was going with this. Kagami's jumps were just not enough. _'As a team and individually, Shutoku has clear goals. They don't practice without focus. That must be Shutoku's strength. And even at Teiko, every member of the Generation of Miracles have their own style. Simply being skilled can't be enough to become a regular on a legendary team.' _

The miko watched calmly as Kagami rushed forward with dribbling the ball underneath his hand, only to see Midorima coming in front of him. She could see that the sensation of going one-on-one with Midorima was entirely different from playing against him on an official match.

"How insulting," glared Midorima. "Did you really think I could do nothing but shoot threes?"

Takao blinked, seeing the intensity even on their small match: "I know Shin-chan's defense is amazing, but…," he looked over at the ball being pushed away from Kagami's hand, "he can stop him this well? Well, what do you know?"

Kuroko's shoulders slump, watching as one after another, Midorima stopped Kagami's advances to dunk the ball into the hoop. Even he was surprised that his former teammate could stop the tiger so many times. What was going with Kagami? There was hardly any difference in their movements so what was different? He was beginning to lose count, but he was sure Midorima had already blocked more than five of Kagami's tries.

Kagami made his jump to dunk the ball, his eyes tightening as he eyed the basket: _'Higher…higher…jump higher!'_

In a blink of an eye, Midorima's arm stretched up as he jumped and pushed the ball away from Kagami's hand, only centimeters away from the hoop. Kagami's eyes widened slightly, wondering just how come he could not make the shot. _'I'm sure I jumped higher than I did during that game.' _

The miko blinked, shock filling her eyes as well. Just what was going on? Kagami's jumps should have been better than before, but he was losing the aerial battle.

"Damn it," cursed Kagami, coming to grab the ball from the floor. "One more."

"I am finished," spoke Midorima, grabbing his drink into his hand. "No matter how many times we play, it will be the same."

"Teme!"

"Notice already, baka!" glared the green haired male, turning his head over his shoulder. "No matter how high you jump, stopping you is easy because I know you will dunk."

All eyes widened, realizing that Midorima's words were indeed right. Everyone could guess that Kagami would aim for a dunk and nothing else. Kagome's eyes dropped to the floor, understanding how Midorima was stopping Kagami's moves. If he could guess that…no doubt Aomine would be even more trouble.

Takao quickly ducked his head a bit more as he noticed his teammate walking past the bush and putting one hand inside his pocket. Stopping in his steps, Midorima looked from the corner of his eye and noticed the silent trio hiding behind the bush. His eyes narrowed as he met the stares of the phantom player and miko.

"Let's go, Takao."

"What?" he blinked innocently. "You knew?"

Midorima met Kagome's and Kuroko's eyes once more before taking his leave: "Do not disappoint me at the Winter Cup preliminaries."

"Hai," nodded Kuroko, standing onto his feet.

Seeing them leave, Kagome turned her head to the side, seeing Kagami staring at the ball in silence. Sighing, Kagome walked around the bush and made her way towards the tiger. "Are you okay?"

He noticed the phantom player and miko coming towards him before speaking out. "Were you two watching!? That's terrible! Damn it," he cursed, wanting to punch the nearest wall. "How am I supposed to get stronger now?"

Walking behind the miko, Kuroko blinked, noticing the stress in the tiger's eyes. "Dinner is ready."

Letting a sigh pass his lips, Kagami nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "Right…"

This was getting out of hand and Kagome needed to clear their minds. Sending them a smile, she patted Kuroko's and Kagami's shoulders. "Why don't we go for a run at the beach?"

Kagami's eyebrow twitched, changing his view to stare at the miko. "You know I have been running this whole time, right?"

"Just a relaxing jog," she chuckled. "Nothing too hard. I think us three deserve to clear our minds."

Kuroko blinked, before coming to nod to Kagome's offer: "I…will try to keep up."

* * *

"Come on slow pokes!"

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the miko running a little too fast for a 'relaxing jog'. She was good feet away from the two of them and he was beginning to question just where the hell had she trained to be so fast? She did not even look tired!

Kuroko blinked as he ran beside the tiger, barely keeping his pace to him at least. "Kagome-chan…," he breathed out, "you are running a little too fast."

"Ah," she blinked, stopping in her run. "Gomen," chuckling under breath, she waited for the duo before coming to run in between the males.

"Did you do track or something?" questioned Kagami, feeling the sweat running down his back.

"Track? Nope," her eyes landed ahead, seeing the darkness color the blue water in a darker hue. _'I guess running after demons and such made me naturally fast. I never really gave it much thought since I was always slow compared to Inuyasha and Koga.' _She turned her attention to the tiger, seeing the anger still lingering inside his eyes. "Have you cooled down?"

"Damn it, no!" he scoffed. "I already know why I lost. That is what pisses me off!"

"Why don't you try a double clutch?" questioned Kuroko.

"I can," sighed the tiger, "but only when I jump with my left leg and hold the ball in my right hand. If I jump with my right leg, I will generally hold the ball in my left hand."

"But…," cut in the miko, "you dunk with your left hand. Handling the ball with your left hand…is clumsy, right?"

"Don't put it that way!"

Kagome sighed, gliding her eyes to the corner to stare at the tiger: "simply jumping high doesn't make an aerial battle, you know? The contest between two athletes' airborne options is the true battle. You have to be able to think fast during a battle, Kagami-kun. One second is all it takes."

"I know what I have to do by winter," he narrowed his focus as he continued his run on the sand. "Strengthen my legs and hips and improve my left-handed ball handling. I'll become able to move at will in the air! But it pisses me off Midorima made me realize that."

"Well, all the members of the Generation of Miracles really are strong," commented the miko, catching the attention of the tiger and Kuroko. Running a few feet ahead, she stopped and turned to face them both. She smiled as they stopped in front of her. "Even when you got past Midorima-kun's defense, he forced you to jump off on your right leg."

"On the other hand," spoke Kuroko, bringing their attention to him, "it means that Midorima-kun fears Kagami-kun that much."

"Well, see it as a good thing," smiled Kagome, "he helped his opponents. Something that is way out of character for Midorima-kun."

"Tch, I don't need his help."

The miko turned towards the ocean, hearing the calmly music of the waves washing to the shore. Her eyes dropped slightly at seeing the full moon above them. "Kagami-kun, you may be able to beat the Generation of Miracles in an aerial battle, but you cannot beat them on the ground."

"What?" glared Kagami.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she felt wind pass and brush against her skin: "Kuroko-kun's passes don't work against them anymore. If Kagami-kun doesn't stand a chance, no one in Seirin stands a chance, really. But…," she slowly opened her view, seeing the water hitting her toes just slightly, "I think that Kuroko-kun needs to master his own drive in addition to his passes."

"Master…my drive?" blinked Kuroko.

"With that," she smiled, turning her head to them, "you two and Seirin will surpass the Generation of Miracles. That will be our new basketball." She sighed, seeing their expression soften on her. "I overheard a conversation Riko-senpai was having with Kiyoshi-senpai. They said I had been acting differently."

"Differently?" blinked Kagami.

"I didn't see it nor feel it myself, but…they were right," she whispered, coming back to look at the reflection of the moon on the ocean. "Koga…gave me some news the day he came to see me. I…well, how should I say this? I had an ex-boyfriend I was…dating, last year before entering high school. Koga and I had the same circle of friends before and well, unfortunately he gave me the news that…," dropping her head, the miko managed to make a smile through her lips, wanting to hold her tears back, "my ex-boyfriend died."

Both Kagami and Kuroko were quite shocked at the news. Her…ex-boyfriend died? They were not expecting something like this to come out of the miko. Had she been holding the grief this whole time?

A light chuckle was heard from the girl, seeing her manage to hold the smile. "Quite funny really how the world works, huh? I…was just wondering about my friends from…the past and him and I was given the news. Koga did say he had not suffered and left the world in peace and for that…I am grateful, but I had wished to have said one last goodbye." She was not sure what was making her tell them this, but she had the slight guess that since she could tell the full truth about her…she could at least tell them this much on what had been holding her back. Holding the true Kagome.

She turned to face the duo, seeing their expressions drop. Relaxing her shoulder, the miko chuckled: "I didn't mean to drop the mood or anything. I am sorry…if I surprised you with this. I guess…I just needed someone to hear whatever was holding me back. Gomen."

"You don't need to be sorry," spoke Kuroko, seeing her eyes glide to his person. "If this has been bothering you, you could have talk to us. That is why we are a team. We…are a family."

"I know…," she whispered, dropping her view down to her feet. "I guess I was just…nervous to say anything."

Kagami scratched the back of his neck. He was never good with the emotional stuff, but he could never turn anyone under these circumstances. With a soft expression, Kagami placed his hand over the miko's head: "…I am not a good person to give advice, but I will…listen. If listening is what you need, then I am here. I am sure…the team is there for you too."

"We are sorry to hear about your loss, Kagome-chan," Kuroko lowered his head slightly, almost feeling closer to the girl as she spoke so emotional to them. Perhaps their bond was getting stronger…

"I promise you two and Seirin that Kagome will be back," she nodded to them, sending them the same genuine smile. "I have come to realize that I need to move forward and be with the people that fate is bringing me. Maybe that is why I met you two," she laughed lightly, feeling their eyes on her. "I promise to make both you stronger with everything I have. Arigatou…for listening."

Kuroko gave the miko a smile, seeing that something had definitely shattered in her eyes. The regret had finally been set free. Her smile was true…

"I have one small question."

Attention was drawn towards the tiger, seeing him point towards her hip. Looking to her covered hip, Kagome blinked, not seeing what he was trying to get at.

"I saw…a scar on your hip last time at the pool," he gulped, afraid she could take it wrongly that he had been staring, but the scar seemed too big and in most cases, females always tried hiding them, but she had no shame. She didn't seem embarrassed at all. "Where did you get that?"

"I saw it too," commented Kuroko, coming to stare at Kagome slowly raising her shirt.

Both blushed at the slight exposure of her skin, but quickly blinked it away as they saw the brownish patch of skin. The scar was pretty big. Almost as if something bit her. The miko's fingers lightly brushed over the _old _scar. Oh the memories of how her life had taken a total drastic change. Continue to stare at the scar, Kagome chuckled: "let's just say that a dog was being stubborn."

"A dog!?" exclaimed Kagami. "I told you dogs are not friendly, Kuroko!"

Kuroko blinked, quite surprised by the source of the scar. Had a dog really done that? If so, would it not be normal that Kagome was afraid of dogs or something? She seemed so friendly and content with Nigou.

Kagome scratched her cheek, looking away: _'Well the certain inu just wouldn't want to help me from the centipede demon and I got bitten.' _She gave herself an inner chuckle, remembering how she actually had to convince Inuyasha to help her although he seemed like such a rude person.

"Lesson learned, Kagome! Don't get near a dog!" exclaimed the tiger.

"Huh?" she questioned, coming to stare at him. "What are you talking about? It wasn't on purpose…"

Kuroko blinked seeing the two once more at it in their little arguments. A small smile lifted up the corners of his lips as he saw Kagome coming back to normal. Ever since losing against Tōō, not only had the players lost sight of their goals, but even Kagome had been affected. Perhaps one day, Kagome would fully tell more about herself. Perhaps he could get to know her more and everything she had gone through. The good and bad. But he knew it would take time…time for her to fully open the doors of her past.

* * *

"Alright," nodded Hyuga, turning around to face his team packed and in front of the entrance of the bath house. "Everyone is here. Turn around and let us thank the owners for their accommodations." Morning had arrived way too quickly for their liking, but their summer training had come to end. Their summer camp of hell really. "Ready!"

They all bowed to the owner, giving their thanks. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"

Kagome smiled at her feet, hearing a light bark coming from Nigou. She was tired, but felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Following the team behind, she walked down the hill towards the bus stop, seeing that the whole team felt a bit more optimistic about their training and the road ahead. She had hoped to talk to Midorima and ask him about Aomine, but she had learned that Shutoku left much earlier than they did.

"All right!" shouted Koganei with excitement. "I feel alive!"

"I thought I would die tons of times," sighed Tsuchida.

"I want to sleep in my own bed!" chuckled Fukuda. "I can't sleep with a different pillow!"

"You were deep asleep, though!" blinked Furihata before laughing with the team.

Shun quickly snapped his fingers as he walked beside the captain and took out his notepad and pen. "Buried in pillows, buried in darkness!"

"Izuki, shut up," Hyuga's eyebrow twitched, unsure just how many puns this guy could make.

Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing Riko stop in her tracks. "Riko-senpai?"

She noticed the female coach coming to cross her arms and point to the opposite direction of their bus stop. "And where do you think you are all going?"

"To…the station…," replied the miko, pointing to the other side. "Isn't that where we are going?"

"Eh~," she smirked. Did they really think they were off the hook so easily? Even she had guessed Kagome would be able to see why she had chosen this beach location for their training. "Why do you think we held our training camp here, miina? This year they are holding the games here!"

"Games?" blinked Kagome.

Shun quickly dug into his pocket, seeing what the coach meant. Taking out his cell phone, he flipped it open and searched for the tournament matches. "Today is the quarterfinal game and it is between…," his eyes widened slightly as he read the match that was happening in less than two hours.

"Who is it?" questioned Kagami.

Taking a glance, Hyuga's eyes widened as well as he read the teams out loud. "Kaijo and Tōō!?"

'_Kaijo and…T_ōō…_?' _Kagome looked ahead to see the coach's smirk widen. _'Then that means…Kise-kun will be going against Aomine-kun.' _

"Let's go watch the Inter-High!" exclaimed Riko, obvious excitement running through her veins.

The team shared glances at each other before following the coach over to the other bus stop and waited for the their transportation. Kagome clutched the strap of her bag and noticed the bus arriving. _'Hmm…this will be the first time I see two members of the Generation of Miracles against each other. Perhaps I can get some insight on Tōō and even Kaijo.' _She took a glance behind her shoulder, seeing the silence having overtaken the phantom player and the tiger. It was pretty obvious that they were in deep thought themselves to see Kise and Aomine going against each other. The winner could be anybody.

Getting into the bus, they all took their seats. Sitting next to Kuroko, Kagome watched as Nigou jumped onto her lap, coming to look for a nice pet on his head. She smiled, seeing the pleasure on his face before turning to see Kuroko turning around and notice the quiet tiger looking out the window. With the bus making its way forward, Kuroko placed his hands on the back rest and peeked his eyes out to stare at the red head.

"Kagami-kun."

Kagami quickly flinched back by the sudden creepy stare Kuroko was giving him from the front seat. Just when can this guy learn to appear normally!? Kagome chuckle under her breath, hearing the light scare the tiger had received.

"What do you want?" glared Kagami.

"Just before we left, Midorima-kun gave me a message," he replied, catching the miko's attention.

"Midorima-kun?" she questioned. "You saw him?"

Kuroko nodded to her direction before replying to her: "Hai. I thanked him for helping us during our summer camp training. But he told me to tell Kagami-kun that…," slowly turning his head to the red head, he gave an innocent blink, "'even a flea can jump. I only taught him a lesson because he is so stupid'."

Many ticks began to twitch on Kagami's expression as he heard the clear message holding nothing but an insult to him. "That bastard…"

"Also," continued Kuroko, "'Don't lose until I beat you,' apparently."

Kagome gave one chuckle before turning back to scratched the mascot's tummy. Kagami scoffed with a smirk, narrowing his eyes at the challenge: "Like hell I will lose! You tell him that!"

* * *

Coming into the stadium, Kagome was pretty awed by how packed it was. It was not even the semi-finals. Looking over at the court, she noticed the players had still not come in from their locker rooms. Kagome released a low sigh, seeing Koganei quickly run ahead and see the whole stadium.

"Sugoi! So this is the Inter-High!" he exclaimed.

"Coach," whispered Hyuga, looking over to Riko, "when is the game we are here to see?"

Looking into her phone, she pressed down to see the exact court and time for the match. "After they finish cleaning the court. It should be soon since the last game ended about fifteen minutes ago."

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed, seeing the empty court ahead: "Kaijo versus Tōō. A game between Kise Ryouta and Aomine Daiki."

Hearing his voice, Kagome turned her attention over to the silent phantom player. His own focus was on the same thoughts as them. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Hm?" looking over his shoulder, he watched as all eyes landed on him.

"Who do you think will win?" she questioned the curiosity everyone was holding in. Perhaps getting some insight could help them see who was stronger and who they should be watching.

"I…don't know," he replied, coming back to see the court. "This is the first time I have seen two Generation of Miracles starters play against each other. However…Aomine-kun inspired Kise-kun to play basketball."

"Really?" blinked Kagami.

With a simple nod, Kuroko closed his eyes: "They used to play one-on-one a lot, but Kise-kun has never won."

'_Never…won?' _Kagome's eyes landed back ahead, seeing the scoreboard with both schools already listed. _'So this win could really go to anyone…'_

* * *

"I'm so excited! Oh, man!"

Hearing the shouts of his teammate, Hayakawa, Kasamatsu released a sigh as he tied his shoes inside the locker room.

"I'm going to do it!" Hayakawa exclaimed, curling his fingers into fists. "I'm ready to show them what I have learned in practice! I'm going to try real hard! Seriously, man!"

"Huh?" standing from the bench, Kasamatsu could not help feel his eyebrow drop in confusion at his sudden enthusiasm. "W-What did you say?"

Hayakawa quickly leaned closer to the Kaijo captain, seeing him lean back from his sudden closeness. "I told you, I am going to try real hard!"

"You are too close!" he shouted, pushing his teammate away by placing his hand on their head. "You are crowing me, you are talking too fast to make any sense, and I don't have any idea what you are saying, baka!"

"Sorry, but I-!"

"Oi! Moriyama!" Kasamatsu interrupted Hayakawa's apology and noticed his captain pointing over at him. "Do something about this baka!"

The thin eyed Kaijo player stretched his arms before coming to look over his shoulder. "Actually, Kasamatsu…third row on the west side, way on the end…did you see them? They are here."

Kasamatsu blinked, unsure who he was talking about? An opponent? A rival?

"A super kawaii girl!" smiled Moriyama, feeling a breeze of love coming his way. "I am going to play for her today!"

"Play for us, you moron!" shouted the captain, already feed up with these talks. Releasing a sigh, he finally thought he could get some peace, but his ears quickly caught the voice of a familiar blonde.

"Senpai!"

"What now?" he turned around to face a bag of treats.

With a smile on his lips, Kise showed his captain the bag of treats he had in hand. "I got something from my fans, but it's okay if I eat it, right? If something is in it, I-" he was quickly caught off with the thrown ball at his face, revealing none other than Kasamatsu and his heaving breathing.

"If you can eat and play, go die!" he scolded. A tick quickly throbbed on his forehead, not believing that these morons were not even trying to concentrate before a big game. "I can't believe all of you. Just let me focus!"

"Oi, are you guys ready to go?"

Hearing the door to the locker room open, Kasamatsu and the rest of the team turned to see their coach, Takeuchi Genta, standing proud with his new suit and clean shaven face. "It is almost time to go out there," he added, furrowing his eyebrows. "Give it everything you have."

'_Why the hell are you trying to compete with that handsome Tōō coach, old man!?'_ Kasamatsu sat back down on the bench with his head hung low. All these morons were unbelievable and he had to handle them all. He could hear the light snickering of his members as they noticed their coach trying to compete against Tōō's coach in appearance.

"Our game plan will be what we discussed in our meeting," spoke Takeuchi. "Stay focused."

Standing from his seat, Kasamatsu patted the blonde's shoulder as he made his way to the door. "Kise, come get me five minutes before we start."

"Uh, hai," he nodded. Watching him leave, Kise blinked at the sight of his captain. "Even our senpai gets nervous."

"Well, that is not all it is…," whispered Takeuchi, sighing before leaving the locker room.

* * *

Momoi's eyebrows furrowed as she leaned on the wall outside Tōō's locker room. Ring after ring was all she heard from her phone while holding it to her ear. This idiot had to answer his phone and now! Just where was he?

Hearing the door open, Imayoshi came out with his hands inside his pockets: "Well, Momoi? Did you get in touch with him?"

"He won't answer," she sighed, ending the call after so many rings.

From the open door, Imayoshi looked inside the locker room, seeing an annoyed Wakamatsu and a silent team waiting for Aomine's arrival. "I can't believe how relaxed Aomine is."

"We don't need that guy!" exclaimed Wakamatsu, standing up from the bench.

"Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" Ryo continuously bowed over and over again at his seniors. Just feeling the tension was enough for him to begin to apologize.

"He has been late to every game!" Wakamatsu's eyebrow twitched, already fed up with Aomine's crap. Just because he was great did not mean he had authority over everyone and could do whatever he wanted! "Even when he shows up, he doesn't always play! I am sure he will be late again today!"

Harasawa leaned away from the locker rooms and crossed his arms as he saw his team beginning to get rowdy with Aomine's absence. "We will be in trouble if he doesn't show up today. They are not so weak that we can beat them without him starting." Turning his attention to the assistant manager, his eyes furrowed: "Hojo, have you tried calling him too?"

"Uh, hai," nodded the brunette, looking at the screen of his phone. "But just like Momoi-san said…Aomine-san is not answering."

Momoi shook her head: "That baka…there has to be a way for him to answer the phone!"

Looking ahead towards the propped door, Hojo blinked at the sight of a familiar female with long black hair walking past their locker room. "Ah!" He quickly made his way outside, catching the team's attention as he walked out the locker room.

"Hojo-kun?" blinked Momoi, seeing him stand beside her.

* * *

"I knew drinking too much water would be bad before the game," Kagome sighed, coming out of the ladies' bathroom. She had only hoped that she was not late for the game. Even Kagami had been pestering her that she was drinking too much, but it was summer! She was thirsty!

Moving her hair over her shoulder, she was too into her thoughts to pay attention to her surroundings to even notice the nearby locker rooms. The hallway down to the female bathrooms was too far from their seated location. She was sure there was only ten minutes before the game started.

'_I just hope that Nigou can stay quiet enough inside Kuroko-kun's bag to at least the second half,' _before making a turn, the miko stopped in her steps as she heard her name being called.

"Higurashi-san!"

The miko looked over her shoulder, seeing the familiar brunette waving his hand up in the air with a smile as he stood beside the pink haired manager that clearly belonged to Tōō Academy. "Hojo…kun?" she whispered.

Seeing him walk towards her, she quickly took notice of the rest of the team coming out of the locker room and looking at her with curiosity.

"Eh~," smirked Imayoshi, making his way behind the brunette manager, "what do we have here? You are Seirin's manager, right? Kagome-chan, was it?"

The miko's eyes narrowed, seeing that their attention was clearly on her. What the heck did she do to deserve getting their attention? They were the last people she wanted to see before the Winter Cup. She would go with Midorima's lucky item obsession any day if it had helped avoiding this team.

Momoi blinked, coming to stand beside Hojo as she held her phone to her chest: "What are you doing here, Kagome-chan?"

"Observing," she replied dryly, wanting to find an escape route. Her eyes scanned the team, seeing no sign of the blue haired male. Was Aomine missing again? She was not surprised, but he should be fully aware he was going against Kise. Did that not make him nervous? "I see Aomine-kun is late…again."

"Oh, well you know him," chuckled Imayoshi, showing his signature grin to the miko. "We have tried to contact him, but no luck."

"You shouldn't be surprised," she replied back. Turning around, she gave them a slight bow: "well, I do hope you can get him to come. I wish you luck."

"Ah! Chotto matte!" Momoi quickly grabbed the miko's hand, surprising her in return. "I know Dai-chan is at least seeing that we are calling him, but maybe you could call him?"

"Huh?" Kagome's eyebrow rose before feeling it twitch. Was this girl crazy? Call Aomine directly? First of all, they were not friends. And second…why was she supposed to help Tōō after losing to them? "You are kidding, right?"

"Onegai!" pleaded Momoi as she clapped her hands together. "I know he has your number saved in his contacts so if he sees you are calling him, maybe he will answer?"

"I am not his manager to be calling him," Kagome retreated her hand away from the pink haired female and sighed. "It is your job to contact him, not mine."

Hojo gave a deep bow to the miko, surprising not only her, but the team as well. "Onegai, Higurashi-san! We really need Aomine-san for this game and I and the whole team would truly appreciate it if you just tried calling him!"

Kagome could feel her lip twitch at the corner: "You do realize that I am a Seirin member, right? I don't want to help you guys, gomen. It just wouldn't be right."

Imayoshi came forth and bowed his head slightly downwards: "we would feel grateful just for this tiny favor. Besides," his eyes opened slightly, revealing the dark orbs hidden behinds his eyelids, "would you not benefit from it as well to see Aomine and Kise playing against each other? You did say you were to observe."

The miko's eyes narrowed, seeing she was caught with his bait. Kagome looked away, cursing to herself mentally before reaching into her shorts' pocket and taking out her cell phone. "Fine. But only this one favor and never again."

Momoi gave the Seirin manager a smile: "Arigatou, Kagome-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah," she sighed, looking through the contacts. Even after Aomine had called her, she figured saving it would be beneficial if he ever tried calling again and just simply ignore his call. Momoi leaned in, seeing the contact name she had saved Aomine's name as.

Retreating back, Momoi blinked: "You saved Dai-chan as…"

"Boob Bastard," she finished, placing the phone to her ear. Closing her eyes, Kagome heard three rings echo into the other line. If Aomine was not answering Momoi's nor Hojo's calls, what made them think he would answer her call? She hoped he didn't and she could just leave. With the fifth ring coming through, Kagome was ready to end the call only to hear the familiar chuckle.

"_Oh~ well this certainly is an honor to get a call from Seirin's manager." _

Her closed eyes tightened as she heard his voice. Just how much she wanted to hang up the call. "Aomine-kun, your team is waiting for you."

"He answered!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu.

"_Is that so? They must really miss me then," _he chuckled before continuing. _"But I am quite happy to hear that you miss me even more." _

"Don't jump into conclusions," she groaned. "Just get here already to your match so that your team doesn't annoy me with favors."

"Hai, hai."

Kagome's eyes widened as she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and the familiar weight bringing her down. Her sights glided to the corner, seeing the familiar tan skin and blue hair as the musky smell mixed with spice and sweat came into her senses.

"You know, and I was hoping to see you again, but you came to me this soon. I am quite lucky," smirked the blue haired male.

"Ah? Looks like you have already warmed up," spoke Harasawa, seeing that Aomine was fully clothed in his uniform and sweating lightly.

"Hai," smirked Aomine before turning his attention to the miko. "So? Are you here to cheer me on?"

Kagome's eyes furrowed as she was brought closer to the tan male. She needed to stop taking bathroom trips when Tōō was around!

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And the next chapter is the big Kise versus Aomine match! And the moment you are waiting for is coming soon...Murasakibara is coming soon! I am really nervous for this chapter because I hope I didn't disappoint (stupid anxiety). But still, I do hope you enjoyed! More moments with Kagome and the rest of your favorite characters will be coming.

I did a little fun sketch of Kagome and Kuroko wearing matching jackets like four days ago and I don't know if you are curious to see. If so, let me know so I can post it on Tumblr. Warning...I am not the best drawer! Haha

New Poll by the way!

Please review? (which I should also add...I love you all and wish I could give you hugs for the support this story has received!)

Ja~ne!


	17. Tall Reach

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** After a long wait...here is the newest chapter! It took much longer than I thought due to the extra long length I added to this chapter. With all the reviews and support coming in, you all deserve it! It was the least I could do! Also, the update came a little later because I just got a new job and I am trying to get used to it (obviously) and I am also volunteering. So please do forgive me. Hope the length makes up for it...

Now this chapter...I don't know how people will take it. It can be half and half due to the interactions, but I do hope you are not harsh with me -hides under my comfortable blanket-. Some prayers have been answered. People requested Kise. Here he is. Others wanted Kasamatsu - delivered. Aomine - given. Mruasakibara - he makes his debut!

Now Kise versus Aomine is an important match for character development and very important for Kagome's observations as they will come in handy later when she talks to Koga. Remember, everything has a reason!

Without further ado...enjoy! Again, thank you for all the reviews! I noticed that I write longer chapter every time now ha-ha!

**Chapter 17: Tall Reach**

* * *

It was not the sweat that annoyed her and it wasn't his arm around her shoulders that made her feel heavy – no. The fact that she could smell his scent and actually have no problem with it was the factor that had her annoyed. Who did Aomine think he was to come and wrap his arm around her? Furrowing her eyebrows together, she sent the blue haired male a glare.

"Do you mind giving me space?" she spoke.

Grinning to her question, Aomine could not help but chuckle at her feisty nature. "Eh~ is neko-chan getting angry? You are the one that called me here, remember?"

"You were already here." Without hesitation, the miko edged her elbow into his gut, catching him off guard and setting her free from his heavy arm. Kagome released a heavy sigh with closed eyes as she adjusted her shirt. "Seriously, I don't see how it was my job to call a Tōō member to come to his game." The miko pointed her finger over to Hojo, catching him off guard along with Momoi. "You two keep an eye on him so that I don't have to meet him like this. It isn't my job to call him."

"At least I know you saved my number," he smirked, leaning closer to the miko.

"Just so that I know not to answer, baka," Kagome's finger pushed him off from his forehead, only earning herself a wider grin. "But I am surprised you made it even before the game."

Aomine scoffed, holding his smirk as he adjusted the strap of his sports bad over his shoulder. "I thought these guys might have some trouble without me today."

"Oi!" glared Momoi, taking a step forward. "Don't make me worry every time! I told you to answer your phone when we call you!"

"Tch, we are up against Kise, right?" he clicked his tongue before the miko took a glance at his expression once more. "There is no way I would be late."

"Sounds to me like you are actually excited about this match…," Kagome leaned back in her place as she crossed her arms. She could see the excitement running in his hues and the aura was something else. It was radiating with so much energy.

"I have been looking forward to playing against him for a long time," he smirked.

The team jerked back slightly at the sight of his eyes enlarging with almost an intent to completely crush his opponent without mercy. Kagome could see his aura increasing with every word that passed by his lips. What kind of monster was Aomine anyways?

"He is one of the few guys I can crush as hard as I can," Aomine continued before coming to turn towards the miko once more. "Oi, you better be cheering for me, neko-chan."

"Why would I be cheering for your team?" raising a brow, the miko tightened her focus. "I am simply here for observation."

"Hm? So I presume Seirin is here too?" cut in Imayoshi, catching the attention of both Kagome and Aomine. "We feel honored that all of you showed up for our game, Kagome-chan."

Biting her tongue, Kagome could not help but release another tired sigh. What had she done to be presented to the team that had ultimately crushed their spirits? It had been hard enough to get the team back together and unite once again to their goals. Giving herself a nod, she turned her back to the team. "Well, I will be going. Next time take better care of your players."

"Ah! Higurashi-san!"

Kagome turned her head over her shoulder, seeing the small smile decorating Hojo's lips as he held his phone beside him. He quickly gave her a bow, surprising her with the gesture. "Arigatou, Higurashi-san! I know it is hard to talk to us after…the last match, but I and the whole team appreciate your help."

Now she definitely felt guilty. Was it for her team or for Kise that she had called Aomine to show up? "It was a one-time thing. Excuse me." Bowing her head slightly, she took a step forward only to stop upon hearing Aomine's whisper being sent to her.

"I hope you and your team haven't been wasting time after the loss." A small snicker was heard from under his breath. "I don't want to go against weaklings."

Kagome sighed as she continued her way forward: "don't worry, we will be stronger by the time you see us again on the court."

Hearing her faint steps fade into the hallway, Aomine could not help but feel her words holding truth. His blood was boiling now and he could only imagine how fast his blood would rush in the future. Seirin would not be the only ones getting stronger and that he promised to the miko.

* * *

'_What are the chances that I had to encounter Tōō Academy and Aomine all at once?' _Kagome shook her head as she made her way through the empty hallway. _'And nonetheless, I actually had to call the baka. There goes my pride…'_

One thing she was certain – Aomine was not going to go easy on this upcoming match. He had actually shown up before the game and he looked more than ready. Although this was not her team's game, she could not help but feel uneasy for Kaijo. Aomine could easily terrify anyone with those eyes of his thirsting for a stronger opponent. Releasing a low sigh, Kagome noticed the empty hallway, making her pout. "I think I have less than five minute now before the game starts. I should hurry-"

Coming to a halt, the miko blinked at the sight of a familiar black haired captain wearing a blue shirt on a bench. She noticed the male having his elbows resting on his knees as he kept his head low in thought. Kagome remained unmoved, watching as the Kaijo print was revealed in the front of the captain's blue shirt as he came to a straight sitting position.

The nerves were slightly shaking within his aura and Kagome could not blame him. This was against Tōō Academy and one of the Generation of Miracles. The miko blinked once more, hearing a soft exhale escapes his lips before his eyes rose to stare at the wall across.

"Kasamatsu-senpai?"

Hearing the female voice, the Kaijo captain slowly turned his head to his right, seeing the familiar Seirin manager standing only a few feet away. He blinked, making sure reality was still within him. "H-Higurashi-san…?"

Kagome sent the captain a smile, hoping that at least his nerves could level down. "What are you doing out here, Kasamatsu-senpai?"

The Kaijo captain turned his attention to the opposite direction as he scratched his cheek. He could feel the light heat of his cheeks flare. Here he was trying to concentrate and control his nerves and a female had to show up – Kagome, Seirin's manager, nonetheless. But her presence was not nerving him – surprisingly. But a warm feeling was beginning to blanket around him as he took another glance of the miko. Coming back to stare at the floor, he released yet another exhale. "I came out here to concentrate before the game."

"Nervous?" she questioned.

"The pressure is…heavy," he replied, feeling his shoulders tense once more.

Kagome nodded, connecting to his words. "I know the feeling."

"We heard about what happened against Tōō the other day," Kasamatsu's eyes slowly came up to see the miko's dropped eyes. "I guess the promise your captain made to us to meet at the Inter-High for our rematch will not happen."

"Unfortunately," Kagome released a low chuckle. "Tōō was…just too strong for us in the end. Aomine-kun alone was difficult for Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun to handle."

"The ace to the Generation of Miracles," he whispered, coming back to rest his elbows on his knees.

Coming to see his silent behavior, Kagome tilted her head to the side in concern. "How is…Kise-kun doing? Is he nervous about going against Aomine-kun?"

"Nervous?" he scoffed, remembering how enthusiastic he was when he showed the bag of treats that he had received from a fan. "That baka was more worried about being able to eat his fan treats than actually taking time to concentrate on the match ahead. Seriously, that baka needs a scolding. The whole team was in full energy."

Kagome could not help but release a chuckle to his words, bringing his attention back on her. He blinked, unsure if he had said something humorous to be making her laugh. "G-Gomen," she giggled under her breath. "It's just that…it sounds a lot like Kise-kun to be acting that way, but maybe your team is just as nervous and have their own way of covering it, Kasamatsu-senpai."

A rose colored hue darkened on the captain's features as he saw the smile stretch just a tiny bit on the miko's lips. Quickly averting his eyes from hers, he narrowed his focus to the empty hallway. "I-I guess…"

"Senpai, five more minutes."

Hearing the familiar voice, both teens looked over to the other side of the hallway, seeing the blonde basketball player coming towards them with hands inside his pockets. Kagome blinked, watching the blonde's slow strides as he made his way to his captain before landing his golden orbs on the miko. One blink came after another while stopping in his steps.

Was he seeing things? Was this…? "Kagomecchi?!"

"Uh…hey, Kise-kun," she waved mildly, already feeling a tingle down her spine of what was coming.

"Kagomecchi! It is you!" Kise quickly made his way towards the miko, spreading his arms to tackle the girl down into his affection. "This is a miracle to see you here! I am so glad you are here-!"

"Worry about the freaking game, moron!" shouted Kasamatsu, sending a kick towards the first-year, stopping him from completely tackling the poor girl. He huffed, watching the model rub the side of his ribs as fake tears ran down his cheeks.

"Mah, senpai! Hidoi!"

"How about actually concentrating on the game!" he exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. "Seriously. This is a game against one of the Generation of Miracles and this one is not even worried about it."

Kise gave a pout to his senpai, coming to stand next to the miko before giving her a surprise suffocating hug. "I am just really happy to see Kagomecchi, senpai! You can't interfere with our love!"

"W-What love!?" she exclaimed, pushing herself away for air. "Don't be saying things like that!"

"Eh~, did I make Kagomecchi blush?" he smiled, leaning closer to the miko's face.

'_These bakas really need to learn a thing or two about personal space!' _Kagome sighed, turning her head away from the smiling gaze the blonde was sending her.

Kise straightened himself up before placing his crossing his arms. Eyeing the miko in front of him, he could not help but feel his eyebrows drop in concern and in slight disappointment. "Seirin lost to Tōō, huh?" She could hear his words being more of a known fact than a question given to her. Kagome remained silent, not wanting to press the issue any further.

"It looks like Aomine will be a tough opponent, Kise," Kasamatsu released another heavy sigh, catching the attention of the blonde and miko.

Kise blinked, concern coming back into his hues. "You have been doing that a lot since the Inter-High started."

Seeing Kasamatsu's avoiding eyes and his eyebrows furrowing, Kagome blinked in worry. "Is everything alright?" She hoped she was not prying too much into the team, but seeing him and Kise this way was a new light. At least the memory of meeting Aomine and Tōō was beginning to fade away.

The Kaijo captain's eyes glued themselves to the reflecting black tile before coming to speak up. "At least year's Inter-High, we were strong enough to take the championship. I am sure you know what happened, Kise."

"You lost your first game, right?" he whispered, sharing a glance with the miko.

Kagome remained silent, a bit surprised herself that Kasamatsu was sharing his thoughts to not only the blonde prodigy, but also her. Was this a smart move or…was the trust there?

"It was my fault," he continued, feeling his eyes narrow at the memory being brought back into his head.

"Your…fault?" she whispered.

"With a one point difference, I missed a pass and let them take the game," Kasamatsu sighed, leaning a bit forward in his resting position. "My seniors' tears, their criticism. I even thought about quitting, but…the coach made me captain and said that it was a good reason why I should take over. That was when I decided. I don't think I can make up for what I did. I don't expect to be saved. But I will still win the Inter-High. It is my responsibility and raison d'etre as the captain."

Kagome blinked, having taking note that Kasamatsu had gone silent after his explanation. She could see where the pressure was coming from and she could not blame him. Her team alone held the pressure and she knew Kuroko held a lot of it when they had gone against Tōō Academy.

"Eh~ well, I am just hoping to beat Aominecchi for the first time," Kise chuckled under his breath, coming to place one hand into his pocket.

Kasamatsu scoffed, seeing the full selfishness in the blonde. "I see." But he could not blame him. The Kaijo team were now dependent on Kise alone to take care of Aomine.

"You think you can win against him?" questioned Kagome, bringing Kise's attention to her.

Kise smirked to the miko's words before coming to place his free hand on her head. "Doubting my skills, Kagomecchi?"

"No," she replied. "Simply that…anything can happen on that court."

Both of the Kaijo members stared at Kagome, having to agree to themselves that what she had said was true. Anything could happen at that court and the will to win had to come from them alone. Chuckling under his breath, Kise ruffled the girl's hair as gently as possible before coming to place his hand into his other pocket.

"Don't worry, Kagomecchi," a smirk replaced his genuine smile as he turned back around. "I will win even if it kills me."

Watching the blonde beginning to walk away, Kasamatsu could not help but scoff with a smirk of his own. "That coincided baka. But the whole team is thinking just like him. We will everything in our power to win." The captain's eyes glided over to the miko, seeing her focus on Kise's back as he walked further away. "Arigatou, Higurashi-san. It is very unusual for someone from another team to calm another team, but you are always welcome. We have high respect for Seirin."

"I am happy to know that," she smiled with closed eyes.

Kasamatsu's blush rose once more onto his cheeks upon seeing her smile directed to him. Turning around for his back to face the miko, he followed the hallway back to his team's locker room. "W-Well…I will be off. Ja-ne."

Seeing him walk off, Kagome's shoulders relaxed as she was left alone in the hallway. "Good luck…," she whispered, although she knew luck was not a thing that could help in this match. Shaking her head, she cursed under her breath upon hearing the announcement echo into the hallway of the game starting in two minutes.

'_Darn! Seirin will probably begin questioning what is taking me so long in this bathroom break! I need to hurry!'_

* * *

"Ah, sumimasen…"

Hearing the voice of their manager, the Seirin team turned their attention to the miko making her way through the seats before coming to sit beside the female coach. Exhaling heavily, Kagome closed her eyes at finally having the air to breath. The presence of the Generation of Miracles was too much…even for her. She could not believe her luck had her run into two and both were about to face each other.

"What took you so long, Kagome-chan?" blinked Riko, finally seeing the miko even out her breath.

"I got caught up in a chat…," she answered, coming to see the Kaijo captain high-fiving the benched members as Tōō Academy was ready on the court.

Hyuga blinked behind his glasses, having caught his attention on the miko's tardiness. "Chat?" he questioned.

"Yeah. I came across Kasamatsu-senpai and Kise-kun."

"Eh!?" they exclaimed with utter shock filling their voice. This girl had a magnet on her to be pulling the Generation of Miracles to her!

"You spoke to Kise!?" questioned Kagami, leaning in as he sat a row behind the miko.

Looking over her shoulder, Kagome gave them a small nod. "Hai. Kasamatsu-senpai was a bit worried, but Kise-kun on the other hand has his eyes set on defeating Aomine-kun."

"No surprise coming from one of the Generation of Miracles," spoke Kiyoshi, turning his attention over to the court. "No doubt Aomine has his own drive to beat Kise."

* * *

"I won't lose, Aominecchi."

Turning his head to the left, Aomine's eyebrows furrowed upon seeing his former team member coming forth with a smile. "Huh? You are awfully confident, Kise," he sent the blonde a smirk, giving his full attention. "Have you ever beaten me before?"

"I will win today," Kise's lips mimicked the smirk back, unfazed by Aomine's truth. "I really don't want to lose today."

Their attentions were drawn to the two captains meeting in a handshake in the middle of the court. Imayoshi's signature smile stretched as his hand shook Kasamatsu's in a firm meeting. The Tōō captain chuckled under his breath: "Good luck."

"Good luck to you too," Kasamatsu replied to the comment before separating his hand from Imayoshi's.

Turning to his team, Imayoshi looked over his shoulder, watching as Kasamatsu began to instruct his members before the play. _'Hm? He has presence. I wouldn't expect less from such a strong team's captain.' _

"Let the second quarterfinal game between Kaijo High School and Tōō Academy begin!" the announcement was made, getting the players ready into their positions. With the referee coming forth, he blew his whistle before throwing the ball up in the air between the two center players. Kaijo quickly tipped the ball over to their captain, marking the start of the first quarter.

Watching from the top, Shun blinked as he saw Kasamatsu dribbling the ball in his place. "The game has started!"

"And it is Kaijo's ball first," Hyuga's eyes narrowed, seeing the intense will to win just inside the court.

Riko crossed her arms, focusing her attention in ever dribble and pass. "How do you think they will play, Kagome-chan?"

The miko sighed as she noticed Kasamatsu's eyes narrow to find an opening on his teammates. "Well, having played against both Kise-kun and Aomine-kun, honestly speaking…I feel Aomine-kun is better. I don't know what it is, but I get the feeling Aomine won't fall easy just because he is going against another member of the Generation of Miracles."

* * *

"Forget the small talk," Kasamatsu's eyes tightened in focus, watching Imayoshi come forth to block his path. "Our ace is…," quickly seeing his opening, he passed the ball over towards the blonde, smirking as Kise caught it with ease between his hands, "Kise!"

Kise's eyes rose, not surprised to see the smirk rising on Aomine's lips as he stood in front of him to block. Moving side to side, the blonde's eyes followed the opposite direction before breaking through Aomine's defense and quickly charging towards the hoop.

The miko gasped under her breath, seeing the slight shock over take Aomine's feature the moment Kise broke through. "H-He broke past him…?"

Kagami's eyes narrowed at the sight of the one-on-one between the Generation of Miracle. "Kise versus Aomine! They are already at it!" Eyes widened at the sight of Aomine tipping the ball from behind, surprising the Kaijo team entirely at the agility Aomine held.

"You are just as weak as you have always been," chuckled Aomine, smirking at the blonde as he looked over his shoulder in shock. "You thought you got past me with that?"

With the ball bouncing from the tip, Imayoshi quickly dribbled it into his hand before making his run to the opposite side of the court.

"Tōō is on the counterattack!" exclaimed Koganei, watching the black jersey team coming closer to their goal.

Imayoshi passed the ball over to Wakamatsu, seeing him struggle with Kaijo's center, Kobori, blocking his path from under the net. Wakamatsu's eyes narrowed while trying to find his opening to release the ball, but quickly realizing that underestimating the regulars on Kaijo was clearly a mistake. _'This guy is better at defense than he looks. In that case…,' _with no hesitation, Wakamatsu passed the ball over to Ryo, catching him by surprise.

The brown haired male blinked, before setting himself in position and releasing the ball towards the hoop. "S-Sumimasen!"

Kagome sighed, seeing Tōō already ahead with the three pointer shot that Ryo had made. "A three pointer, huh? Looks like Tōō took the first basket." Clearly Tōō was thinking the same as Kaijo and wanting to create the gap fast from the beginning. Her eyes landed over to the two Miracle members. _'Even I can't tell who will win…'_

"Huh?" Riko blinked, watching as the ball was once again passed over to the blonde, surprising her by the sudden move. "Kise-kun again?" she questioned.

Eyes widened as Kise quickly got into Ryo's previous stance, before releasing the ball towards their own hoop.

"T-That's…nani?" Ryo's eyes shook with disbelief at the sight before him. Did he not just do that? Was Kise this quick in copying other players' moves?

"That's Sakurai's quick shot!" exclaimed Wakamatsu, cursing under his breath at the release of the ball.

"I see you are still good at copying people, but…," Aomine made his jump upwards, extending his arm as his fingers brushed to the bottom of the ball, "it's not enough to win!" The basketball came down to hit the rim of the hoop, making Kise's eyes widen at how close Aomine was from actually blocking the full release.

The tiger's eyes narrowed upon seeing Aomine's reaction without any second of hesitation into his jump. "H-He's fast!" Kagami's eyes clenched, watching the full confidence written on the tan male's expression. _'He got his hand on the ball even after jumping so late…'_

"It can't be good for them to have their ace stopped repeatedly already," Shun whispered, catching the attention of his team. His eyes had been watching the full court entirely, and even he was surprised by how fast the reactions were becoming on both Tōō's and Kaijo's aces. "If they get a counter off of this…they will be in control of the game."

Coming to catch the rebounded ball, Imayoshi dribbled the ball in his run with a smirk. Although he knew his confidence should be kept 'humbled', he could not help but release a chuckle at how well Aomine was handling Kise on the game. _'Well…Aomine is strong.' _The ball was quickly stolen under his hand the moment Kasamatsu sneaked in and pushed it away. _'What?!' _Where had he come from?

Kasamatsu captured the ball between his hands and took his aim. With precise form, the captain's eyes narrowed before letting the ball be taken into the basket. "We are not generous enough to hand over control that easily!" he exclaimed. Who were they for them to think they were weak? Nothing pissed him off more than being underestimated.

Koganei quickly cheered in excitement as the scoreboard went to tie. "They are tied!"

Hyuga's eyes slightly widened at the sight of how quick Kasamatsu had released the ball after stealing it from under Imayoshi's person. "He made a sudden shot from there? He could have regrouped before attacking. They got them right back and broke their control!"

'_Looks like Kaijo has become stronger since the last time we played them…,' _Kagome's focus narrowed, seeing the leadership Kasamatsu gave off to his team after the shot. _'But Hyuga-senpai is right. Kasamatsu-senpai and the rest of the team were unfazed by Tōō's control at the beginning and simply balanced it back. No surprise from both teams…'_

"Defense!" shouted Kasamatsu, looking over his shoulder to his teammates. "Let's stop them!" Looking ahead, he noticed Kise's silence. "We will follow up on you as much as you need. Keep going!"

"Senpai…," Kise's eyes softened, catching the slight encouragement Kasamatsu was giving him. A sudden quick met his back, quickly taking back the warm words his senpai had given him.

"I didn't say you could let them get you, though!" shouted the Kaijo captain.

"Sumimasen!"

Riko sighed, watching the scold Kasamatsu began to give to the blonde. "Seriously…this is not the time to be scolding."

"That is just his way to make sure Kise-kun is not over thinking," whispered the miko, her eyes landing over to Moriyama and Kobori taking their defenses in front of Ryo and Wakamatsu respectfully. _'But…there is only so much Kise-kun will take the more he is around Aomine-kun. Kagami-kun alone lost himself in his anger…'_

Chuckling under his breath, Aomine was given the ball in a pass, coming face-to-face with Kise once more in the middle of the court. "I see. What a dependable senior. If you can't fight me yourself, you will fight me all at once, huh? You have started thinking like Tetsu," Aomine's eyes narrowed, remembering the strong determination that was dancing inside the phantom player's hues and the miko's. The type of determination that only got him angrier during their game. "Did you have a change of heart after you lost to them? You are putting me to sleep."

"Huh?" smirked Kise. "I didn't mention anything like that. I guess I have come to acknowledge Kurokocchi's and Kagomecchi's thinking. I even want to make Kaijo win. But…I don't care what is correct. I just want to beat you." The smirk on Kise's lips stretched as his eyes narrowed to match. "I am not mature enough to play basketball with reason over instinct!"

Aomine could only reply with a smirk and a chuckle of his own as he sensed the thrill from Kise's words. "Bring it on."

Kagome's eyes opened at bit more upon seeing the new confidence on the blonde's face. The defense was stronger the moment Kise's arms extended out to stop Aomine's path. "They have no openings. Their defense is…good."

"Yeah…," replied Kiyoshi, seeing the exchanging glares and smirks between the two aces on the court, "but sooner or later, it will be either Kaijo's or Tōō's defense that will be broken."

"When it comes to physical ability, Kise is not any worse than Aomine," commented the tiger, watching Aomine begin to dribble the ball in place. "But…I'm still not sure he can beat Aomine's one-on-one."

'_One-on-one, huh?' _the miko's eyes narrowed at the blue haired male standing before Kise. It was true what Kagami had said. No doubt Aomine's strength was going against another player all on his own, but if Kise could not beat him at his game, there was simply no way of winning. _'But that is for us to worry about as well…to find a way to beat Aomine's one-on-one will be a difficult challenge.' _Kagome watched carefully on Aomine's slow dribble movements of the ball coming to one hand then the other as his focus was glued on Kise's eyes.

Shun's eyes widened slightly at seeing Aomine coming to pass the ball. "A pass? That…is unlike him…"

"No," whispered Riko, narrowing her eyes at Aomine's hand letting the ball go in mid-air and quickly turning around to the right before capturing the ball once again in his palm. In a blink of an eye, Aomine moved the ball over to the left, having fooled Kise with his movements and breaking through his defense.

Kagome's eyes shook with disbelief on how fast Aomine's movements had become on a simple dribble. "W-What did he just do?"

"A quick switch!?" exclaimed Kagami, eyes widening.

Attention grew the moment Kise ran forward and was able to stand before Aomine's charge. His own golden orbs tightened with focus to make sure he would not break through once more.

"S-Sugoi!" stuttered Koganei. "He stopped him even after that quick switch!?"

"No…," Kagome shook her head as she saw the slight smirk overtake Aomine's lips before he took a step back and threw the ball towards the hoop without having taking a precise aim.

"A formless shot!?" exclaimed Hyuga, surprised at seeing it from a far. Even from this far, he could not believe how easily Aomine could make such a shot. Eyes quickly expanded the moment Kise's full hand came to stop the ball in mid-air before coming into the net.

"S-Seriously?" whispered Kagami, surprised himself that Kise was able to stop the ball.

Kagome could not believe it herself. She was sure Aomine was going to make the shot, yet Kise had surprised everyone with his block. _'He…stopped Aomine-kun completely…' _How Kise had done it was a mystery to her. Her observations were drawn over to Tōō, seeing their expressions harden from being stopped.

Tightening his frown, Imayoshi's eyebrows furrowed as he watch Kasamatsu bump his forearm with Kise's. _'I'm impressed. That is the first time I have seen anyone stop Aomine in a one-on-one. Could Kise be able to stop him completely?' _

"Well, I didn't think you would actually stop me," chuckled Aomine, looking over his shoulder as Kise walked behind him. Rubbing the sweat off his forehead with his jersey, Aomine sent the blonde a smirk.

"Who do you think player and lost one-on-one to you every day?" glared Kise, pointing his index finger to his former teammate. "I know you better than anyone else."

"I see."

From the bench, Momoi's eyebrows dropped in worry as she saw her two friends' interaction. She could feel that the exchanging words were anything less than friendly. Memories of her seeing Kise asking Aomine to play one-on-ones with him came into her head.

"Momoi-san?"

The pink haired manager turned her attention over to her left, seeing Hojo's own eyes on the court. "Hojo-kun?"

"Do you think…Kise-san is the person that could stop Aomine-san?" he questioned, having wondered if this was the person Aomine needed. If not…who would it be?

"I…don't know…," she whispered returning her attention ahead.

"Momoi-san."

Turning to the coach, the manager blinked upon seeing Harasawa's eyes on her. "Uh, hai?"

"Did you give Aomine-kun Kise-kun's data?" he questioned, having his eyebrow furrow. He did not think Kise would be this much of an issue against Kise, but then again, Kise was one of the Generation of Miracles that improved much more quickly as he learned different techniques.

Dropping her head and eyes to the clipboard on her lap, Momoi could not help but release a soft sigh. Sumimasen. He refused to accept it."

Harasawa's eyes narrowed as his attention was drawn back to the court. "Then defensing may prove a little tricky."

"No," Momoi tucked a hair strand behind her ear before coming back to eye both of her friends and slowly moving her eye sight to the rest of the team members, "we will be fine. I gave the data to the other four. His past data and…his future data."

* * *

Hyuga sighed, crossing his arms as he watched Kasamatsu having ownership of the ball. "Kise stopped Aomine, but Tōō has another strength. Momoi's precognitive defense."

"I will admit that her skills can be quite terrifying." Riko rested her elbow on the arm rest beside her. Narrowing her eyes at the pink haired manager as she herself was looking at how well Imayoshi was defending against Kasamatsu's movements. "To be able to analyze a player and plan their future improvement…that is something."

Having heard the female's coach words, Kagome's shoulder slumped. _'Momoi-san's analyzing is precise, but the human body can many things when pushed at the edge. But that is not only Kaijo's team, but it can happen to Tōō.'_

* * *

Cursing under his breath, Kasamatsu held the ball between his hands as he watched Tōō's captain continue to pressure him. _'What should we do? Should I pass to Kise?' _His eyes narrowed at taking a glance to the right and noticing Aomine marking on the blonde and no opening in sight. "Tch," his view quickly caught sight of Moriyama breaking through Susa's defense. "Moriyama!"

Imayoshi's smirk only widened: _'we won't fall for that. You are going to fake a pass and go for the drive!'_

Kasamatsu passed through Imayoshi and headed towards the hoop only to see the captain once again in front of him. The Kaijo captain's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the sight of Imayoshi's grin. _'You're wrong! I'm really going for what is coming next.' _In a blink of an eye, Kasamatsu's took a step to the right and turn around in his step to go the left of Imayoshi as he held the ball in his hands.

"He-he, a turnaround and then," Imayoshi quickly jumped up to stop his ball as he watched the Kaijo captain prepare his aim, "a fade away jump, huh?"

Kasamatsu released a low chuckle, seeing that his moves were predicted with accuracy. "You are right, but it doesn't matter!" Jumping up, his height became a bit higher than Imayoshi's before releasing the ball towards the hoop.

'_He's fast! You're kidding! I knew it was coming, but I couldn't keep up!' _Imayoshi was in disbelief that Kasamatsu's speed was this fast even with him knowing what was coming next. His eyes tightened the moment his nail brushed against the released ball, hearing the small grunt coming from Kaijo's captain.

'_Damn it! He scraped it with his nail!' _Kasamatsu's narrowed his focus, watching as the ball spun on the rim of the hoop and quickly escaped their net. "Rebound!"

"I will get it this time!" Hayakawa quickly made his run between Susa and Wakamatsu and grabbed the rebounded ball into his hands.

"Shut up already!" Wakamatsu could feel a tick twitching on his forehead the more he heard this guy scream and ramble on without making any sense.

Eyes followed Hayakawa's throw with the ball landing on Moriyama's hands before he released the ball to the hoop once more. Ryo's eyes widened the more he began to notice something strange on Moriyama's shots. _'H-His form is unique. It is almost strange! His spin is terrible, but his shots still go in!'_

With the last shot made into the net, the buzzer soon went off. "The first quarter is over."

Kagome sighed right after the announcement was made, following Seirin's line of sight onto the scoreboard. Riko nodded to herself as she saw the scores between the two teams. "Kaijo completely took the first quarter."

"Aomine is not holding back again, is he?" glared Kagami, seeing it a bit strange on the lack of performance Aomine was showing on the court.

"No," spoke Kuroko, catching the attention of the team, "he must be trying. I can only assume Kise-kun is beating him." Even he knew it was strange how easily Kise seemed to be passing by Aomine's skills, but he knew that Aomine would never go that easy on an opponent.

Hyuga crossed his arms before feeling his eyes tighten. "Kaijo is in the lead. Honestly, I am surprised."

"Yeah…," whispered Shun.

"But…I didn't expect Kise-kun to crush Aomine-kun this badly. No doubt Kise-kun has definitely improved and become stronger," Kagome exhaled, watching the smirk on Aomine's lips stretch as his eyes stared off into the empty court.

Catching their silence, Kiyoshi's eyes glided to the corner, taking a glimpse at the people next to him and the teammates behind him. "Can I ask all of you something? How did you guys beat Kaijo?"

The team froze, unsure how to answer that question. How did they beat Kaijo at the practice game? Even they were surprised with all the struggle they went through going against Kise. The females in the team looked away, remembering how easily Kagami had broken the hoop to Kuroko having been hit during the game.

"Um…with spirit?" shrugged Kagami.

With his words, Seirin's heads dropped, not wanting to laugh. The miko sighed: "I guess that could be an answer…"

Kuroko's attention was drawn back to see Aomine still as his team spoke about the plan for the next quarter. "Also, while I said Aomine-kun is trying, he tends to get stronger as the game goes on. If he is going to get any better, it will probably happen soon."

'_Which is what scares me the most…,' _Kagome gave herself one last sigh before seeing the players standing up from the bench.

* * *

"All right! Let's go!" Hayakawa repeatedly smacked his cheeks with his hands as he heard the buzzer for the beginning of the second quarter. "Let's do this! Let's get those rebounds! I am ready to go! Yeah!"

"That guy won't shut up!" Wakamatsu could feel his eyebrow twitch with every word his opponent shouted. He could not even understand what the heck he was trying to say.

"Actually," Imayoshi chuckled before coming behind his team member and placing his hand on his shoulder, "you are pretty loud, too."

"Eh!?"

Walking past them, Susa stretched out his arm, not even bothering to look at someone who was complaining about someone else being loud. "You are actually quite similar." Quite ironic how someone found another person annoying when they always acted the same way.

"You're kidding!" shouted Wakamatsu, quite shocked at how many stabbing words his team were giving him.

"Anyway," the Tōō captain nodded as the referee handed him the ball and walked over to the court, "it is no fun watching your opponents celebrate. Let's take it slow, shall we?" He couldn't help the smirk widen as he dribbled the ball in place and having Kasamatsu appear before him. In seconds, Imayoshi passed the ball over to Ryo and was quickly given to Wakamatsu for a shot. Cheers echoed for Tōō as the first basket was taken.

"Calm down!" shouted Kasamatsu, coming to signal his team the next play with his fingers. "Let's get them back!" Coming to charge forward, Kasamatsu cursed under his breath as Imayoshi appeared before him once again. _'This guy…!'_

"I know you are fast," chuckled the Tōō captain, "so I am not letting you go. Also, let me tell you one more thing," eyes watched as Kasamatsu passed the ball over to Kise, but quickly taking notice of Aomine appearing before him with a more intense game play, "no matter who he is up against, Aomine doesn't lose. He is the best."

Kise's eyes widened, feeling the intensity just with Aomine's stare. _'Such pressure!' _

From the audience, Kagome tensed as she saw Aomine's aura slowly flare up. He was definitely pissed – no doubt. This is what Kuroko was talking about and something she herself had seen during their game against Tōō. Aomine's game play increased as time went on. She could only imagine how much the pressure would increase by the fourth quarter. _'I can feel it all the way up here…their focus is intense!'_

Looking from the corner of his eyes, Kasamatsu could see that Imayoshi had definitely marked him for defense. "I don't know what you are planning, but our Kise-"

"Planning?" chuckled Imayoshi, cutting off the Kaijo captain. "We don't have anything like that. Planning is something small fry like you do. Put simply, it is a difference in skill. There are plenty of reasons for it. For example…," the smirk widened on his lips the moment Aomine's hand snaked in and tipped the ball off from Kise's grasp, "agility."

'_H-He know what I am planning?!' _Kise's eyes widened as he watched Aomine charging for the ball. _'no! He is just fast!' _

"You said you know me better than anyone. Did you not think it could work the other way around?" Aomine sent Kise a smirk before coming to grab the ball and dribbling it over to their hoop and charging for the dunk.

"No! Kobori! Foul!" shouted Kasamatsu, seeing Kobori jumping up and facing the tan male to stop his dunk. With no hesitation, Aomine released the ball with a flick of his wrist and chuckled at the sight of the orange ball going through the net.

The referee blew his whistle upon catching Kobori's forearm touching Aomine's chest in mid-air. "Basket counts! One free throw!"

"Gomen," Kobori's eyes dropped in disappointed, having not seen how close he was to Tōō's ace.

"Don't worry about it," Kasamatsu released a sigh before coming to place his hands on his hips. "Get ready for the next play."

All eyes followed in silence as Aomine bounced the ball twice in front of him before preparing his stance for his free throw. Kagome's focus tightened as the ball was set free and easily made into the net. "Now they are tied…"

"And with nine minutes still in the second quarter," Riko sighed. "This really could be anyone's game."

"But this is bad," Hyuga adjusted his glasses, seeing that the game just continued to balance out each other. "They can't stop Aomine anymore. He is too strong. Not even Kise can beat him."

The ball was quickly given to Kise once again, surprising Seirin by the sudden move. "Again?" questioned Tsuchida, seeing Aomine blocking Kise's path once more.

"Kaijo must intend to put everything on Kise-kun," replied the miko. "Both Tōō and Kaijo are depending on their aces and that alone is a lot of pressure." Her eyes narrowed, seeing the strong glare Kise held as he stared back at Aomine. _'At least for Kise-kun…'_

"You still don't understand?" questioned Imayoshi, standing beside the Kaijo captain. "Your Kise-kun's good at copying people, but that is it. It is the biggest reason Kise-kun can't win. He doesn't have his own weapon. It's impossible for him to beat Aomine at basketball."

Calming his temper before his mouth spewed a few words, Kasamatsu released a low sigh. "Say, do a lot of people tell you you've got a bad personality?"

"Whoa, now. That is pretty harsh," Imayoshi gave him a chuckle, turning his full attention onto the other captain.

Seeing his fake demeanor, Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed, finding it disgusting on how underestimating they were being thought of. "You are the one who doesn't understand. Copying techniques and making them your own is learning. In other words, it is growing."

Aomine's eyes widened slightly upon seeing the narrowed pupils in Kise's eyes. Before him, Kise turned in his step, repeating his captain's moves from before. _'Eh~ He is copying Kasamatsu's move this time. But…,' _Aomine quickly took a leap upwards, coming face-to-face with the blonde, "too bad! I'm your mark!" His hand quickly pushed the released ball away from its intended path, having him smirk down on his former teammate. "Don't assume I am like that evil glasses guy, Kise."

"Are you talking about me?" Imayoshi pointed at himself upon hearing the comment. "Hidoi!"

The whistle from the referee was blown once more, stopping everyone from making a move. "Kaijo High school, time out!"

"They are still tied," spoke Hyuga, seeing both teams return to their benches. "But the game is just getting started. Tōō won't be easy to stop once they get going."

Kiyoshi's eyes looked over to the time, seeing that there was less than thirty seconds left before the second-half of the game. "But the difference between the two teams isn't much. Victory will be decided by the difference between their aces. The true question now is…what will they do?"

* * *

Attention was tightly focused on the moment both teams returned back onto the court and the tension only grew as the last thirty seconds ticked by. Kasamatsu dribbled the ball as he walked forward, seeing Imayoshi's and Ryo's stance ready to block him off. The Kaijo captain narrowed down his eyes before passing the ball over to Moriyama.

'_Eh~ what is this? They look like they are ready for something,' _Imayoshi's closed eyes followed the ball being thrown over to Kise's hands, not surprised that once again, Kise was facing off against their own ace.

"There it is!" shouted Koganei. "Kise versus Aomine!"

"How many times have they done this today?" questioned Tsuchida.

Eyes widened at Kise's sudden passing over to Hayakawa. The miko blinked, surprised by the sudden move. She had expected Kise to go against Aomine again, but the pass was something out of…character. _'What is going on?' _

"Oi, oi, what's wrong?" chuckled Aomine, coming to block Kise's path with his attention to the ball. "Have you already given up?" His eyes narrowed as he took a glance to his side, seeing the blonde's quiet attention elsewhere. _'What's going on? One-on-one isn't his only choice, but he is not coming at me aggressively enough.' _

The ball was quickly stolen from Moriyama's grasp as Ryo took the ball into his hands. "A steal!" shouted Moriyama, coming to run behind the brunette. Ryo immediately passed the ball over to his ace, taking a glance behind to see Kise coming in front of Aomine's path.

'_This doesn't seem right,' _Aomine's eyes narrowed more, trying to find a reading in Kise's eyes. This was too strange for him and he knew something was up. _'They don't seem aggressive enough, and then they pull that.' _He noticed the anger swelling within Kise's pupils, wanting to smirk at the sight before him. _'They have no intention of losing. But…it doesn't matter.' _Aomine began to dribble the ball in place, straightening his pose. "Whatever you do, the results won't change!"

Aomine rushed forward, breaking through Kise's defense and quickly jumping up for a dunk. His eyes widened as he felt his body colliding with another. Looking down, he noticed Kasamatsu's person dropping to the floor.

The whistle was immediately blown, catching everyone's ears to the referee. "Charging! Black number five!"

"What?" blinked Shun. "A foul?"

"And the ball was made into the hoop. I can't believe it didn't count," whispered Kiyoshi, seeing the Kaijo captain still on the ground.

Kagome leaned forward, trying to catch a better glimpse of Kasamatsu's condition. _'No doubt that he is good…but Kasamatsu was clearly there on purpose. Instead of withdrawing because of the difference in their builds, he charged into him for a foul.' _

"You really done it now, senpai," chuckled Aomine, offering his hand to Kasamatsu.

"Huh?" he glared, placing his hand over Aomine's as he was helped back up on his feet. "You just hit a guy. What is with the attitude, bozu." Walking forth, he released a sigh, clearly feeling the sting on his back from the collision against Aomine's body.

"That is our captain! Nice-!"

"Uruse!" Kasamatsu clamped his hand over Hayakawa's face, stopping him from giving him a hug. Like he seriously needed someone else to collide into him.

Moriyama sighed, coming behind his captain as he observed Tōō's movements. "But…this is making me nervous. Can we really do this?"

"It is not a matter of can or can't," Kasamatsu released a sigh of his own before looking over his shoulder. "We are going to do it! Believe in our ace!"

Back and forth, both Kise and Aomine went at it on the court non-stop. Seirin could clearly see that Aomine was starting to get the upper hand as he continued to make his shots in without fail. "He is not stopping…," whispered Hyuga, surprised by the agility both of the aces were demonstrating. "Aomine is at full throttle."

Kise inhaled and exhaled to even out his breathing as he placed his hands on his hips. He was starting to get annoyed by the constant back and forth to stop Aomine's movements, but nothing was working. The blonde cursed under his breath. _'Damn it…he is so freaking cool.' _His eyes glided forward, watching Aomine run back in to his defense position. _'That absolute style no one can copy…I started basketball because I looked up to this guy. I could make normal plays after seeing them once, but no matter how many times I tried, I could never copy his. The trust is…I knew why I couldn't copy them. Once you look up to someone, you can't overtake them.' _

Kagome blinked, noticing the sudden change in aura in Kise. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus in on the blonde, but her eyes quickly widened at seeing a different expression she had never seen before. _'Kise-kun…'_

Aomine looked over his shoulder, not sensing the presence of the blonde coming from behind. His eyebrows furrowed, stopping in his steps to fully turn his attention to the silent prodigy across. What was the problem now?

'_While I wished to win, I also wished he wouldn't lose,' _Kise released a sigh, unsure where his thoughts were coming from, but the more and more he played against Aomine, he was beginning to realize something. _'That's why…,' _raising his face, his eyes softened up, surprising both Aomine and Kagome as they caught his change, _'I'll give up on looking up to him.'_

"Oi, Kuroko-kun…"

Hearing the call of his name, the phantom player lowered his eyes to the miko, seeing her fully focused on the blonde.

"Have you noticed something in Kise-kun?" she questioned.

Kuroko's attention was drawn back towards the court, seeing the silent stares between the two aces. "I did notice it."

"Then…could Kise-kun be…"

Kagami's eyes widened, realizing what Kise was trying to do from now on. "Impossible…"

"It's probably exactly what you two are thinking," Kuroko's eye brows furrowed, trying to get a better glimpse of Kise's expression. "Kise-kun is trying to copy Aomine-kun's style."

"Chotto, can he do that?" questioned Hyuga, turning his head behind to look at the first-year duo.

"Kise-kun can only copy what he can do. He cannot copy anything he can't do."

Hearing Kuroko's small explanation, Riko nodded to herself before leaning back into her seat. "Put simply, he is just a fast learner. He can't recreate the movements of NBA players or anyone better than himself."

"But if he is trying to do something, it means he believes he can do it," Kagome's eyes narrowed, seeing Kise's expression coming back to his old self. "Miina, I am sorry to say this, but I am afraid that at the Winter Cup…if we go against Kaijo once more, it will not be easy."

"Huh? What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" questioned Koganei.

"Imagine Kise-kun having to use moves from the Generation of Miracles in one game…," Kagome shook her head quickly. "I don't even want to think about it."

Koganei shivered at the thought, quickly wrapping himself in his arms. "That would be unfair! That is us going against the Generation of Miracles all at once!"

Attention was quickly drawn to the court, watching as Imayoshi quickly threw the ball towards the hoop. Eyes widened as the buzzer echoed throughout the stadium, signaling the end of the first half. Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed, having tried to block the ball: _'There is no way it will go in!'_

The crowd cheered as the ball swooshed into the net, giving them the buzzer beater. The Kaijo captain cursed under his breath, turning back around to face Imayoshi's smirk.

"Man, I'm lucky," chuckled Imayoshi before slightly opening his eyes with a matching smirk. "It went in."

"The second quarter is over. There is a ten minute intermission."

Kagome sighed, coming back to see the scoreboard. "Thirty-four to forty-three…and Tōō is in the lead." Her eyes traveled back with Seirin, seeing both team returning to their lockers. _'The second half will only be much more difficult…'_

**Bark. **

The team jumped slightly from their seats upon hearing the light bark coming from Kuroko's bag. Kagami quickly froze in his seat, not even wanting to take a glance downwards. Looking over their shoulder, the team could see Nigou peeking his head out from the open zipper and taking out his tongue with a smile.

"Ah…I forgot we had Nigou…," whispered Hyuga, seeing the dog wagging his tail.

"I am surprised we haven't been caught yet," Kiyoshi scratched his cheek, smiling towards the mascot.

Kuroko slowly took the dog out of the bag and gently placed him over his lap. "He probably needs some air."

The miko smiled, slowly coming to stand on her feet. "I could take him out for a while. I need some air myself."

"Are you doing okay?" questioned Riko, turning her attention over to their manager. She had seen her awfully quiet and observant throughout the first-half of the game, but she could guess Kagome was starting to observe both teams for the upcoming Winter Cup. Riko watched as Kagome leaned over her seat and grabbed Nigou into her arms, not having missed the slight jump from Kagami as he leaned away to the other side. "Will you be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, I will be fine," she smiled back, coming to scratch Nigou's head. "Well, I will see you all before the game starts again."

Eyes followed silently on the miko's form, watching her leave their sights. Riko released a sigh, coming back to cross her arms. "But what Kagome-chan says is something that cannot be ignored. Kise-kun could become even stronger by the time the Winter Cup arrives. We cannot presume that Kise-kun cannot try to copy all of the Generation of Miracles…but he could be practicing to."

* * *

"That last shot hurt…," Kasamatsu sighed before coming to take a sip from his water bottle. He could sense the heavy silence inside the locker room as the team huddled together.

Hayakawa quickly shouted in anger as a tick began to throb on his forehead. "Damn it! If only I had gotten the rebound!"

"Rebounds don't matter once it goes in, baka," Moriyama shook his head, watching from the corner of his eyes as his teammate only further blamed himself for a shot he could not stop.

The captain slowly turned his attention over to the blonde, seeing him silent on the bench. He knew that Kise was feeling the pressure now, but he could not blame him. He was against Aomine and that was a big responsibility on him. "Kise, how much longer will it take?"

"At the earliest, the second half of the third quarter," he replied with eyes glued onto the lockers. He would be lying if he said going against Aomine was not difficult. The guy put on pressure like no other and he could even remember the bold stares and smirks Aomine sent off with full confidence. "If I mess up, it might take until the fourth quarter. Sumimasen," with a low chuckle under his breath, Kise looked over towards his captain, "but can I go outside for a little bit?"

"Yeah. Come back soon," Kasamatsu's eyes traveled Kise's walking form, soon hearing the door close on them.

Kobori released a sigh as he crossed his arms: "Basically, we have to play the entire third quarter without Kise."

The captain knew Kobori's words were true and that was something he did not want. But the fact that Kise needed time to observe Aomine's skills and movements to copy was something they needed. _'We can't do that against Tōō._ _No…we will do it! It's all on you, Kise!'_

* * *

"Copy Aomine-kun?" Harasawa blinked as he stared at the pink haired manager standing before the team inside their locker room. She had immediately told them that with her observations, it was clear to her that Kise was trying to copy Aomine's skills.

"Hai. Not a single move, but his entire style," she continued, holding her clipboard in front of her. "Including the improvements he has made. Even if he somehow manages to do it, it should take a while longer."

"But…," Ryo took a step forward, watching as Momoi's eyes lifted from her research.

"Coach!" shouted Wakamatsu, catching Harasawa's attention. "Knowing that, there is no reason to put him out there!" His finger quickly came to point over to the silent ace sitting on the bench. "We should bench him, and-"

"Oi, don't be stupid," smirked Aomine, coming to a stand. He was starting to get annoyed with all this talk and no play. Did they seriously think Kise would be able to copy him and defeat him? It was laughable really. "Why would you reduce your power on purpose? We will keep going like this."

"What did you say, teme!?" Wakamatsu's eyes narrowed, wanting nothing more than to grab Aomine from the collar of his shirt and scold him for being so arrogant.

Aomine chuckled under his breath, placing his hands inside his pockets. "Copy me? There is no way he can do that. Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt and say he can do it, the results won't change." The room was filled with a pregnant silence as eyes remained glued on their ace. "The only one who can beat me is me." Without another word from the team or himself, he went out the door and cursed under his breath while making his way towards the empty lobby. _'Kise won't be able to beat me. He can copy all he wants, but that will still be not enough to beat me.'_

* * *

"N-Nigou! Chotto!"

Hearing a female voice from beside, Kise looked away from the balcony view of the stadium and to his right. He quickly took notice of the dog wagging his tail as he came to sniff his show. _'A…dog?' _His eyes blinked the moment he saw hands coming down to grab the black and white dog that had been staring at him with familiar blue eyes.

"Ah, Kise-kun."

Kise blinked a few more times; a bit surprised by the view of the miko holding the dog in her arms. Where had the dog come from? "K-Kagomecchi?" His eyes glided to the dog once more, seeing the big orbs staring back at him. "Chotto, what is with the dog?"

"Oh, is this your first time meeting Nigou?" she questioned, lowering her view to the mascot. The moment she had come outside the doors of the balcony, Nigou had quickly jumped out of her arms in excitement to see the outdoors once more. "This is Seirin's mascot. We kept him in Kuroko-kun's bag while we were watching the game. We thought it would be best to let him get some fresh air during the intermission."

Kise leaned in, coming to stare at the eyes of the dog. "He looks so much like…Kurokocchi…," he chuckled. "There is plenty I could say about that actually…"

"Doesn't he?" she smiled. Her attention was drawn back to Kise's soft expression. Coming to stand face-to-face with him, she could clearly see his distressed aura. The guy was definitely nervous for the upcoming quarter and the pressure could only have been getting heavier with every ticking minute. Her eyebrows dropped in worry the more she felt his aura. Was she worried…a bit. Why? Because after seeing Kuroko and Kagami after the loss, it hurt her like the day she was separated from her friends. The pain of losing someone or something was something that could not be healed right away.

"So…what are you doing here?" he questioned, catching her attention from her thoughts. "In the area, I mean."

"Well, we were training nearby until yesterday, so we decided to come watch the Inter-High together." Kagome replied, coming to see Kise straightening in his pose.

Kise released a chuckle as he leaned his back against the railing of the balcony. "Eh~ so you didn't come to cheer me on? And here I thought you were. I really felt special, Kagomecchi."

The miko's eyes dropped to a mid-glare: "No."

"Hidoi!" flinched the blonde, not expecting such a direct answer. Composing himself, he took another glance towards the girl before noticing Kuroko coming behind. "Kurokocchi?"

Looking over her shoulder, Kagome blinked as she heard Nigou's excited bark to see his owner. "Kuroko-kun? What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that there was five minutes left before the game started again," he replied, noticing Kise standing before the miko. "Kise-kun, domo."

The blonde chuckled under his breath once more before looking up at the sky. He did not what made him feel better, having Kuroko and Kagome appear before him when he mostly needed it, or the fact that his inner self was softening up. He turned his view back towards the two Seirin member, sending them a small smile. "By the way…between Aominecchi and me, who do you two think will win?"

Kagome dropped her eyes in silence as she felt the breeze kicking in. Feeling her hair move to the front of her view, one hand slowly rose to tuck it behind her ear before coming to take a glance over at the phantom player beside her.

"We don't know," he replied, surprising Kise with his answer. "As long as you don't give up, anything could happen, and I don't think either of you will give up. So, I don't think it would be strange if either of you won."

Hearing his explanation, Kise closed his eyes with a smile: "I see. Well, I will go do my best then."

Do his best? Kagome blinked as she came to stare at the blonde before her. The more she began to talk with Kise, the more she began to see a different side of him compared to the first time she had spoken with him.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Kise changed his view over to the miko, seeing her blank stares. "Huh? Nani? What is it?"

"Oh, gomen…it is just that, I thought you would something like 'I will definitely win'," she whispered, catching him off guard slightly.

"What are you talking about now?" he chuckled before turning his back to the two. "Of course that is what I am trying to do, but honestly, I don't know either. In middle school, it was natural for us to win, but…I feel better now not knowing if I will win."

Both Kuroko and Kagome noticed the small smile hanging on Kise's lips, surprising them slightly. The miko chuckled under her breath before coming to get a good hold on Nigou. "Kise-kun…I just want to remind you that there is nothing wrong…with being dependent on your teammates. They are there for you so be there for them."

"Huh?" he blinked, unsure what she was trying to say. "Kagomecchi…"

"We should go, Kagome-chan," Kuroko took hold of Nigou and turned back around to the opposite direction. He stopped in his steps and looked over to the blonde once more. "Teammates are a good thing, Kise-kun. I hope you can see it soon."

Kise blinked again in silence, watching as both the phantom player and the miko walked away. Smiling to himself, the basketball player could not help but release a low chuckle before coming back to stare at the cloudless sky. "Teammates, huh…?"

* * *

Stepping into the court once again, Aomine stretched out his arms across his chest as his eyes wandered over the size of the audience. Scoffing under his breath, the tan male's eyes landed on the miko upon seeing her sitting with the rest of her team. A small smirk curved upwards the moment his eyes landed on the miko's.

Kagome gulped as she connected her orbs to Tōō's ace. She questioned herself if she was starting to have bad luck with coming to face Aomine each time he was around. She would not mind reading Oha-Asa out of curiosity at the moment just to know. Kagome scowled at the sight of Aomine's smirk, clearly being sent to her. Huffing under her breath, she crossed her arms and closed her eyes to end the eye-contact.

"Everything okay, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko.

"Yeah…just don't appreciate being stared at," she whispered to the female coach.

Riko blinked in confusion before coming to look around the audience. "Stared at? By who?" The coach's eyes landed ahead onto the court, seeing the players coming back to their positions. Who had been staring at Kagome that had her annoyed?

The buzzer for the start of the game went off, making Seirin follow the ball in Imayoshi's hands before being blocked by Kasamatsu's person. Kagome looked down to her bag, seeing Nigou peeking his head out after Kuroko had told her to keep to her for a while. Kagome placed her finger over her lips, giving Nigou the sign to keep his barks low so that he would not get caught or in this matter…everyone.

She could see Kise beginning to mark Aomine as he stood in front of him, making sure the ball would not come anywhere near the Tōō ace. Kasamatsu quickly stole the ball from Imayoshi's grasp and headed forward to their hoop. Seeing Kise's fast break, he threw the ball over to the blonde, hoping that nothing would come their way in this first shot.

"No you don't!" shouted Imayoshi, coming in front. The Tōō captain was quickly frozen shock as Kise moved to the right with his gaze, leaving the ball in mid-air to the left and quickly capturing the ball back into his palm and passing by the captain. _'What the-!? Could this be Aomine's…?!' _Cursing under his breath, Imayoshi charged forward only for his arm to hold Kise's jersey.

The referee blew his whistle at the contact, signaling the court of the foul. "Foul, holding! Black number four!"

Seirin knew that they were not seeing things and it was clear to the full court that Kise had performed once of Aomine's tricks. Momoi's eys widened slightly, watching the blonde's eyes tighten. _'He is still incomplete and nothing compared to the real thing, but he is learning much faster than I expected!' _

"Nice foul, Cap-," Wakamatsu was quickly cut off by Imayoshi's words.

"Wakamatsu, do you remember the day Aomine joined?" the captain questioned, his focus on the silent blonde. "I thought he seemed promising, and at the same time, when I imagined playing against him, I got goosebumps. This isn't good," Imayoshi chuckled under his breath before looking over his shoulder with a grin. "I have goosebumps."

"Kise is amazing! He is just like Aomine!" exclaimed Koganei, watching the game continue forth.

"No, it's not perfect yet," Riko's eyes narrowed, seeing the blonde's stats with her eyes. If anything, he was close to it, but something was in the way. "Only doing it when people besides Aomine come to guard him proves it. He must still think he is off the mark."

Kiyoshi sighed, catching the attention of the team: "in other words, when Kise tries to go one-on-one against Aomine again, it will be once he has perfected his copy."

'_One-on-one, huh?' _Kagome's eyes tightened as she saw Kaijo making two more baskets, having the crowd pumped on how quickly they were catching up to Tōō. The stadium went in a dead silence the moment the ball came flying over to Tōō's hoop, freezing everyone in their spots. Where had the ball come from? The shot was made as the whistle for the counted basket echoed.

All eyes widened as they looked over to the source of the thrown ball. There stood Aomine on his flat ground and a tightened glare with his arm extended out. He had not even moved an inch from his spot nor jumped. Simply threw the ball towards the hoop.

The crowd quickly gasped and shouted in shock with the surprise shot. Not even the court could believe what had happened. Koganei blinked with his mouth wide open. "T-That was a shot!?"

"He's crazy!" exclaimed Furihata.

"Don't drag your feet, Kise," glared Aomine, catching the blonde's attention. "If you don't make it in time, it's over. I'm not patient enough to wait until you are ready."

Kise's could not help but feel the anger beginning to boil anew inside as he stared at his opponent. Even he was beginning to feel impatient. The struggle to get ahead began between the teams as soon as the ball was passed over to Kaijo's captain. Kasamatsu cursed under his breath as he dribbled it over towards their hoop. _'At this rate, a fifteen point difference…that is our deadline!' _His eyes narrowed as soon as Imayoshi came forth once more, stepping in front of him with each move he tried make to break free.

"They aren't letting him through!" exclaimed Hyuga.

Shun blinked, surprised himself as Kasamatsu struggled to break through. "They know what he is going to do!"

Pushed to his limit, Kasamatsu released the ball towards the hoop, narrowing his eyes with annoyance. _'If I do this, your knowledge doesn't matter for shit! Besides…no one is better at getting offensive rebounds than Hayakawa!' _The ball hit the rim of the hoop, coming back down and quickly grabbed by Hayakawa's hands. Passed to Kobori, the Kaijo team immediately made another shot with eight minutes left into the third quarter.

Running back to defense, Kise blinked as he stared at the backs of his seniors. His eyebrows dropped upon stopping his sights on Moriyama. "Senpai…"

"Don't worry about it," he spoke, already sensing what Kise was beginning to worry about. "Just focus on your own job. In exchange," he stopped in his tracks before turning his head over his shoulders and pointing his fingers to the blonde, "you can introduce me to girls if we win. Better yet, introduce me to Seirin's manager. I wouldn't mind a mixer, but you can't go."

"Eh? Why not!?" he exclaimed.

"You are a model!" Moriyama glared back. "They will come to you instead and I want to know the girls!"

"Hidoi! Kagomecchi doesn't even give me the light of day, senpai!" Kise whined, whipping the fake tears running down his cheeks.

Releasing a sneeze, Seirin could not help but look towards the miko and seeing her rub her arms. Riko gave a few blinks before seeing the miko sigh. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?"

"I hope so," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "Or if not…someone is talking behind my back…"

Kise chuckled under his breath as his seniors quickly returned to the game, leaving him to close his eyes. _'I get the feeling I am starting to understand what Kurokocchi and Kagomecchi said. Their 'team'…what I need to do for my…team…and what I need to do now.' _Given the ball by his captain, Kise's eyes narrowed the moment Aomine came forth. "What if that 'me' is who you are playing against?"

Aomine's eyes widen slightly as his lips parted slightly upon seeing Kise's narrowed eyes. In a blink of an eye, Kise passed through his opponent, shocking Aomine completely by the sudden increase in speed. Kagome shook her head as everyone froze in their spots the moment the blonde had fully reached his goal. "Kise-kun…"

"…broke past Aomine!?" exclaimed Kagami, watching with wide eyes as the tan male began to chase after the Kaijo ace.

"Those movements were no doubt from Aomine!" Hyuga blinked at the sight of Kise jumping up for a dunk as the cheers from the Kaijo bench echoed throughout the stadium.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kise!" Aomine jumped upwards behind the blonde, reaching to knock the ball out of his grasp.

Momoi shook her head as she stood on her feet: "No! Dai-chan! Don't do it!"

Attention was quickly drawn over to Aomine's chest coming to bump into Kise's back before's wrist flicked the ball behind his back and was thrown into the hoop with ease. The referee blew the whistle after the shot, signaling the foul. "Defense, black number five! Basket counts, one free throw!"

"H-He made that shot?" Hyuga slumped back into his seat, still not believing what he had seen.

"When you are fouled while making a shot, the basket counts, and you are awarded one free throw," Riko sighed, quite surprised on how fast Kise caught up to copying Aomine's skills. She never thought that it would happen this quickly into the second-half. She had expected it to happen by the fourth quarter.

"But…more importantly," Kagome blinked, as she counted her fingers as they lifted one-by-one until it stopped at the fourth, "isn't that Aomine's fourth foul?"

Koganei's attention was quickly brought to Aomine, seeing him still as a rock at the realization. "T-That's right! Aomine got three fouls during the first-half!"

"Then that means he can't make any more bold plays!" Seirin's captain crossed his arms, watching the Tōō coach curse under his breath that indeed Aomine was stuck from making any reckless moves.

The miko nodded, watching as Kasamatsu passed by Aomine and Imayoshi with a light sigh. _'So that foul before…Kasamatsu-senpai did that on purpose for a reason. This must have been it.' _The crowd waited as Kise got into position and threw the ball towards the net for his free throw. "He made the free throw and now they are nine points behind." The miko's eyebrows furrowed as she watched Aomine's spaced out eyes. She could see his aura had lowered in energy and something was definitely up in him. Had the last foul thrown him off? _'Aomine-kun…'_

Imayoshi clicked his tongue as the ball was brought into his hands and dribbled it in his path. _'This is bad. The entire fourth quarter's left and we are in this situation. We can't afford a nine point difference!' _Imayoshi quickly passed the ball over to Aomine as he screamed his name to catch his attention. The captain's eyes widened slightly the moment his ace reacted to slow and failed to catch the pass. Aomine's glare returned as his eyes caught sight of Momoi's and Kagome's worried looks along with the rest of his team. Those looks that pissed him off so much. He was not going to get pity. That was the last thing he wanted.

Seeing the opening he needed, Kise quickly caught the ball into his grip and charged forward. Kagami's leaned forward from his seat in shock, not believing that Aomine had missed his chance. "A-Aomine fumbled?"

Kise took his jump for a dunk, quickly having his teammates scream for his shot. "Slam it in, Kise!" shouted Kasamatsu, smirking at the sight.

'_Those four fouls were my mistake. But is this what Kise was hoping for? No…even if he has accepted it as a winning strategy for his team, this can't really be what he hoped for. But I never thought he would make that face,' _Aomine ran behind Kise, jumping into the air as the memory of Kise's concerned eyes flicked back into his mind along with Momoi's and Kagome's. _'And what is Satsuki's problem? Even Kagome looks concerned! Why do they all look so panicked? Every last one of them…don't get the wrong idea!' _Aomine quickly smacked the ball away from Kise's grasp, shocking everyone with his blunt move.

Both Kise and Aomine landed back onto the court, catching their breaths from their sprints. Aomine's focus tightened as he watched Kise kneel down on one knee. "They underestimated me, thinking I would back down just because I have four fouls. But you are the one who bothers me the most, Kise. Don't show any concern for me. If you can afford to do that, you should be coming at me like your life depends on it!"

Kise's eyes narrowed back down before he stood back onto his feet, letting a chuckle escape his lips. "I knew you could do it. If the game had ended like that, it would have been too easy."

Soon enough, the timer ended at zeros, ending the third quarter completely for everyone. Kagami grunted as he saw the score. Although Kaijo was only less than six points behind from Tōō, he knew after that last display from Aomine, things were getting much worse. Even he had thought Aomine would have been pulled out for having four fouls by now, but it seemed Tōō was becoming dependent on him to go against Kise.

The miko exhaled softly while looking at the Tōō coach, Harasawa deep in thought as he faced his players. It seemed even he was having trouble on how to deal with Aomine's four fouls. One more and he would be out for the rest of the game. _'Will Aomine-kun change his game play or continue?' _Her eyes scrunched at the sight of Aomine's aura increasing. If anything it seemed he was angrier than before. _'Well…don't blame him. Everyone is concerned over his fouls now.' _

* * *

"Hmm, Aomine having four fouls with the entire fourth quarter left is honestly tough." Harasawa knelt down on one knee as he faced his sitting players on the bench. With his finger under his chin, he needed to come up with a plan to deal with Kise and Kaijo all together, but he knew himself that sitting Aomine out could end them with a lost game. "But…we still need you to be on the court as long as possible. Change your formation a little and work together on offense and defense-"

"The little stuff doesn't matter," Aomine cut in, stopping the coach from going any further with his words. His anger was beginning to leak out and he needed to let it out. Were they seriously being cautious with him now? He could not deal with that crap. "Give me all the balls in the last quarter. I'll crush them."

"Chotto!" Momoi took a step forward as she handed her clipboard over to Hojo. Was Aomine being serious? With four fouls on him, he still wanted the ball throughout the whole quarter?

"Teme!" Wakamatsu quickly stood from his seat, pointing his index finger onto the tan male. "Seriously, keep your ego in check!" He stopped at the sight of Imayoshi's hand raising in front of him, stopping him from talking. "C-Captain…?"

"Let him do what he wants."

"Captain!"

A small smirk tugged on the ends of Imayoshi's lips. "We can handle the rest of the team, but the only one who can take on Kise in his current state is Aomine. Whether we take him off or he is kicked off the court, once he is gone, it is game over. Even if you try to handle it and get bent out of shape, it doesn't matter. The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves for the worst." His attention was taken to the coach with his smile stretching wider. "If victorious, we are heroes. If defeated, we are losers. Either way, that is the story."

* * *

"Let the fourth quarter begin."

Crossing his arms, Hyuga leaned back into his seat before also coming to cross his legs. He had expected for Aomine to be sitting out for at least the first half of the fourth quarter. "Tōō hasn't changed their lineup. Anyone would lose their edge with four fouls. Are they going to be okay?"

"I would say that they are more than okay…"

Seirin's attention was drawn over to the miko, seeing her fully focused on both Kaijo's and Tōō's aces. Kuroko blinked, seeing her eyes narrow. What was she truly focused on? Had she caught something they hadn't? They were quickly pulled back as the ball was passed over to Aomine and in a blink of an eye passed two of Kaijo's players. Riko gasped as Kise and Aomine went head-to-head on the court until Aomine went into his formless position before releasing the ball and making it into the basket.

"T-They scored already!" exclaimed Koganei from behind the females.

Kasamatsu clenched his teeth, staring with a tight glare onto Aomine's back. _'Not only has he not changed with four fouls, but he is even more amazing. What incredible focus…'_

Back and forth Kise and Aomine went off with one scoring right after other. The audience and the court itself could clearly see that Kise copied each and every one of Aomine's shots right after he performed them. It almost seemed like the entire game was only played by them. Kagome's eyes quickly shook out of their focus as she caught sight of Kise's ankle. Something was off the moment he stepped into his right foot and held the ball between his hands before throwing it and making it in.

'_Something isn't right…,' _the miko frowned, coming to see Kise's energy slowly decreasing. _'This is too much for their bodies…'_

Kise closed his eyes as he placed his hands on his hips. His lungs coming to slowly regain their lost oxygen made him look up at the ceiling. _'I can't let my guard down for an instant. I feel like I am getting a headache.' _

"That must be tough," whispered Riko, noticing that not only was Kise coming out of breath, but most of the team players were.

"Even I am exhausted," Koganei sighed loudly, quicly regretting his choice of words as the female coach turned towards him with a threatening glare.

"Not you!" Riko sighed once more as her attention returned to the court. "I have never seen such static flow in a game before. The inside players must be realy worn down mentally."

Kiyoshi nodded at the coach's words, realizing that the aces were not the ones coming down from their high in the game "It is especially tough on Kaijo. They have been stuck either to ten points behind forever, but even with the clock ticking they still have not given up."

Their perception changed over to Imayoshi, seeing him dribble the ball in place before the Kaijo captain. Imayoshi's eyebrows furrowed as his slightly opened eyes connected with Kasamatsu's strong focused gaze. _'They should be snapping any time now.' _

'_I'll never give up,' _Kasamatsu could feel his lungs tightening the more he ran. Oxygen was becoming harder to acquire with the pressure also being pressed down on him and his team. _'We will get out chance! We can't just roll over when he is trying so hard!' _Looking from the corner of his eyes, he could see Kise focusing intently onto Aomine's own gaze. Both of them could not break away from their attentions or the mistake would be done.

Seeing the strong stare Kise gave off, Aomine's eyebrows furrowed. _'I will admit he is good, but I won't let my guard down until the end. As long as he has those eyes, there is no telling what will happen.' _He released a low chuckle as an image of Kuroko came into mind. _'As long as he has the same eyes as Tetsu…'_

The ball was quickly passed over to Ryo, only for Kise to intercept and sprint off towards their hoop. Hyuga leaned forward from his seat, surprised himself that Tōō's focus was coming to crack. "The balance is broken!"

"This is Kaijo's chance!" exclaimed Shun, watching as the blonde basketball player sprinted off in fast speed.

"Stop them! Defend at all cost!" shouted Harasawa.

Kagome took a small glance over to the timer, seeing time ticking away. "There is exactly one minute left. This is where the game will be decided."

"Hai," nodded Kiyoshi, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "If they make this shot, they will only be two threes behind. It will boost the team's morale. If they miss, they will have reached their time limit. In other words, practically speaking…," his eyes narrowed the moment Aomine caught up to the blonde ace and stood in front of him, "it is their last chance."

Aomine smirked at the sight before him the moment Kise jumped up in his spot and took his aim. Matching with his jump, Aomine's hand reached up to block the ball only for Kise to lower the ball once more in mid-air and aim the pass over to Kasamatsu. In less than two seconds, Aomine spun in place before coming to slap the ball away from Kise's hands, leaving both Kasamatsu and Kise frozen with shock that he was able to stop Kise'ss pass. They were sure Aomine had no time to react to that unless…

The ball rolled off the court, freezing everyone on their feet with eyes coming to stare at an angry Aomine. Fukuda blinked as he placed his hands on the seats in front of him. "H-He stopped the shot?"

"They lost their only chance…," Kiyoshi released a sigh, closing his eyes for a second.

The miko gulped nervously, shock filling her being from having witnessed Aomine's quick reflexes. There was no way someone could have reacted fast enough to do that and especially in mid-air! Did Aomine already know what Kise was planning to do? But from any angle, it was clear that Kise had planned to do a formless shot. She could see Kise's head hung low in disbelief that his plan had been ruined. Their morale had been completely crushed.

'_H-How…?' _Kise's eyes remained widened as he stared at the wooden court below him.

"You have done pretty well up until now, but in the very end, you finally made a mistake." Aomine chuckled once more, feeling Kise's golden orbs on him, seeking answers himself as to how he was able to stop his pass. "If it had been a one-on-one, you may have had a chance to win. You faked by looking one way and looked at Kasamatsu on your right." Aomine turned his head to the right, facing his former teammate with a mild glare. "In that position, I wouldn't fake with my eyes. At first glance, a pass seems like the most surprising move, but it is also something I would never do and the most easily predicted move." Taking slow steps forward, Aomine passed by a still Kise, smirking as his last words echoed into the blonde's head. "My style of basketball isn't designed to rely on my teammates. I win. Because you tried to do something out of character, this game came to a disappointing end. Ultimately, you lose because you were weak and relied on your teammates in the very end."

Kise was at a loss for words; crushed. He was sure that he could have made that pass. There was no mistake. _'I missed my only chance. This game is…'_

"Get ready for the next play, baka!" Kasamatsu's hand quickly smacked the back of Kise's head, breaking him off from his thoughts. "This game isn't over yet!"

The blonde ace looked over his shoulder, seeing his teammates gathered with a determined smile to continue on with the last seconds on the fourth quarter. A small smile decorated over Kise's lips as the miko's words echoed into his head. _'I guess Kagomecchi's words are right. Teammates are not a bad thing. I guess this is what Kurokocchi sees every day in his team…I couldn't have made it this far by myself.' _

With the last few second ticking away, both teams rushed back and forth to gain the final points. Kaijo soon struggled with stopping Aomine's advances, but Kise pressed on the final jump he had as he and Aomine came into grabbing the ball in mid-air. The blonde ace smirked, trying with all his strength to push Aomine's ball away from the hoop. With one final push, Aomine's hand came to dunk the ball inside the net, watching as Kise fell onto the court. Aomine landed back onto his feet before the final buzzer sounded off, stopping everyone from making a move.

"Game over!" shouted the referee. "Both teams, line up!"

Kagome slowly leaned forward, watching as Kise struggled to stand back on his feet. She knew that the way he performed had over flowed his limit. His aura was weaker; faint. The miko watched from her seat as the Kaijo team stopped in their steps upon noticing the shock in their ace as he remained seated on the floor. _'He is feeling it in his legs. Does copying the Generation of Miracles put exceptional strain on him?' _She flinched even from afar as Kise punched the floor out of frustration with himself. He couldn't get up. He wanted to. He wanted to hold his head up high.

The miko slowly rose her eyes to see Aomine's attention coming onto her. It did not look like he was excited nor proud for his win. If anything, it was like it was already known. Like it was born in him to win every match. Kagome's dropped her gaze back down, cutting the eye contact with Tōō's ace.

Aomine followed the offering hand in front of Kise's form, seeing Kasamatsu standing before him. Kise slowly rose his head, seeing the slight concern on his captain's expression. Was he worried? From the corner of his eyes, he followed Aomine's walking form, watching as he met with his team for the lineup.

"Can you stand?" questioned Kasamatsu, eyebrows falling in worry. "Hang in there a little longer."

Kise struggled to let the words escape his lips as he felt his view beginning to blur. "Senpai, I…"

With a low sigh, Kasamatsu helped Kise back up on his feet and placed Kise's arm around his shoulder for support. "You did well. Besides, it is not all over yet. You can pay him back this winter."

Watching them walk over to the middle of the court, Imayoshi stood beside the tan male, seeing the slow tears coming down Kise's cheeks. "Are you sure you don't need to say anything? Isn't he your former teammate?"

"Huh?" Aomine scoffed with a matching smirk. Was Imayoshi being serious with him or teasing? Either way, he didn't care. The game was done. "I'll even get pissed at you if you make fun of me. There is nothing for a winner to say to a loser."

The referee waited for both of the teams to meet face-to-face as he held the ball in his hand. Watching them all attending, he parted his lips to speak. "Ninety-eight to one-hundred and ten, Tōō Academy wins! Bow!"

Slowly rising from their seats, Seirin watched in silence as Kaijo began to gather their things and walk towards the exit of the court. It was clear that they had no expected this loss, but it was expected that Tōō would be a difficult team to go against. One they had experienced themselves.

Sensing the gloom behind him, Kasamatsu held his head high before shouting out to catch the attention of the team. "Quit moping! We all gave everything we had! We are still in the country's top eight! Let's go home with our heads held high!"

The team nodded slowly as small smiles raised onto their lips. Even with a loss, they could not help but know that their captain had fallen the hardest.

Kagome knelt down to her bag and gently picked Nigou out of her bag before passing him over to the phantom's arms. "Here."

"Where are you going, Kagome-chan?" questioned Shun, blinking as he watched the miko grab the strap of her bag and quickly making her way out of the seats. She had no even answered his question. The team shred glances between each other in confusion on where she was headed, hoping that she had a place set in mind.

Kuroko blinked in silence before coming to lower his eyes on the dog in his arms. Nigou was still and let out a low whimper. But one thing he could guess was Kagome feeling the pain of Kaijo's loss as they had experienced it before.

The tiger turned his attention over to the empty court, narrowing his eyes at the thought of Kise and Aomine having a full one-on-one. _'It's been reaffirmed. This is the Generation of Miracles.' _

Crossing her arms, Riko released a sigh under her breath: "we will play against these guys again this winter. That said, the difference between us is still too great. We will have to become stronger."

"But the question is…will we win?" sighed Shun, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

"No…," glared Hyuga, seeing the last player, Aomine, exit the court, "we will win."

* * *

"Yosh! We won the Inter-High quarter-!" Wakamatsu was quickly silence by the squirt of Imayoshi's water bottle as they stood inside the locker room. He turned his head towards his captain with silent blinks as water dripped down his chin.

"Do you have to do that every time?" questioned Imayoshi, lowering his bottle to the bench.

Looking around the locker room to make sure everyone was present, Hojo blinked as he held his own clipboard. "Huh? Where is Aomine-san?"

"He already left," Susa sighed from his seat, turning his attention over to the assistant manager beside him.

"E-Eh? That was quick…," coming back to stare at his clipboard, he could not help but release a sigh. Aomine always ended up leaving earlier than the whole team, leaving him to check him out.

"Oi! That game was really close!" Wakamatsu lowered the towel from his face after dripping himself and looked over at his captain. "Why aren't you guys more excited?"

"Well, I guess I was nervous, but in the end we won despite everything that happened," Imayoshi chuckled as he made his way towards his locker and began to fold the extra towels he had inside.

Wakamatsu grunted before taking a step forward, wanting to catch Imayoshi's attention. "Even that idiot gave it everything he had!"

"I see. You guys don't know." Hearing the silence of the team, Imayoshi's smirk grew wider before turning his head over his shoulder to face his team. "Aomine still hasn't shown us everything he can do. He showed me once before. He has an even higher level. Well, he can't do it all the time. What he didn't do this time, he probably couldn't do. If I were really worried about him I would say it's the soft spot left inside him." The captain chuckled once again as he closed the door to his locker. "That soft spot is growing."

* * *

"Huh? Where is Kasamatsu-senpai?" walking behind his team, Kise blinked at having no sight of his captain. With the whole team packed up, he was sure Kasamatsu had following behind once they exited out of the locker room.

"Ah, he told us to go on ahead," Moriyama sighed, continuing to walk down the path of the hallway.

Kise stopped in his steps, catching Moriyama's attention right away. "Oh, I will go check on him, then."

"Don't bother. He needs time for himself."

The blonde male looked towards his senior, seeing him with the same concerning eyes Kasamatsu had given him on the court. Where they hiding something? His golden eyes dropped slowly to his feet as he heard the continuing steps of his team walking away from him. _'He's right. I can't go back now. If I have time for that, I should move forward, even if it's only one step.' _

"Kise-kun…"

Hearing the female voice coming from behind, the Kaijo ace slowly turned his attention to the Seirin manager standing before him. He blinked, surprised at the sight of seeing Kagome catching her breath. Had she been looking for him?

"Kagomecchi…what are you doing here?" he questioned, adjusting the strap of his bag.

The miko slowly rose her sights to meet Kise's gaze. What had made her want to speak with Kaijo in the first place? Was it the fact that she understood the feeling of losing? Or was it because they had both lost to the same opponent? She was not sure what the true answer was, but if anything, their auras had gone weak as they left the court and she did not want them to feel like everything was over. She herself had seen the ways Kagami and Kuroko acted after the loss. What was she supposed to say to him and the team? Sorry did not seem to be the fitting words…

Kise sighed with a smile, seeing the struggle and silence within the miko. His hand laid over her head, gently patting it to catch her dropped eyes. "Mah, Kagomecchi, don't look so gloomy. A smile goes better with your beauty."

Kagome's lips parted, but no words would come together to voice out. Only a sigh passed by her lips; the only sound coming from her. "Kise-kun, I…just came to tell you something. Not as Seirin's manager, but as…a person who has gone through losing. Keep your head high."

"Kagomecchi…," Kise blinked, a bit taken back by her encouraging words.

The miko slowly bowed her head to the blonde before sending him a smile. "That is all I wanted to say. Both of our teams were not able to meet once more at the Inter-High, but let us get stronger to meet at the Winter Cup."

With a silent pause, Kise placed his hands on his hips before coming to send the miko a smile. "I promise Kagomecchi that when we do meet on that court, I will become stronger."

Kagome released a low chuckle before nodding to his words. "Then…see you at the Winter Cup."

The Kaijo ace nodded back, silently watching the miko turn back toward the opposite direction. With the smile still glued on his features, he closed his eyes. _'This is only the beginning. I guess Kurokocchi and Kagomecchi are beginning to show me that having a team means more than just having talented players. Arigatou…you two.'_

* * *

Making her way through the hallway, Kagome sighed under her breath, clutching the strap of her bag closely to her body. She was not sure what had gotten into her to go speak with the opposite team, but she was not that cold to ignore people even if they were considered 'rivals'. A small smile curved into her lips, remembering the determination having comeback in Kise's eyes. _'I just hope his spirits are not crushed soon.'_

Walking past the Kaijo locker room, Kagome immediately stopped in her steps as she heard a sudden bang against steel inside. The miko jolted, hearing a scream right after another hit against the lockers. Who was inside? Raising her hand to knock on the door, she stopped upon reading the aura on the other side.

'_Kasamatsu-senpai…?' _Kagome slowly lowered her hand back to her side, not wanting to interrupt his time alone to express his anger and anguish from a loss. She could only imagine the heavy weight on a captain's shoulders from losing. It was a captain's responsibility to carry the rest of the teammates' burden. He had to keep his head held high even when he felt like dropping.

The click of the doorknob brought her out of her thoughts, coming to take a step back away from the opening door. She blinked silently and frozen as her eyes met Kasamatsu's. Both unmoved as people continued to walk back and forth.

Kasamatsu's mouth opened silently, wanting to question what Seirin's manager was doing there or better yet…if she had heard him. He gulped nervously before coming to close the door behind him.

Feeling the nervous aura wrap around the Kaijo captain, Kagome sent him a small smile. "You did great out there, Kasamatsu-senpai."

"Ah…arigatou…," he whispered, lowering his eyes.

Another awkward silence followed suit.

What was she supposed to say now? Inhaling softly, the miko slowly let it out before coming to look at the captain in front of her once more. "I know the job of a captain is…hard, but don't let the weight come all on you."

"Huh?" he blinked, not expecting such words from her.

"I just spoke with Kise-kun and…I think he is starting to realize that he is not alone in this. Just don't let it get you down so heavily. I understand that as a captain, the responsibility is on you, but you don't have to carry it on your own," Kagome chuckled lightly before coming to grab the keychain hanging off from her bag. "Here."

The Kaijo captain blinked in silence before extending his hand out underneath the miko's hand. His eyes came to stare at the keychain falling down onto his palm. Eyeing the object, he quickly noticed the small pink sphere hanging down the rectangular shape as the words read: "Shikon…no Tama?"

"Ah well…," Kagome laughed nervously before coming to scratch her cheek with her index finger, "I live on a shrine and my grandfather has these keychains, but he always tells us that the legend at our shrine says the Shikon no Tama grants the wishes to those who possess it." Another chuckle escaped her lips. "Of course…it is only a legend, but at least holding something like this could help you during your practice for the Winter Cup."

Kasamatsu's eyes slowly lifted to see the encouraging smile still on the miko's features. Why was she giving him something like this?

Kagome dropped her gaze once more, seeing the keychain laying still on the captain's palm. "Take care of Kaijo and…Kise-kun, Kasamatsu-senpai. I think he is beginning to realize that he needs his teammates to get far. That is what all the Generation of Miracles need." Checking the watch on her wrist, the miko's eyes slowly widened, realizing the time was getting close to the bus they had booked. "Oh no! Ugh…gomen, Kasamatsu-senpai, but I really need to go! Good luck!"

"Ah! Chotto matte!" Kasamatsu quickly turned around the moment Kagome passed by him in a run. "I can't take this!"

Stopping at his call, Kagome looked over her shoulder and blinked. Her shoulders slumped before coming to send him one more smile. "Then how about you give it back when Seirin faces off against Kaijo at the Winter Cup? The winner gets to keep it."

Before Kasamatsu could saying anything more, he stopped with lips parted as he watched miko run off the opposite direction. He blinked as his eyes lowered down to the object resting inside his palm. He chuckled underneath his breath before adjusting the strap over his shoulder of his bag and placed the keychain into his sweatpants. At least he could thank her for not saying anything about hearing his weak state.

A jewel people made a wish on. If only such a thing could exist.

* * *

Looking over her shoulder, Riko smiled at Kuroko as the teen stared at Nigou peeking his head out of his bag. Of course the phantom player was silent with wondering where Kagome had run off to, but she assured him and the team she would catch up to them outside the stadium in no time.

"You can probably let him out now," she smiled, catching Kuroko's attention.

"I guess you're right," he whispered, slowly coming to grab Nigou and putting him down on the floor before continuing to walk down the hallway.

Following a little farther behind, Kagami stuck his hands inside his pockets as he kept his gaze low. Deep in thought he kept his mind, trying to figure out the many ways he could go against, not only Aomine, but the rest of the Generation of Miracles. He knew he still had a long way to go.

"Huh? I feel like I've been here before. Where am I?"

Taking a glance from the corner of his eyes, Kagami narrowed his focus slightly and noticed the tall male walking past him as he ate a snack. If anything besides his height, the purple shoulder length hair caught his attention. _'He's huge.' _His observations dropped to the magenta colored jackets, noticing the basketball attire underneath. _'If he is wearing a jersey, he must be a player. He must be at least two meters tall.' _

"I mean, I don't want to play basketball anyway. It's so tiring. Oh, wow~. This new flavor is pretty good."

Kagami's eyes furrowed, having not noticed the big brown plastic bag being carried in his arms full of snacks. Was that all for him? Stopping behind the phantom player, Kagami dropped his gaze, noticing how quickly Kuroko turned his head to see the player he had just seen. The phantom player blinke, having just caught a glimpse of the familiar purple hair before he turned around the corner.

"What are you doing?" questioned the tiger. "We will leave you behind."

"Nothing…," he replied, coming to stand straight in his position. "I just forgot to greet someone."

* * *

'_I need to hurry if not Riko-senpai will rip my head off!' _Kagome looked down to her watch, seeing she had less than fifteen minutes to meet with her team. _'Oh I can already feel Riko-senpai's angry glare piercing into me from this far away!' _

Kagome ran in the hallway, trying her best to avoid bumping into anyone coming the opposite direction. Her run came to a sudden stop as she bumped into another person. Kagome rubbed her nose, having felt a hard chest colliding with her front.

"I-Itai…," rubbing her nose, she noticed a few snacks dropped on the floor. "Ah! Gomenasai!" In quick pace, the miko picked them up as fast as she could and placed them over the person's full bag. "Sorry about that! I- this is bad! I am going to get scolded!" Taking a bow to the stranger, she ran around and proceeded through her path. _'Itai…that really hurt though. But…I didn't even see his face. Now I feel bad, but then again…I rather live another day than being killed by Riko-senpai.'_

"Eh~," chewing into the umaibo, the purple haired male looked over his shoulder, continuing to chew into his addiction. "Why is she in such a hurry?" He blinked once, seeing the miko's form run farther away. "She is tiny."

* * *

"Yosh, everyone is here? Where is Kagome-chan anyways?" Hyuga looked around his team as they stood underneath a tree's shadow. The heat was definitely subsiding as the colder weather was beginning to make an entrance. But the colder weather was marking the close entrance to the Winter Cup. He sighed as he noticed one of his players already missing. "Seriously…they were behind us just two minutes ago."

"Ano…," Fukuda walked forth, catching the attention of his captain and coach.

"It's Kuroko, isn't it?" he glared, annoyed that his disappearance was actually for real now and delaying their departure.

Fukuda laughed nervously before scratching the back of his head. "No, actually… Kagami is gone too now."

* * *

The phantom player eyed the hoop as he dribbled the ball in place. Having seen the small basketball court outside the stadium, his hands reached into his bag for his ball and simply sneaked out for a few practice shots. Aiming his throw, he watched as the orange ball hit the rim of the hoop, missing his point.

"You still suck at everything besides passing."

Turning back around, Kuroko blinked, already having known the owner of the voice. "How did you know I was here, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami took a few steps forward into the outside court, giving the phantom player a small smirk. "I thought watching the game might have gotten your blood pumping."

"I am heated up," he replied back, seeing that Kagami was understanding his instincts to have grabbed the ball after seeing the outside court empty. It was almost as if it was a call for practice now after seeing the match.

"If you're heated up, I am practically boiling," Kagami snuck his hands into his sweatpants' pockets, seeing the ball lay unmoved under the net. If anything, he was beginning to feel the urge to play against the Generation of Miracles. But he knew he still had a lot more training to go before he could.

* * *

'_Just a legend…huh?' _Kagome made it out the doors, quickly trying to find her team somewhere and hopefully her ears would be saved from the scold. Holding her bag close she ran down the concrete path, looking left and right for any sign of them.

"At least, it was a legend until I saw it for myself," a low sigh passed the miko's lips, not wanting to let the memories come in a rush. The miko quickly heard the sound of a dribbling ball, coming to a stop and looking down towards the occupied basketball court.

The miko blinked twice, noticing the familiar tiger and phantom player standing in front of each other in a talk. Making her way down, she caught sight of Nigou sitting quietly by Kuroko's bag. Kagome gave him a light scratch on his head, letting a small bark escape to catch both Kagami's and Kuroko's attention.

"Kagome-chan…," whispered Kuroko, seeing her straighten in her stand

"Hey," she chuckled before coming to get a hit behind her head. Looking at the tiger with a tightened glare, she faced him. "Oi! What the heck was that for!?"

"Where the hell did you go!?" he exclaimed. "We were wondering where the heck you were!"

Kagome parted her lips for an answer, only to stop. Her defense stance shrunk in size before coming to look away from the phantom's and tiger's gazes. "I…simply went around."

Kuroko blinked, coming to hold the ball between his hands. "Around?"

"I simply went to go talk to Kaijo."

"Kaijo!?" exclaimed Kagami, soon making his eyes soften upon seeing the slight flinch in the miko's form.

The phantom player walked closer to the miko, seeing her eyes drop slightly. "What did you go tell Kaijo, Kagome-chan?"

"After seeing their game, it got me thinking. The Generation of Miracles are not ordinary opponents, tht is for sure, but it takes a lot out of the human body to go against them. Even Aomine-kun and Kise-kun struggled," Kagome sighed crossing her arms in thought. "I just went over to tell Kaijo that we will meet them soon at the Winter Cup."

Kagami released a scoff, soon coming with a smirk. "Is that all? They should already know that."

"Yeah, but I thought maybe a reminder could help them boost their morale back up."

Kuroko looked at the ball between his hands before sending them a smile. He was quite surprised that Kagome was that kind hearted to go talk with the opposite team to encourage them to continue on strongly, but he could see that it was the reason he had picked her to join the basketball team. "Their play has the power to do that to people...it's always been that way. "

"Do what?" questioned Kagome, turning her head while blinking.

"Kagami-kun and I are feeling the urge to practice after seeing them play," he replied back, chuckling lightly. "Don't you?"

Kagome uncrossed her arms before coming to take the ball into her hands. "Well…I definitely feel determined to make it far into the Winter Cup. But…I do have one question." Turning her eyes towards the phantom player, she could not help but feel her eyebrows fall with concern. "What are the rest of the Generation of Miracles like?"

"I only know what they were like in middle school. Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, and Aomine-kun have all made significant improvements. I am sure the other two have done the same."

Raising a brow, Kagami placed his hand over his hip. "Other two, huh?"

"Hai. Murasakibara-kun and Akashi-kun…"

"Murasakibara-kun…and Akashi-kun…," Kagome lowered her eyes once more to the ball in her hands. The other two were still a mystery to her and she could only imagine the skill they possessed.

Kuroko continued on, catching their attention. "Not even I can imagine what they are like now." Although he could guess how much they have improved, he knew he would be shocked once he saw it in person.

Releasing a small chuckle, Kagome walked over to the other side of the court after placing her school bag down. Both males watched as she bounced the ball in place, before coming to passing it over to Kuroko. "Then we are just going to have to meet them or exceed them."

Seeing the signal of a pass, Kagami quickly ran towards the hoop, watching as Kuroko passed the ball over into the air, making him dunk it with ease. "Couldn't have said it better myself," smirked the tiger as his feet met the ground once more. "I'll crush them all. Let's show them. Our basketball."

Kagome crossed her arms: "then this winter will be war."

"Hai," smiled Kuroko.

The miko's eyes quickly widened: "C-Chotto! Guys we need to get going before-!"

"There you are! All of three of you are in so much trouble!"

The three first-years froze and jolted at the sound of Riko's voice coming from the top stairs that led down to the court. Kagome gulped, slowly turned her head over her shoulder. "R-Riko-senpai…"

"You three have some nerve leaving us hanging," all three could clearly see the lip twitch on Riko's features, making them take a step back as she took out her paper fan. "Looks like the first years need some discipline now."

"A-Ah…w-wait, Riko-senpai…chotto matter!"

* * *

Kagome couldn't help but let a chuckle escape through her lips at the sight before her. Sipping on her drink from the straw, she could see Kuroko's attention and the rest of Seirin looking at Kagami's struggle to use the chopsticks with his left hand. All eyes were on the small piece of broccoli resting between the utensils as it was slowly brought up to the tiger's mouth.

Kagami quickly screamed in annoyance as the broccoli jumped out and into Nigou's mouth as Kuroko's bag sat on the empty seat beside him. "Damn it! Damn you, Nigou! Give that back!"

"Kagami, usure!" shouted Hyuga, feeling his eyebrow beginning to twitch at the overreaction the tiger gave off.

"Broccoli is so slipper," chuckled Kiyoshi, lowering his cup of tea on the table.

Hyuga lifted an eyebrow as he looked to his left, seeing the sheepish smile on his friend's face. "Is that really the problem?"

"What is he even doing?" questioned Koganei, finding it confusing as to why the tiger was even using his left hand to use the chopsticks.

Kagome looked over across the table and smiled at her seniors. "He is practicing. He is practicing using his left hand." After their harsh scolding a week before, she had arrived home with many questions to how she could help. She had thought of it carefully and ended up calling Riko for some advice. Both girls planned that the best for now was to help Kagami work on his weaker side – the left. So here they were after school having a casual gathering in a restaurant and before Kagami could grab the chopsticks into his right hand, Riko had smacked it and told him to use his left.

Even he had ended up confused as to why he had to use his left, but Riko had simply answered it was part of his training. He grumbled, but ended up doing it anyways. Kagome and Riko didn't think it would give them a few giggles from seeing his frustration.

Kagome sighed, coming back to stare at her half-finished food. _'I just hope I can contact Koga soon and ask him about the others. Maybe I could ask him to train Seirin personally one day or even ask him about ways to beat around a one-on-one…'_

"Ah, by the way, what do you want to do tomorrow you guys?"

Attention was drawn over to Furihata, seeing him questioning everybody. Furihata smiled as he turned his head to face his the first-years. "We finally have the day off."

"Well…I will probably sleep mostly…," sighed Koichi, looking up at the ceiling.

"Ano…I have something actually," Furihata quickly dug into his school bag and presented the team with a poster. "Why don't we do this? It's tomorrow afternoon."

"Street ball?" questioned Kagome, seeing the poster's words clearly printed with the rules of five-on-five. Taking the poster into her hands, she read on before turning her attention to Riko as the coach spoke up.

Riko crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the first-years. "Hey, first-years. Don't you know what a holiday is? Rest. You have to rest."

"We know. We know, but…," Furihata's eyes dropped slightly to the table, not wanting to meet Riko's threatening glare. "Kagami and Kuroko always get to play in games, but, well, we would like to play sometimes."

The miko blinked, lowering the poster from her eyes and coming to see the drop in emotion in the three first-years. Her shoulders slumped, knowing the feeling of wanting to be some sort of help to someone or something. Ears were quickly filled with Kiyoshi's voice, all eyes coming to glide to his contagious smile.

"Good! Good for you!" he smiled, sending them a thumbs up. "That is the spirit, first-years! Right, Hyuga?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Hey, Riko," Kiyoshi turned back around to face the coach, sending her a smile. "Out of respect for that spirit, let's send them off right."

Riko quickly rose her palm, stopping him from going any further. "Hey, wait. I-"

"The first-years really want to go, Riko. Let them do it. Besides," he quickly wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulders, stopping her from taking a sip of her drink, "Kagome-chan can be their mentor and watch them practice on the street ball tournament, right Kagome-chan?"

"W-Wait…what?" she blinked, coming to stare at the tall brunette. Was she signed up to this against her will?

"W-Well…just the first-years, then…," Riko slowly lowered her hand down, finding it hard to say no now with the first-years asking her with such pleading eyes.

Kiyoshi quickly sent the first-years a smile, turning his head the other way. "All right! I got her approval! Do you best, guys. Also, Kagome-chan, keep an eye on them, alright?"

The miko blinked before releasing a low and soft sigh: "Hai…" And here she had thought she could catch up with studying and sleep on their day off. She looked over to the phantom player, seeing a small smile appear on his lips. She sent it back; she wouldn't complain about their company though.

"Okay then! Let's go!" smirked Kagami, already feeling his blood beginning to pump with excitement.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she leaned against the meeting gate they had agreed to. Looking at the time on her flip phone, she turned to her right, seeing Kagami and Kuroko quietly staring off into the park. With their day off, she had even wondered what made her agree to coming. Although she enjoyed being with the team…sleep was calling out for her and lately she was beginning to feel very woozy. The miko looked down to her bento boxes. Kiyoshi had even sent her a message through her phone (surprised once again that someone else had gotten her number) that she could make some bentos for the first-years.

"What is that, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko, looking at the bento boxes stacked on each other.

"Our lunch," she smiled. "Kiyoshi-senpai thought it might have been a good idea to bring something for you guys instead of us buying from the nearby stands."

"S-Seriously!?" exclaimed the tiger, coming to turn towards the miko. "There better be enough!"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched, leaning away from the tiger beside her. "Trust me, I have cooked for big eaters before…."

**Bark. **

With Nigou's bark coming from Kuroko's bag, they turned their attention over to the direction he had barked. Kagome blinked, seeing not only Furihata and Fukuda walking towards them, but a familiar tall brunette behind. Both Kagome's and Kagami's eyebrows twitched at the sight of his grin.

"Yo," he greeted.

"Oi…what are you doing here, senpai!?" exclaimed Kagami, narrowing down his eyes at his senpai.

Kiyoshi blinked with a smile glued on his lips before coming to point at himself. "Huh? I can't be here?"

"No, but…where is Kawahara?" he questioned looking around the area.

Fukuda chuckled with a sweat drop as he scratched the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, he got a cold."

"A cold?" repeated Kagome. _'I guess the time of colds is here already…' _

Kiyoshi walked forward, catching the attention of the miko. "Ah, you made the lunch, Kagome-chan? I am glad I am going to be able to eat some of your cooking again."

"Why do I get the feeling you knew you were coming?" Kagome raised a brow, seeing the sheepish grin her senpai held. "Also…who the heck gave you my number!? My number is not free to give or get!"

"Mah, mah," chuckled Kiyoshi, raising his hands defensively at the annoyed miko. "I asked Riko for your number and she simply gave it to me. Besides, shouldn't the team have you number anyways?" he smiled.

Kagome blinked, seeing the truth behind Kiyoshi's words. The miko sighed as she held the bento boxes from the holder. "I guess…but I would appreciate it if people asked for my number like normal people."

"Right, right," Kiyoshi turned his attention over to the first-years, seeing them more than ready for the street ball tournament. "Well, let us go have fun!" Making their way through the park and further into the courts, Kagome looked around, seeing many different age groups in the teams. If anything, it was definitely a different feel of basketball from the official games.

"Well, this isn't any different from America."

Turning her attention over to the tiger, Kagome blinked, seeing the small smile glued on his face as his fingers played with the ring hanging from the chain necklace. Now that she observed him more closely, she had wondered about the ring. Was it from someone?

"So is American street ball look like this?" she questioned.

"It feels this way," he chuckled, seeing the different teams coming together.

Walking towards the registration stand, Furihata was the first to greet the person up at the front. "Please sign in here to enter," the registration person gave them a form along with a pen.

"Baka! You wrote it wrong, Tsugawa!"

Tsugawa? Hearing the familiar name, Kagome waited behind her team as she looked over to her right. She blinked once before realizing the group beside them. These guys were…

The miko's eyes slowly widened before coming to tap Kuroko's shoulder. "Kuroko-kun…"

Hearing the whisper of his name, the phantom player turned his head to the side, catching the same people Kagome's attention had continued to stare at with wide eyes. He blinked, seeing the familiar bald basketball player Kagami had found annoying during the beginning of the Inter-High.

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kiyoshi, following the line of sight of the two silent first-years.

Seirin fully turned towards their right, quickly connecting their eyes to the group beside them. Kagami's eyes widened along with bald male as they stared with wide open mouths upon seeing each other once more.

"Seiho!?" he exclaimed.

"Seirin!?" shouted Tsugawa.

Kagome chuckled with a sweat drop as she could feel the stabbing glares both Kagami and Tsugawa flew across, leaving her to do the talking in the end. Maybe sitting down and eating could help them relax the tension. Taking a step forward, Seiho's captain turned to see the smile on the miko's lips. "Hello, there."

"Ah, you're Seirin's manager, correct?" questioned Iwamura, remembering back to how she had gone against Tsugawa's attitude.

Both Seirin and Seiho turned their heads to the side, seeing both Tsugawa and Kagami in a deadly glare. Kagome sighed, feeling her shoulders slump. "Would you guys like to have lunch with us?"

"Oi! This guy can't eat with us-!" Kagami was quickly stopped with Kagome's hand coming to cover his lips, sending Seiho her sweet smile. "You guys are welcome to have some food."

* * *

Kagami's eyebrow twitched as he took a tamagoyaki from the bento sitting in the middle of the circle. Here he was now sharing food with Seiho and he was sure there would not be enough for seconds. He quickly felt a jab into his side, making him grunt from the pain of Kagome's elbow. "O-Oi!"

"Stop scowling," she closed her eyes as she held her water bottle. "You are ruining the taste of the food for everyone."

Kuroko blinked before coming to grab one of the tempura shrimp. "Kagami-kun, you need to learn to be nice and share the food with people or you will get fat."

"Excuse me!?" exclaimed the tiger, turning his glare over to the phantom player.

"Well…this surely is a coincidence," smiled Ryuhei, coming to turn towards the Seirin team. He would be lying if he said he was not surprised to find Seirin here. But he was surprised that only the first-years were present with the other half of the team gone. "Anyway…what are you doing here? What about practice?"

"We have the day off," replied Kuroko, coming to lower his chopsticks.

Iwamura turned his head over to the tall brunette, seeing Kiyoshi enjoying some of the miko's bento. He was surprised with the appearance of the infamous center, Kiyoshi. He only wondered if he was fully healed now. "You can play already?" he questioned, catching the attention of the center player.

"Well, yeah," he chuckled. "A little."

"What about you? Shouldn't you be practicing?" glared Kagami, coming over to collect a few pieces of food onto his plate before Tsugawa took the rest.

Tsugawa quickly felt a tick throb on his forehead, making him glare over to the tiger. "Eh!? Are you trying to pick a fight!?"

The miko blinked as she came to stare at the tiger's oblivious personality. Did he not know? Iwamura sighed with a smile before coming to grab one of the pickled vegetables. "Ignore Tsugawa. The third-years are retiring."

"Huh? You're not going to be in the Winter Cup?" questioned the tiger, turning his head over to the Seiho captain.

Lowering her bottle once more, she caught his attention. "Kagami-kun, only the top eight teams from the Inter-High can participate in the Winter Cup. In other words, only first and second place from the Inter-High. Riko-senpai and I explained this many times, Kagami-kun. It is even on the tournament bracket."

"Wait…so from out block…who is it?" he questioned, turning over to the miko.

"Seirin and Shutoku," replied Iwamura.

Ryuhei chuckled, catching the attention of everyone around the circle. "Which means because we lost to Seirin, we are automatically disqualified. We are taking a break from studying for exams today." Seirin watched as Seiho stood on their feet and thanked Kagome for the lunch. With a small nod, Kagome sent them a smile, a bit saddened with the fact to see the third-years go, but she was happy that the connections were made.

"If we play each other today, we can play the game we missed last year," Iwamura looked down towards Kiyoshi, seeing him smile back. "I'm disappointed Hyuga and the others are missing, but we will have our revenge so we can focus on our exams without reservations."

Kiyoshi chuckled nervously, seeing the slight threat in the challenge. "Don't play too hard."

"People don't forget that easily," chuckled Ryuhei, grabbing his sports bag from the ground. "I wish this coincidence could have happened while we were still smoldering."

"Yeah! Seriously!" Tsugawa was quickly pulled away from the back of his shirt by Iwamura as they began to walk away towards the courts with their first game.

Fukuda quickly caught Seirin's attention as he stood from his spot. "We should go see their game, miina! What do you say?"

Kagami chuckled, taking the last bite of his food. "Sounds good to me."

Watching them stand, Kagome noticed them waiting for her. Kuroko offered his hand to the miko, making her smile with a chuckle before placing her hand over his. Coming onto her feet, she dusted off the grass from her shorts. "You guys can go on ahead. I will stay to clean the bentos up."

"Are you sure, Kagome-chan?" Kiyoshi tilted his head to the side, watching her begin to pick up the bentos. "I can stay and help."

"No, it's fine. Go on ahead and see their game. It shouldn't take me long." Her head lowered to see Nigou peeking his head out. "Wish them luck for me, okay?" The miko stood, seeing them wave to her before turning back around and heading towards the main courts. Sighing lowly, Kagome set her eyes onto the last closed bento box. Opening it slowly, she came to reveal the strawberry mocha. "Guess I could save this for after the game…"

Seeing that most of the bento boxes were stacked and closed, Kagome placed them into her bag before coming to grab the open bento box of mocha. "Do they even like sweets?" The miko slowly turned around with her finished packed bag with eyes on the mochi and felt her body come to a halt as it was stopped by another body. Raising her head, she felt eyes trailing longer than average up to the face of the person she had bumped into.

Kagome blinked; silent. This guy…was taller than Kiyoshi! She could see his bored expression clearly written on his face as he chewed on what looked like an umaibo. Not only had his height had caught her attention, but the purple hair was definitely eye-popping.

"Eh~ are those homemade?"

Snapping back into reality, the miko shook her head upon hearing his questioned wrapped in a lazy tone. Her eyes slowly looked down to his attention. The mochi? "Um…hai…." Who was this guy? She felt a strong presence in him. Her eyes rose back to his tall frame, seeing him grab one of the mochi from the bento box. "O-Oi!"

Popping it into his mouth, the purple haired male chewed before coming to stare back at the miko in front of him. "Nee~ can I have the rest?"

"Sorry, but these aren't for you-," she replied, slowly pulling the box into her body, but quickly froze as she felt his much larger hand grabbing onto her wrist. Trailing the arm, she met his smirking gaze without the lips doing the action. "Oi…," her eyes narrowed to a glare of her own. Was this guy threatening her?

"I want the rest, chibi-chin."

'_Chibi-chin?!' _The miko's eyebrow twitched, wanting nothing more than to push him away, but she knew her strength was not enough against someone of his built.

"You know I could easily crush you, chibi-chin."

"I would like to see you try," her glare tightened. No matter the size, she was not a push-over. Never was and never will be. Her eyes quickly widened as the purple haired male reached for three mochi, leaving only two inside the bento box. Kagome watched in silence with her mouth open to stop him, but simply saw how easily the male ate the mochi without bites into them. Who the hell did he think he was?! Seeing him reach for the last two, Kagome quickly covered the bento box, making him freeze in his reach. Her glare matched his, noticing that he was annoyed for stopping him.

"Oi…those were mine," he glared, fully turning his tall frame to face the miko.

"Who says?"

"Me," his eyes tightened, quite surprised that a girl so petite like herself was not backing away even with body trying to intimidate her. "Now give them to me, chibi-chin or I will crush you."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And this chapter was come to an end! Again sorry for the long wait. Trust me, I hate making all you wait. I just hope I didn't disappoint...

But the next chapter, I am sure most of you know who else appears and let's just say Sesshomaru and Koga have a talk along with Shippo. But Sesshomaru will not make his appearance before the miko just yet. Shippo though is getting closer! So stay put! Ha-ha! Also, ( I won't say who exactly), but the shrine will become a topic next chapter, so be prepared!

Thank you for reading and I hope all of you liked it. Also, I had two wonderful people draw me fanart. One of them is on my page and the other is on my Tumblr! Go check these amazing artist! Thank you again!

Please review. It really helps not only me, but also other authors to continue on with their stories. It is pure truth that reviewers are enough to make us happy and know that you are all enjoying the stories that we bring you! But other than that, stories could not continue without the full support of people! So really...it is all because of you! I wish I could express my thanks another way...IF I do, I will post it on my Tumblr and let you all know! Okay?

Again thank you!

Ja~ne!


	18. Heavy Memories and Visits

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Can I just thank all of you for the wonderful reviews that have pushed me through to continue this story? Without you, trust me this story would be slow in updates, ha-ha! Thank you so much! I got so many encouraging words here and on Tumblr. Really kept me motivated! This chapter is a bit longer than the last (a tiny-bit) but I am worried on the direction this chapter took...hope I did not disappoint anyone with this one. But please continue on supporting me.

My new job is a bit hard, but I am learning and volunteering with kids has really opened my eyes that I am starting to like teaching. So many things are happening in my life.

I will leave the surprises for you readers to read so without further ado...ENJOY! Also, I just HAD TO keep the English conversation both Himuro and Kagami had. I had to and we all know it could not be left out!

**Chapter 18: **Heavy Memories and Visits

* * *

Reaching for the closed box of his desire, Murasakibara blinked the moment the miko's hand grabbed his wrist and pushed the box of mochi behind her back. Her eyes stuck to his, not feeling an ounce of intimidation from his own gaze and if he thought he could use his tall frame to scare her, then he wasted his time. The purple haired male's eyes tightened as he felt her firm grip on his wrist.

"Eh~ chibi-chin is strong," he slowly retreated his wrist from her grasp, a bit surprised that the girl was not giving him what he wanted.

"I never said I was weak," she glared back, composing her pose before he could reach around her to grab her sweets. Although she knew she was acting childish herself and could easily give the mochi up, she was not a push over. Especially to people who thought that using their height was a way of getting what they wanted. Exhaling with closed eyes, the miko slowly placed the mochi box into her bag. "Look, I am kind of in a hurry to see a game, so if you could excuse me-"

"I want those mochi."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched once more, seeing he had put not attention to what she had said. Seeing that her words were going to do her no good, she moved to the side, only to find herself staring at the tall male once more. She stepped to her left and once again he was present. What the heck was his problem? All for some mochi? Seriously?! The miko's eyes rose once more to meet his purple orbs. "Could you please let me through?"

The male pointed down to the bag in her hands, seeing the object of his attention. "Those are sweet. I want the rest."

The miko looked down to his other hand, seeing the white plastic bag filled of other snacks. Was he always holding that? She quickly pointed downwards towards the bag of sweets. "Oi! You already have food! Why do you want my mochi?!" This guy seriously needed to move out of her way before the game started! If anything, it could have already begun and she was missing it!

"…because," he replied, coming to extend his arm out to grab the bag from her hands.

In quick reflex, Kagome took a step to the right and made her way past the tall male. He blinked, a bit of shock in his eyes the moment the girl had out stepped him. Even he should have caught that quick reflex from her. Turning his head over his shoulder, he saw her beginning to walk away from him along with the sweets he wanted as she mumbled under her breath about him being a selfish giant.

"Chibi-chin doesn't share?" he took out a bag of potato chips from his plastic bag, opening them with ease right after. "Well, I don't share neither, chibi-chin. I want those mochi."

* * *

"Oh, crap! We are late!" shouted Furihata, making his way through the crowd. Looking over his shoulder, he could not help but be surprised by the amount of food Kagami was still eating after Kagome's lunch. Even after they had left Kagome back to clean up, the tiger saw the food stands and stated he wanted more. "It is all because Kagami said he was hungry again!"

Looking ahead, Fukuda tried looking over the crowd around the court as Kuroko and Kiyoshi ran beside him. "I bet Seiho has already won!" Even with the games starting, lines were long and they were sure they had taken over fifteen minutes just to wait on Kagami's food! Not only that, but finding the court was another problem. There were three spread out for the tournament!

The boys quickly stopped in their steps at the sight before them as they had finally found the court they had been searching for. Not only was Seiho frozen, but even Tsugawa was down on his knees with wide eyes. What…was going on? Kuroko's eyes slowly searched from the scoreboard and was surprised to see the score fifty-two to thirty-two. They knew the tournament games were only two quarters compared to official games, but the game was…over.

"No way…," whispered Furihata. "They beat Seiho so easily…"

Kagami's view was caught by the familiar black haired male as his back was facing him. He did not need to see his face to know his frame. That stance and presence was too familiar for him to forget. The tiger's lips parted slightly as he tried to connect his words. "W-What…?"

* * *

Kagome looked left and right for her target location. She had checked court number one and Seiho was no player and no sign of the boys, so she had only guessed that they would be in the next one – she hoped. Clutching the strap of her bag, the miko stopped in her run in mid-breath as she saw the big crowd around the court. Was this one it?

'_Damn that guy and stalling my time…I probably already missed the first quarter,' _Kagome made her way through the crowd, trying to excuse herself to look inside. Her height could be a problem sometimes and at times like these she was grateful for being small enough to go into tight spots. Finally making it into the rim of the courts, the miko blinked as she noticed Kagami and the rest of the team walking into the court. _'Huh? What are they doing?' _

Her attention was brought to the middle of the court, seeing the destroyed Seiho team in shock from the final score. _'They…lost?' _Going over the rim separating her from the court, Kagome made her way towards the phantom player. "Kuroko-kun? What's going on?"

Kuroko looked over his shoulder upon hearing the familiar voice. He blinked, seeing she was just as surprised as them. "Kagome-chan."

"Did…they lose?" she questioned, coming back to see Iwamura helping Tsugawa back on his feet. He looked devastated. Just how fast was this game?

"It looks like it," replied Kiyoshi, looking over to the opponents. He could see four males with blue matching shirts and one with a long white sleeve shirt with black hair. Judging from Iwamura's eyes, he must have been the big surprise of the game, but the question was…who was he?

The miko's eyes landed over to the tiger, seeing that he was too silent for these results. Why was he not talking? "Kagami-kun-?" stopping her voice from continuing, Kagome blinked, noticing his own shocked expression, but it was not on the scoreboard, but a player on the court.

"W-What are you doing here?" he questioned, making everyone trail his line of sight over to the black haired male on the other side of the court. The mysterious male slowly turned his body around to face them, revealing his features. Kagome quickly took notice of his aura. It was slightly similar to Kagami's and if not, close to the Generation of Miracles. The ring hanging on the silver chain captured her attention, seeing it was similar to that of Kagami's.

"Himuro Tatsuya!" Kagami took a step forward, still not able to process that he was here.

'_Himuro…Tatsuya?' _worded Kagome inside her head, coming back to look at the tiger. Did she know him?

At the call of his name, Himuro blinked coming to notice the familiar red head standing a few feet away. "Taiga?"

She could hear accent wrapped around the tiger's first name. Was he not a native Japanese speaker? Perhaps he was a friend from America where Kagami used to live? Before anyone around could question or move, they watched the black haired male taking a few steps towards them.

"**Well, well, Taiga. What a surprise to find you here." **

The miko's eyebrow went into a twitch at the foreign language. Where they speaking English? That was her worst subject after math! They could not just pull that card on her! She hoped that at least the tiger could speak Japanese and the Himuro guy could understand, but boy was she wrong.

Kagami's eyes tightened, seeing Himuro coming closer to the group. **"You don't look surprised at all, keeping the usual poker face?" **

"**I am not keeping a poker face. It's my nature," **he replied back, giving Kagami a _friendly _smile.

Great, he went along with it and she was sure she was not the only one confused and lost in their language exchange. Kagome leaned in closer to Kuroko, keeping her eyes at the English-speaking duo. "Are they speaking English in front of us?" she whispered.

Kuroko blinked, seeing the mild-glare the tiger held against the mysterious male across. "He is probably a friend from America."

"Probably," cut in Kiyoshi, surprising the miko as she looked over her shoulder and up at the tall brunette. "I know a bit of English, but maybe I can practice it now?" he released a chuckle before coming forth to catch the black haired male's attention.

"Kiyoshi-senpai…," Kagome returned her attention ahead, seeing Himuro stop a few feet in front of them. Kiyoshi knew English? This guy was positive to the max and something she was beginning to warm up to.

Kiyoshi sent Himuro a smile, blinking slightly with nerves. **"Uh..is it, uh, Himuro? Kagami's friend?" **

With a light chuckle, Himuro gave a smile in return towards the Iron Heart. "Oh, I can speak Japanese. I haven't lived here so long, so I am still not used to it."

"Ah, good," smiled Kiyoshi, seeing relief that communication would not be a problem. "That will help."

"And here I thought we would need Kagami-kun to translate everything," sighed the miko, crossing her arms as she came to stand beside the tiger. Coming forth, Kagome blinked, finding it quite interesting to meet one of Kagami's friends from America, but his aura alone was enough to catch her attention. "Ano…Himuro-san, so you two are friends?" she questioned.

Coming to stand on the other side of the tiger, Kuroko held his bag close, hearing the light chuckle escaping Himuro's lips once more. "We are not friends. I guess you could call me his brother."

"Brother…?" she repeated in a whisper; blinking. She was not expecting that answer. They looked nowhere close to being related. Kagome's shoulders slumped back, unsure where to take this conversation or if anyone would.

The tiger's fingers curled in as memories began to swim back into his head. "He was the first friend I made in America. The first one who introduced basketball to me. We always went head-to-head on matches and in the end, our score was at forty-nine to forty-nine. But on our last match he put a bet that if I had won, I would not be brothers anymore…I lost in the end."

"You lost?" she repeated, coming back to see Himuro's smile still on his face. Kagami lost? Was he not good before?

"Taiga purposely lost the shot because I was hurt," Himuro rested his hand over his hip, watching the slight scrunch on Kagami's eyes.

'_He purposely lost for him? That doesn't sound like Kagami-kun…,' _Kagome blinked back over to the tiger, seeing him tighten his fists by his sides.

Kagami released a sigh, seeing that Himuro was continuing to hold his usual friendly grin. "But I returned to Japan shortly afterwards, and I never played Himuro."

Silence wrapped around them, unsure what could be said next in such a heavy feeling between the two. Chuckling under his breath, Himuro was the first to break the awkward silence. "I was disappointed then, but I came back to Japan this year, and now I attend Yosen High."

"Yosen?" whispered Kiyoshi, catching the miko's and Kuroko's attention.

"I thought we would meet eventually…," Himuro slightly turned around before giving the tiger a tightened glare. "Let's fulfill that promise today."

She was sure she felt a hint of anger in his aura and his last words were filled with nothing but toxic. She was not blind to the world of revenge and pity and no doubt that Himuro was still carrying that anger inside for Kagami letting him win that game. She did not know Himuro personally enough to make a full assumption, but his aura was enough to tell.

Clenching his teeth together, Kagami watched Himuro take a few steps back towards his team before he himself took a step forward. "Tatsuya!" His fists tightened even more the minute Himuro stopped and looked over his shoulder. There was definitely a heavy tension between.

"Kagami-kun is angry…," she whispered, feeling Kuroko's eyes on her. "This baka needs to calm down."

"Don't worry," whispered Kuroko, coming to dig his hands inside his sports bag. Taking a few steps towards the tiger, Kuroko raised Nigou close to Kagami's face before watching Nigou's paw coming to lightly punch over Kagami's cheek.

Everyone frozen in shock at the sudden action, not expecting for Nigou personally to stop Kagami's mid-flare of anger. Kagome blinked silently with the corner of her lip twitching. _'K-Kuroko-kun…Kagami-kun is going to kill you for that…'_

"Ow! Nigou!?" shouted Kagami, turning his attention over to an _innocent _looking dog and owner. "You brought him!?"

"You didn't notice?" questioned Furihata. "He was eating some of Kagome-chan's food earlier."

"Eh!?" he exclaimed, coming back to face the small dog.

Kagome quickly took a step behind the phantom player before taking Nigou into her hands: "Oi, Kuroko-kun! Be careful or Kagami-kun will go after Nigou and hurt him."

"Oi! Nigou was the one who punched me, remember!?" he exclaimed once more, seeing that the miko was not even paying attention him anymore and scratching the back of Nigou's head. "Are you even listening!?"

"Kagami-kun, I don't like it when you are indecisive," Kuroko cut in, catching both Kagome's and Kagami's attention.

Kagome's shoulder slumped as she continued to carry Nigou in her arms, seeing the slight concern in Kuroko's eyes. He had suddenly taken the chance to calm down the tiger before herself. She was ready to hit the back of his head if he needed to, but was quite surprised the moment Kuroko stepped forward.

"I think I understand the situation," he continued. "In any case…I think it is your fault for going easy on him."

Kagami blinked back, a bit surprised by Kuroko's sudden blame on him. Taking a step forward, his eyebrows furrowed slightly: "I…If I had won-"

"You wouldn't be able to call Himuro-san your brother and winning when he was off his game probably isn't what you wanted," spoke Kagome, catching the males' attention around. "We understand your point, but it isn't like you neither to simply lose on purpose." She could see Kagami's point in this, but just like during her travels down the well, Inuyasha hated pity and hated being looked down on and especially when it came down to a fight. She could only guess that Himuro felt the same pity and did not want that.

The phantom player nodded before coming back to stare at the tiger in front of him. "No one wants their opponent to go easy on them in the game they love."

"Kuroko-kun is right, you know. Besides, even if you are not brothers, it is not as though you would change, right?" she questioned, finally feeling Kagami's aura calming down.

Closing his eyes, the tiger released a low sigh before coming to nod. "You're right. I like basketball because I enjoy facing strong players. Even if Tatsuya is my opponent." Chuckling under his breath, he gave them a smile. "Arigatou, Kuroko. Kagome. But…," he quickly glared at Nigou in Kagome's arm, pointing his index finger accusingly, "Nigou is going to get it next time you hear!"

"Hai, hai," Kagome scratched the back of Nigou's ears, seeing him wag his tail lovingly. "Kagami-kun always threatens you, but he loves you, huh?"

"Oi! Don't be spewing lies!" he shouted. Seeing there was no way to get into her head, Kagami sighed before turning his attention back towards his childhood friend. "I have made up my mind! If we go head to head, I will play as hard as I can, no matter what Tatsuya!"

"Sure," he smirked, nodding to his words. "I look forward to playing you today. By the way…," Himuro turned his attention over to the miko and phantom player before blinking with confusion, "gomen, who are you two?"

Kuroko blinked in return before answering his question with his introduction. "I am Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, so you are…you have found an interesting partner, Taiga," smiled Himuro before coming to see the miko trying to stop Nigou from licking her cheek. "And you are?"

The miko raised her eyes to Kagami's childhood friend before bowing her head slightly in a greeting. "Ah, gomen…I guess I spoke into the conversation rudely. Higurashi Kagome, I am their manager at Seirin High."

"Manager, huh?" he smiled before nodding to her greeting. "Nice to meet you, Kagome-san."

"Chotto, you know about Kuroko?" questioned Kagami, catching Himuro's attention once more.

Himuro's lips curved into a small smile before taking a glance towards the tiger. "Yeah, a little. There is actually an interesting guy on my team, too."

"Ano…Kagome-chan, what took you so long?" questioned Kiyoshi, catching the miko's attention. "Did you get lost on the way?"

Kagome exhaled, remembering back how she had gone to the wrong court and had to sprint over to this one. "Sort of, but let's just say I got stopped by a giant."

"Giant?" blinked Kiyoshi, catching everyone else's attention around.

"Don't even ask," she shook her head, coming back to remember the purple haired male that had eaten her mochi without even asking and then trying to threaten her to crush her if he did not get the other two. At least she had walked away in time and left him in the past of her life. "This guy stole some of the mochi I made for you all and wanted the rest. He threatened to crush me when I refused to give him the last two."

Kagami's eyes widened upon hearing the miko's words. Someone had threatened her? "Oi! Who the hell threatened you!? He stole the mochi!?"

Placing one hand on her hip while holding Nigou in the other, she closed her eyes at the memory flickering back. "Some tall guy with purple hair. He ate my mochi and wanted the rest even when he already had snacks for himself."

Himuro blinked, realizing that the description she gave sounded way too familiar to him. Purple hair? Turning to face the girl, he gave her a nervous chuckle. "Was he about two meters tall?"

"About?" she repeated. "He was and he said he was going to crush me if I didn't give him the last two mochi."

"Crush you!?" exclaimed Fukuda. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan!?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I simply told him no and left," coming back to pet the mascot in her arms, she still could not believe such a tall guy had actually tried to threaten her to get sweets. That was definitely a first in her book.

Himuro could not help but blink once more as he continued to hear her story. She actually said 'no' to him? Even with his tall height, anyone would easily succumb to saying yes and especially if it came to sweets. But this girl had gone against his friend? That was a shock to him and he was sure his friend had been taken back. With a light chuckle, he caught the miko's attention once more. "I will have to apologize on his behalf."

"On his…behalf?"

"It looks like you might have come across my friend. He has a slight obsession with snacks and if he wanted your mochi, then that means he definitely loved them," Himuro sent the miko a smile, seeing she was staring silently.

Purple hair and snacks? Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly as he stood beside the tiger. The description was no doubt his former teammate and if Kagome had already come across him, he could only guess just how much of her fiery nature got to him. His former teammate did not tolerate being pushed by the weak nor the short in his terms.

Before any of them could continue to speak, the announcement of the next game was made through the speakers. Kagome blinked as she heard that Seirin was up next. "Looks like it is Seirin's turn."

"With us," smiled Himuro as he began to walk towards his other teammates.

"Huh? Didn't he say he went to Yosen?" whispered Fukuda. "Why is he with a different team?"

"Who knows…," Kagome whispered under her breath, watching as Kagami's childhood friend began to speak with his team. "But," she quickly turned towards the tiger, extending Nigou out towards him, "don't you dare go easy on him, you hear? That is shameful!"

Kagami quickly retreated back the moment the dog was inched closer to his person. With his eyebrow coming to a twitch, he raised his hands defensively. "H-Hai! I got it already!"

The phantom player blinked before a small smile appeared on his lips as he saw Kagome coming back to pet Nigou's head. He would admit he was surprised she went against his former teammate from Teiko, but he guesses Kagome was just a person full of surprises with the courage to do many things. Watching Kagami beginning to walk away from him, he noticed the miko's shoulders slump as her own eyes glued onto Himuro's form.

"Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

"Huh? Oh…yeah, just that…Kagami's friend gave me the exact feeling when I have come across the Generation of Miracles on the court," the miko tensed lightly, catching the attention of Nigou.

Kuroko blinked, returning his eyes over to Himuro. She got a feeling like the Generation of Miracles? He could understand that because even he felt uneasy around Himuro's presence.

* * *

Riko sighed as her eyes scanned the paper in front of her for the upcoming practice regimen she had planned. Coming into the school gym, her ears quickly picked up the sound of a bouncing ball, making her look up. She blinked upon seeing the second-years practicing on their own when she had clearly thought that these guys would be resting. "Huh?"

"Hey," smiled Hyuga, coming to grab a ball from the basket.

"Chotto, I told all you to rest for today," she sighed, placing her hands on her hips. Did her team not understand that she was simply looking out for their bodies and strength? Too much practice could strain them.

Hyuga's eyes dropped slightly at the sight of his scolding coach before answering. "It's just for a little bit."

"Don't push yourselves too hard!" sighing once more, she raised the paper in her hands to her team's attention. "By the way, the results of the Inter-High are out."

"Huh? So what happened?" questioned Shun, seeing their coach coming to stand before them as she scanned the paper once more.

Riko crossed her arms before closing her eyes in thought. "Just as we expected, the schools attended by the Generation of Miracles took the top spots. Third, Yosen. Second, Tōō. And in first, Rakuzan."

"Rakuzan…," whispered Shun, placing his fingers under his chin. "They are the ones who took the Winter Cup last year."

"Hai. Rakuzan's captain this year is a member of the Generation of Miracles," continued the coach, seeing both Hyuga tense at the news. Of course it was bit surprising for a first-year to become captain on a sports club. It was extremely rare.

Koganei took a step forward, catching the attention of his female coach. "Anyway, Tōō placed second? Just how strong is Rakuzan!?"

"Actually, it's not that simple. It's true all three schools are strong, but their ranking doesn't reflect the difference in their true ability. All three members of the Generation of Miracles were benched during the final and semi-final games," Riko sighed, dropping her eyes down to the paper in hand.

"Huh? Why would they do that!?" exclaimed Hyuga. For all three of them to be benched and still come this victorious, it was definitely frightening to hear.

Riko shook her head, unsure how to answer that question. "I don't know. I could understand one player being benched, but if it was all three…there must have been some reason." Did she like that these things were a mysterious? Of course. But she had a hunch that the Generation of Miracles were only keeping their true skills for the Winter Cup.

* * *

"The final two remaining teams in this tournament are high school teams!" the announcer spoke into the megaphone as everyone around the final court gathered around at his voice. "Who will win!?"

Kagome sighed as she stood in front of the rims, being glad that at least the referee allowed her to be on the sidelines to watch the game. _'I guess being a manager really does come in handy.' _Her eyes traveled to the center of the court, watching both Seirin and Himuro's team come to the line-up as they faced each other. _'I wonder…why would Himuro-san being in another team and all the way out here? If I remember correctly, Yosen High is a bit farther from here.' _

Looking at the black haired male, Kagome could see his smile stretch slightly as the tiger stood before him. Himuro chuckled under his breath upon seeing the small glare tightening in the tiger's eyes. "Let's play for our fiftieth win."

"Yeah!" he nodded, knowing that now he could have a fair match against his friend. Did he feel guilty for the past? Of course he did, but now he had the chance to make up for it even though he knew winning would cost him a price that could pain him later.

Once the bow was made between the two teams, the players walked over to their positions. Kuroko blinked as he walked behind the red head, seeing that he was being too silent for this match compared to the rest. "Kagami-kun, there was something that bothered me about that story."

"Huh?" Kagami looked over his shoulder, stopping in his steps.

"Don't be offended. You're strong, but…Kagome-chan got a familiar feeling like the Generation of Miracles when she saw Himuro-san," he continued, making Kagami blink in confusion. "And even I felt the same. I don't think you can handle him yourself."

Having overheard his words, Kiyoshi's eyes tightened as he focused his attention ahead towards the black haired opponent. Same feeling as the Generation of Miracles? Then that could be a problem. He could see Himuro's focus was tight on them and he had no intention of losing this game even if it was not official.

"I was wondering what you had to say," chuckled Kagami, making both Kuroko and the rest of the team look over at his grin. "Is that all, baka? I already noticed. We probably can't afford to be careless. Let's give it everything we have from the start!"

The miko watched in silence as both Kagami and Himuro walked to the center of the court as the referee prepared the ball in his hand to throw. She could see both their auras rising slightly as their stares only intensified between. _'Just don't go overboard, Kagami-kun.'_

With the blow of the whistle signaling off, both Kagami and Himuro quickly jumped upwards to catch the flying ball to tip it off to their team. Eyes quickly widened the moment a hand placed an umaibo over the ball before it was caught into a palm.

Himuro and Kagami landed back onto their feet, turning their attention over to where the referee had been previously standing. "Gomen~ could you wait a minute?" The audience was spread with silence as they continued to stare at the tall newcomer holding a bag of sweets.

"You're late, Atsushi."

"Ah, sorry. I got lost," he replied, turning his attention over to Himuro.

"You got lost?" questioned Himuro, tilting his head to the side.

With a simple nod, the purple haired male pointed over to the standing miko on the other side, making all heads turn to her direction. "I was looking for chibi-chin because she wouldn't give me the mochi and she ran away from me."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched, feeling all eyes being stabbed into her person with his simple finger. As she kept Nigou in her arms, Kagome's glare soon made a comeback. So Himuro did know the guy. Taking a step forward, the miko gave the tall male a stabbing glare back. "You followed me here? All for some mochi? I already told you that you can't have them."

"I didn't ask you," he replied with a bored tone. "I want them."

"And I said no," Kagome released a heavy sigh, seeing that there was no point in arguing with him. He was not going to take a 'no' for an answer.

Kuroko eyed the male from below, seeing that he was standing only a few feet away from him. He knew his former teammate would try to get what he wanted, so he decided to cut in. "It's been a while, Murasakibara-kun."

Both Kagami and Kagome quickly registered the name, having remembered Kuroko mentioning he was one of the Generation of Miracles. Kagome blinked towards the tall male, taken back that this tall man was actually one of the Generation of Miracles. There was no way he was a first-year!

"Oh?" turned Murasakibara, seeing the slight glare Kuroko held. "It's Kuro-chin. What are you doing here? You look as serious as ever. You're so serious…," walking over to the phantom player, his hand stretched out to lay a few inches over his head, "I want to crush you."

Everyone could see the difference in height and size just with Murasakibara's hand over Kuroko's head, fully covering it. He could easily cover the ball in a tight grip. Kagome tensed as she watched his larger hand slowly coming closer to Kuroko's head, afraid he would really crush the phantom player. _'Oi! What is he trying to do!?'_

Murasakibara's hand gently laid over Kuroko's head before beginning to ruffle his hair. "I'm just kidding."

Seeing the slight irritation of being touched like a little kid on Kuroko's expression, Kagome sighed and walked forward before coming to grab the giant's wrist once more. "Please don't do that. No one likes to be treated like a kid at our age," narrowing down her eyes to the purple haired male, she could see the slight shock in his and Kuroko's faces.

"Oh, are you mad, chibi-chin? Gomen," he apologized in monotone. His purple eyes landed on the bag resting beside her, knowing very well she still had her mochi hidden. "Nee, chibi-chin-"

"Stop calling me that."

"-can I have the rest of the mochi?" he asked, brushing away her words.

"C-Chibi-chin?" whispered Furihata, seeing that Kagome was beginning to get annoyed.

"This guy…," whispered Kagami, catching the attention of his senpai beside him.

Kiyoshi blinked, seeing how Kagami's eyes narrowed. "You know him, Kagami?"

"I walked by him at the Inter-High." A small chuckle escaped his lips at the memory of having walked past him and never even have known he was one of the opponents he wanted to go against. "This guy is the Generation of Miracles' center, Murasakibara."

"Oi! Stop it!" exclaimed Kagome, catching everyone's attention back as the purple haired male reached once again towards her bag. "I told you no!"

"Chibi-chin is mean," he sighed. Raising his bag of snacks, Kagome blinked, surprised to see about half of the bag being already open and empty of their contents. "I need more sweets and your mochi are good."

The males in the court watched silently as both the miko and infamous center continued to argue back and forth over the box of mochi. Kagome was beyond surprised that someone of this built and age acted so…so…_'childish! This guy is acting like a kid at a candy store!' _

"I thought you weren't coming," Himuro spoke, breaking the slight argument between the giant and miko.

Standing before the miko, Murasakibara's eyes glided to the corner, seeing the small smile on Himuro's lips. "Actually, it is your fault for changing our meeting place at the last second." With his other hand still holding onto the ball, he gently passed it over to his friend. "I only came because you said you wanted to go sightseeing around Tokyo since you came back to Japan, but you are playing street ball."

"Wari, wari," chuckled Himuro, catching the ball into his hands. "They said they were down a player, and it sounded like fun."

Kagome blinked as he mentioned that the boys he had been playing with were not his team. She looked to the side, seeing Himuro's bag off at the corner with the other players and noticed the Yosen logo on the white bag.

"Chotto…Yosen played in the Inter-High, didn't they?" questioned Furihata, catching everyone's attention.

"Eh? You mean he played in the Inter-High too?" Fukuda looked over at Murasakibara, seeing him move his attention back over to the petite miko before looking at the two as he heard the information.

"No," he replied. "I didn't play."

The miko and the rest of Seirin were taken back by the news of his absence in participating in the Inter-High. He…didn't play? Why was he not put on the game?

"Eh?!" exclaimed Fukuda. "Why not!?"

"I don't know," shrugged Murasakibara, his eyes slowly lowering to eye the bag the miko held. "I mean, the only reason I didn't play is because Aka-chin told me not to."

"Aka…chin?" whispered the miko. Who was Aka-chin? Another player in Yosen?

Kuroko sighed, coming to stand beside the miko as he eyed the tall male. "He means Akashi-kun. The former captain of the Generation of Miracles."

"Akashi?" she repeated, turning her attention over to the phantom player. Teiko's and the Generation of Miracles' former captain had told Murasakibara not to play? Did they not go to different schools? Her eyes lowered as she came back to stare at the two Yosen players standing side by side.

"Oh, I forgot," Murasakibara turned to face his partner, seeing him eye the ball in his hands. "Muro-chin, we can't play in unofficial games. That is why I also came here to stop you."

Himuro blinked, coming back to stare at the ball in his hands. "I see. That is a shame."

Placing a hand over Himuro's shoulder, Murasakibara began to push him away from the Seirin team and off the court. "Let's go."

"Chotto matte!" Kagami quickly placed his hand onto Murasakibara's shoulder, stopping him from going any further. "You can't just barge in here and leave like that. Stay a while and play."

Kagome quickly turned her surprised expression over to the tiger, taken back by his sudden change in attitude. "Oi! Kagami-kun!" The last thing she wanted was for Kagami to go full out on their rest day. Riko would kill her once she saw his body stats! And then she would get in trouble for not stopping the idiot!

'_I can't keep my mouth shut with a member of the Generation of Miracles in front of me!' _Kagami's eyes narrowed tightly as he saw the tall male turn his head over his shoulder. _'Besides, I won't let him interfere with my game against Tatsuya!'_

Turning his body to face the tiger, Murasakibara's hand slowly reached and stopped in front of the tiger's eyebrows. "What is going on with your eyebrows? Why are they split in two?" Without a second thought, Murasakibara plucked a few hairs from the tiger's upper split eyebrow, not even fazed as Kagami's eyes widened.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing!?" he shouted.

Kagome and the rest of the boys blinked in silence, unsure what to say as they saw Murasakibara observe the hairs between his fingers. The miko's lip twitched, seeing the two first-years continuing to act like children. _'S-Seriously…? First I have to deal with Kagami-kun's stubbornness and now I come across another child-like male?'_ She could see the irritation in the tiger's eyes as he glared at his eyebrow-attacker.

"They are so long~," Murasakibara inspected the hairs, completely ignoring the tiger's words.

"Are you listening to me!?"

"Huh? Say what?" turning to face the angry tiger, he blinked unaffected by the glare.

"I told you to play!"

"No, it's so tiring."

Kagome sighed, gently coming to place Nigou back on the ground on his four paws. "Although he did not give the best impression to me, he is not what I expected as part of the Generation of Miracles." She blinked, continuing to see the two argue back in forth. "If anything he is…weird."

"When it comes to everything besides basketball, he has a screw loose," Kuroko caught the miko's attention, seeing his own blue orbs on the duo at the center of the court. "You occasionally see athletes like him. While he possesses great talent in one area, he is incompetent at everything else."

The miko blinked once more, turning her head over to the tall male as she saw him blow away the eyebrow hairs. "You mean…he is an idiot?" She could not help but feel her own eyebrow twitch at how nicely Kuroko had covered the fact. Talk about sugar coating words.

"When he gets going in basketball, though, he is unstoppable," Kuroko sighed, watching as Murasakibara finally turned away from the tiger's attention.

"Oh, shut up," yawned the tall male, picking his ear with his pinky as Kagami rambled on. "Muro-chin, let's go."

Kagami clenched his teeth together, finding it unbearable to be ignored. "What is this guy's problem? He is like a little kid!" His eyes slightly widen as an idea struck him. _'Wait…a kid?' _Turning around towards the miko, he startled the moment he took a step towards her. "Oi, Kagome! Do you still have mochi?"

"Huh? Uh…yeah," she blinked. Why all of the sudden with the interest in mochi? Was he hungry right now? "I managed to save the last two before Murasakibara-kun took them away-" she was quickly cut off as she found herself grabbed by her wrist and brought to stand a few feet in front of the tiger as he held her by the shoulders. "Oi! Chotto! What the heck are you doing!?"

"Just work with me here," he whispered before coming to send Murasakibara a smirk. "I am so disappointed. I didn't know you were such a coward. It's so lame that you are running away."

Immediately after hearing his words, Kagome's and Seirin's expressions dropped. Was he seriously provoking him this way? Kagome quickly shook her head and looked over at the tiger behind her. "Oi! What the heck am I doing here!? Provoke him without me!"

Ears caught the sounds of steps stopping, making them turn towards the two Yosen players ahead. Kagome blinked once and then again as she saw Murasakibara looking over his shoulder with a low glare. "Eh~ I'm not running away."

'_H-He…got him!?' _she was sure her eyebrow was beginning to get tired of twitching just at how low these two were acting with each other. For Kami's sake they were high school students!

"Oi, oi," chuckled Kagami, "don't push yourself too hard. You were scared."

"I'm not pushing myself too hard. I'm not scared either."

"Well, why don't you play then?" Kagami's smirk grew in size. "Tell you what, if you play, Kagome here will give you the mochi you want."

Oh the tick finally arrived at her forehead, throbbing at his words. So this is what he was using her for? She could really use her miko-ki to purify them into the next world. "I never agreed to that!" she shouted, turning around to glare at the tiger. "Don't be making deals on your own!"

"Just work with me here, Kagome," he whispered, quickly noticing the shadow overcasting the petite miko.

Slowly looked over her shoulder, the miko blinked upon seeing the tall male towering over her with his purple gaze on her person. Her eyes narrowed back, realizing that Kagami had convinced him. With a chuckle under his breath, Kagami crossed his arms. "So what do you say?"

Murasakibara took one last glance over at the miko before turning his head to face Himuro. "Muro-chin, let's play. I want chibi-chin's mochi."

"You can forget having them if you keep calling me that-" Kagami quickly covered her lips before pulling her away from the male and sending her over to the phantom player. Kagome sighed as she lowered the strap of her bag into her palm. "These guys are asking for a beating I tell you."

"Well, we can at least try to please Kagami," chuckled Kiyoshi, patting the miko's head. "I know you don't like being used, but Kagami really just wants to go against Himuro."

"Trust me, he cares about Murasakibara-kun being one of the Generation of Miracles," she huffed, watching as Nigou wagged his tail with his eyes on her.

Kuroko blinked watching as Himuro and Murasakibara were handed blue shirts by the other team, seeing they had won the chance to have two great players for the street ball tournament. Hearing the miko sigh once more, Kuroko patted the girl's shoulder, catching her attention. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. Although he has eaten the mochi, I will wait for the next ones from you."

The miko blinked as her lips parted slightly at the phantom player's words. "Kuroko-kun…"

"Let the game begin!" shouted the referee, catching the players' attention.

Composing herself back, Kagome gently grabbed Nigou back in her hands after adjusting the strap of her bag onto her shoulder. "Well then…I wish you guys luck."

"Arigatou, Kagome-chan," smiled Kiyoshi coming to line up with the rest of his team.

Walking over to the sidelines of the court, Kagome blinked, watching as Murasakibara and Kagami stood in front of each other before the referee at the center of the court. _'That Bakagami is so going to get it after this! I tried keeping my pride and there he goes pushing it!'_

"Baka! Baka!" Kagami smirked as he continued off to push the tall male's buttons with his childish words.

'_Scratch that, he can look like an idiot himself,' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she saw Murasakibara follow along with the game play.

"I know you are, but what am I?" he glared back.

"What are they, little kids!?" exclaimed both Fukuda and Furihata.

"Kagami, that is enough," Kiyoshi extend his arm in front of the tiger, stopping him from getting any closer to the purple haired male. "Because of our positions, I am the one who will face off against him. You can't take them both on yourself." His eyes traveled over to Kagami's childhood friend. "You got him to worry about."

"Huh?" blinked Murasakibara, looking around the court. "Then that makes my opponent…"

"It's been a while," smiled the tall brunette. "I haven't seen you since middle school."

Tilting his head a bit upwards, Murasakibara's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

Kiyoshi sighed with a smile, seeing that the purple haired male was not going to try to remember. "Good grief. You don't remember me?"

"Did we play against each other in middle school? I forgot. I don't bother to remember weak players," he replied with a monotone.

'_Kiyoshi-senpai…has gone against him before?' _Kagome blinked before coming to see both Kagami and Murasakibara quickly jump up at the whistle before the tiger came to tip the ball off to his team. She could see the ball being passed from Furihata to Fukuda before coming towards the phantom player. Kuroko quickly passed it over to Kiyoshi, making the miko blink. _'That was an Ignite Pass…and Kiyoshi-senpai caught it? Sugoi…' _she was definitely seeing progress in each of the members.

Kiyoshi quickly dunked the ball in before landing before Murasakibara as he stood below the net. "Well," smiled the brunette, "I can't help it if you forgot about me. I'll make you remember who I am through basketball."

"No," chuckled Murasakibara, "that's enough. I remember you, Kiyoshi Teppei. I feel motivated now. It may have been better if I hadn't remembered."

Kagome blinked as she watched Murasakibara walking over to the forgotten ball. Feeling a light breeze beginning to come in, her attention was drawn upwards, seeing the grey clouds beginning to gather around. _'Eh…grey clouds? Is it going to rain?' _She was sure the sky had been clear and blue before. Where was this coming from? Even the weather report had zero mention of rain.

"Atsushi, could you wait a little longer to play?" spoke Himuro, catching the attention of the purple haired male. He quickly caught the ball into his hand, seeing the slight irritation in his friend's expression. "Since we are a pick-up team, let us clearly establish our roles. Atsushi, you're defense. I will be offense."

"Sure, got it," he waved, watching Himuro beginning to dribble the ball in place. "Just don't forget I want those mochi from chibi-chin."

"Hai, hai," chuckled Himuro, running down the court to meet the tiger.

The miko felt a shiver run up and down her spine the moment Murasakibara's eyes landed on her person. He was definitely talking about her. Her eyes quickly caught sight of Himuro closing in and jumping up to throw the ball into the hoop. Feeling her eyebrows furrow, she watched as the ball left his palm before looming over the tiger's form and easily making the shot into the basket. _'Wait…that shot was not…normal. What just happened?' _

"Furihata, don't just stand there!" shouted Kiyoshi, seeing that the rest of his team were awed by the sudden shot. "Restart!"

"Uh, h-hai!" Furihata quickly ran towards the ball before passing it over to Fukuda.

Kagome held Nigou close to her body as she felt the breeze hit her once again. The temperature around was clearly beginning to drop for the incoming winter, but as the clouds continued to darken, she was beginning to regret not bringing her umbrella. Her memory clicked back to Himuro's shot, something not setting into her the moment she eyed the ball leaving his hands. _'He transitioned from his setup to his shot so smoothly, it looked like he was in slow motion. It was clearly a…condensed practice shot.' _In a matter of seconds, the miko felt water drops gently coming down onto her skin, making her look up at the grey sky. _'Rain?'_

With the rain slowly picking up, Kuroko quickly made his way towards Fukuda as he noticed him dribbling the ball. "Fukuda-kun, give me the ball." In a quick pass, Kuroko pushed it towards the tiger, seeing him catch it effortlessly.

"Let's go, Murasakibara!" shouted Kagami, coming to stand before the tall male.

"You're smothering me," Murasakibara sighed, watching the tight glare that pressed into the tiger's eyes. "Don't be so zealous." Raising his hand upwards, a smirk decorated over the male's lips. "It makes me want to crush you."

Before Kagami could take his jump, Kagome felt the rain fall heavily on them. Nothing but cold water slapping against their skin as people around the court began to run for shelter. Seeing Kuroko's bag beside her, she quickly placed Nigou inside and zipped it up enough for his body to stay dry. Her eyes landed ahead, seeing everyone on the court freeze in their spots.

"We have an announcement to make. The game will be suspended. Players and referees, please return to the tents."

With the announcement made to everyone, Kagome sighed as she felt her hair flatten and stick to each other as she saw everyone around scurry their way for cover. _'I don't think this rain will lift any time soon…'_

Kagome placed her hands over her head, having it a hard time seeing through the court as the rain became heavier. If anything, she knew this rain was not good when the air was becoming colder. She only hoped that they would all be safe from sickness.

* * *

Riko blew into her whistle to gain her team's attention. At the end of her explaining the results to the Inter-High, she had let the second-years practice as they wanted, but she made sure that their bodies would not go overboard. As much as she liked to see them practice their hearts out for the sake of the team, she knew the body had a limit and it was her job to see that. "That's enough!" she shouted, watching as the team ran towards her.

Koganei took a step forward as sweat dripped from his forehead. "W-Why are we practicing normally!?"

"Huh?" she blinked, innocently giving a smile to the boys as her whistle dropped back down to hang from her neck. "I was watching you practice on your own, and…"

"Oh man! I am drenched in sweat!" he exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm going to go change."

Hyuga sighed, resting his hands on his hips. "We didn't get the day off at all."

"I told all you to go rest and decided to practice instead," glared Riko, coming to cross her arms. Shaking her head, she chuckled under her breath while watching the boys walking towards the exit. Riko took her cell phone out and began to look through her messages only to hear Hyuga's voice at the door.

"Huh? Nani!?"

"What are you doing here? What's wrong?!" exclaimed Koganei.

Riko's attention was drawn forward, blinking at the sight of the Tōō manager drenched from the cold rain as she stood with her head hung low. What was Momoi doing here? Coming forth, she could see Momoi slowly raising her head up before she spoke.

"Ano…is Tetsu-kun or Kagome-chan here?" she questioned in a whisper.

Hyuga blinked, unsure how to take in the scene or the appearance of a Tōō member before them. "No, not right now."

The males quickly rounded around each other before Koganei placed his palm to the side of his lips. "Eh? Nani? What is going on?" he whispered, seeing the pink haired manager drop her eyes once more to the floor.

"This seems serious…," blinked Shun.

Seirin's captain gulped as all eyes slowly descended down to the see through white uniform shirt of the girl. All of them knew that they should not be staring, but their eyes had a mind of their own. Heat seeped out onto their cheeks at the sight, seeing the shirt was close to revealing the underneath they waited for. Their heads were quickly greeted by Riko's fist as she stood behind them, watching as they groaned in pain. The nerve of these guys and their eyes.

Sending a smile to Momoi, Riko pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "Come with me. I will lend you a towel and a t-shirt. We can talk after that."

* * *

Grabbing the bags of her team, Kagome made her way towards the court, seeing Seirin and both of Yosen's players still standing without a word. "Oi, miina! It's not healthy to be staying out here!" She stopped in her run the moment Kuroko came forth and grabbed his bag with Nigou's head peeking out. "We should go find some shelter. This rain isn't going to pick up anytime soon. This tournament is going to be canceled. It's too dangerous to play basketball on a slippery court."

"Kagome-chan is right," sighed Kiyoshi, placing his hands over his hips. "Let's go everyone."

"Sorry, but we will have to settle this later," spoke Himuro, catching Kagami's attention as he held the ball between his hands.

Kagami blinked before coming to stand in front of Himuro, stopping him from walking away. "Wait, Tatsuya!"

"I want to keep playing, too, but your manager is right. The game will be called eventually because of the rain," Himuro sighed, taking a small glance over at the miko. "Besides, you wouldn't want your senpai to re-injure himself, would you?"

Kiyoshi's attention was quickly caught as he looked over his shoulder, seeing the small smile glued on Himuro's lips. Did he know about his injury? Or had he noticed?

With irritation leaking out, Kagami bounced the ball with frustration into the ground before coming to bounce back into Himuro's hands. "But I finally got to see you," smiled Himuro. "I'll leave you a gift. It's a technique you don't know about." Preparing his stance, Himuro held the ball between his hands. "Defend however you would like."

The miko and everyone around blinked at the sight before them. Kagome's eyes narrowed, coming to see Himuro jump off the ground as he prepared his aim. _'A jump shot? But Kagami-kun can easily block that with his own jumps-' _her eyes slowly widened the moment she caught the ball, what seemed like it went through Kagami's reaching hand, making it in the basket. _'W-What just happened? Kagami-kun's timing was perfect to block that simple jump shot! Unless…there was something more to that?'_

Himuro sent his childhood friend one last smile: "See you later. If we meet again-"

"It will be in winter," cut in Kagome, taking the two teens by surprise from her voice. "I know that both of you still need to settle this score. Next time, you can play these guys in their uniforms." She was not sure what it was, but the confidence on being with the team was slowly growing, but if anything, she was not going to let her team being talked nor looked down on. This team had already done so much for her in return. She was quickly met with a poke to her cheek, surprising her from the sudden action. Blinking, she trailed the arm upwards to meet a pair of familiar purple orbs before her tick made a return to her forehead. _'This guy…'_

"Nee~ chibi-chin, I want my mochi now," spoke Murasakibara, keeping his finger close to the girl's cheek.

With a low sigh, Kagome quickly dug her hand into her bag. She might as well give him what he wanted and get him walking away from her before he truly crushed her. She would get Kagami later for this. The miko quickly pushed the box of mochi into Murasakibara's hand, making him blink in return as the droplets of water rippled in sound as they hit the top.

"Eh~, chibi-chin isn't so mean."

"Look here, Murasakibara-kun, my name is Kagome, not chibi, you got it? And if that is your way of thanking me, then I will remind myself never to give you anything," Kagome released a low huff, crossing her arms after moving his finger away from her cheek.

She was sure she heard a small chuckle coming from the tall male in front of her before being startled slightly at feeling his hand laying over her head in a pat. "See you later, Gome-chin." Her eyebrow came back to a twitch, seeing this guy was definitely toying with her now.

"Please stop that, Murasakibara-kun," spoke Kuroko, seeing Murasakibara slowly raise his palm from the miko's head.

"Eh~ ah, gomen. Are you mad, Kuro-chin?" he questioned.

Brushing his small question away, Kuroko faced his former teammate. "Murasakibara-kun, do you still find basketball boring?"

Dropping his eyebrows to match his glare, Murasakibara replied without a second thought. "If you keep talking about that, I will even crush you, Kuro-chin. I don't know what it's like to have fun. It is not enough that I like winning and I'm good at it?" Walking forth behind his partner, Murasakibara waved them off as he held the box of mochi in his other hand. "Well, if you have anything to say, I'll hear it at the Winter Cup."

The miko's shoulders slumped as she felt her clothes beginning to stick to her skin. "Well, I hope all of you have a lot to say because I cannot stand people like him who pick on the weak." Shaking her head, she turned her attention over to her team. "Anyways, we should go find some shelter and dry off until this rain lifts up. I have a few towels in my bag that we can use."

Kiyoshi nodded as he grabbed his bag along with the others before walking in front of the group. "We should go catch the bus and dry off at the bus stop for now." Making their way through the heavy rain, the team quickly stopped under the shelter of the bus stop before Kagome quickly handed them a few towels to dry their hair.

Before coming to grab one of herself and Nigou, she heard the incoming sound of a message in her bag. Kagome dug out her phone and flipped it open to see that she had a pending message from the coach. "Huh? Riko-senpai?"

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kiyoshi, looking over his shoulder to see the miko in a squat to her bag.

"I just got a message from the coach telling us to come to school now…"

"Huh?" blinked Kagami, placing the towel over his head. "Right now?"

"It seems like it…," she whispered, continuing to look down at her screen. _'What is this about now?'_

* * *

"Well, I messaged Kagome-chan and the others, so they should be coming in." Riko closed her phone before turning her attention over her shoulder to the guys behind her. She sighed, watching as the second-years stood in silence after Riko had given Momoi one of her shirts to change into.

"What is going on?" questioned Hyuga, placing his fingers under his chin.

"Who knows…," sighed Koganei.

"Ano…"

Hearing the faint voice of the female manager behind the boys, all attention turned to the back, seeing her walk in wearing a pink t-shirt with a cute bear picture stretched from the size of her chest.

"Arigatou…for the shirt," she spoke softly, eyes dropped in worry. The blush quickly erupted onto their cheeks as they continued to stare at the bear laying across her chest, completely ignoring her words. "It's a little tight, though."

"T-The bear…the b-bear!" they whispered amongst each other, seeing it unbelievable that the bear could stretch that much on a shirt.

"Go run laps outside."

The boys quickly looked over their shoulders back to seeing the smile on Riko's face. Hyuga blinked as sweat from his worry began to drop down. "E-Eh?! B-But…it's raining…"

"Go do it," she glared, crossing her arms.

* * *

The miko sat on the subway train between Kuroko and Kagami as they traveled back to their school. After Riko's message, they knew the bus route would take too long and since it seemed important, they knew that the fastest way to get back was using the fastest transportation. Kagome sighed under her breath, watching as Nigou wagged his tail from inside Kuroko's bag as it laid on the floor.

Her memories clicked back to meeting between them and the two Yosen members. She never thought they would meet another member of the Generation of Miracles so out of the blue and one of Kagami's old childhood friends. Keeping her own bag on her lap, she looked ahead, seeing two kids playing on their portable game consoles. "Well…that was a pretty threatening greeting." Turning her attention to her left, she noticed the silent phantom player looking down at his bag. "Do you…and Murasakibara-kun not get along?"

"It's nothing like that," he replied, keeping his eyes down. "If anything, I like him. We just didn't get along as athletes. He does not like basketball. However, even though he didn't like it, he was extremely good at it. He can do it, even though he doesn't care. Despite his lack of interest, he became an overwhelmingly strong center. He believes it doesn't matter if he likes it as long as he is talented and hates players who like the game but aren't very good." Kuroko took a pause, seeing he had caught the rest of the team's attention on him.

Having arrived at their stop, the team walked out and hurried down the path towards the school before they would get drenched once more. Seeing their destination close, the team quickly ran to the shelter of the gym, coming to stand in front of the closed gym doors, but could clearly see that the lights inside were on.

"Well, it's true that you cannot win just because you love the game," Kagome shook her head as she tried to get the remaining water drops off her hair. "But you can work hard because you do, and when you win, you are happy from the bottom of your heart. I mean, I never took an interest in basketball nor knew anything about it really, but I…like basketball and Seirin because everyone loves it."

Kiyoshi sent her a smile, seeing that her own lips had curved into one. "And I am glad you are part of the team, Kagome-chan."

"Trust me, I wasn't good at archery before, but I had to work hard to get better and in the end, it was worth it…," the miko's eyes slowly dropped as she still held her smile. Memories of her last battle against Naraku flashed back in. _'Well worth it…'_

Kagami chuckled under his breath before coming to open the door to the gym. "Well, let's go inside before the coach chews our heads off…again."

Walking into the gym with their clothes still clinging to their skin, they blinked at the sight before them. Not only was a bear stretched out on the shirt, but the breasts behind them were definitely moving with each step the pink haired manager took towards them.

Kiyoshi took a step back the moment he laid his eyes on the bear. "T-The bear-!" He quickly bent down in pain the moment the miko stabbed her hand into her senpai's side, startling him. "K-Kagome-chan…?"

"Eyes, Kiyoshi-senpai. Eyes on the eyes,

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi exclaimed his name before coming to wrap her arms around the phantom player's neck.

"Momoi-san?" he blinked, confused and a bit shocked to find her at the Seirin gym. He was quickly thrown down onto the ground as Momoi buried her face into his chest with small sobs.

The miko blinked, hearing her light sobs continue on before coming to see Riko standing beside her. "What is going on?" she questioned, coming back to see Kuroko blinking, unsure what to do. "Is this why you called us?"

Riko sighed, crossing her arms: "it looks like something happened to her with Aomine-kun."

Kagome blinked back as she heard the name. Momoi and Aomine? Coming back to stare at the pink haired female, the miko's shoulder dropped slightly as she felt her aura waver slightly with anxiety. _'Momoi-san came because of…Aomine-kun?' _

Placing his hand gently on her shoulder, Kuroko leaned back to get a glimpse of the crying girl, seeing her eyes beginning to redden. "Momoi-san, please calm down."

"I'll go get her something to drink," Kagome blinked, noticing all eyes were still on her chest. Dropping her expression, she sighed at the simple minds these boys held. Boobs. Reminded her another male at that moment. Shaking her head, she walked out the gym and towards the vending machine.

* * *

Handing her a can of coffee, Kagome smiled as Momoi took it into her hands as she sat on the chair Kuroko had brought for her. "Here you go."

"Ah…arigatou," she smiled back, looking down at the drink on her lap.

It was definitely a surprise to find Momoi here of all places and in to sense such a strong distressed aura…something must have gone wrong. Kagome sighed, crossing her arms as she took a step back to stand beside the female coach. What happened to her and Aomine?

Kuroko blinked, noticing the worry filling in Momoi's eyes. "What happened, Momoi-san?"

Momoi tensed at the question as memories came to fill inside her head. "W-What should I do?" she questioned, feeling her hands shake against the can. "I think Dai-chan hates me."

"Huh?" the group blinked, confused from her sudden words.

"Dai-chan didn't participate in the semifinal or final of the Inter-High this year," she whispered, her eyes landing on the top of her drink.

"That sounds like him," spoke Hyuga, coming to grab one of the towels to wipe his sweat. "Why not, though?"

Momoi exhaled before lifting her eyes to the group. "Injuries. His elbow, mostly."

Kagome blinked as she was taken back by the news. Aomine was…injured? Looking down in thought, the miko rested her index finger and thumb on her chin. "Injuries huh? Did you see anything Riko-senpai?"

"I thought that might be it," she replied. "It must have happened in the quarterfinal game against Kise-kun and Kaijo, right?"

"That game took a toll on both Kise-kun and Aomine-kun, no doubt. But I am a bit surprised that Aomine-kun did not participate at least in the final," Kagome looked over at the pink haired manager, seeing her nod to her words.

"That's right. You two may be a B, but you girl are right," she smiled in return.

Riko quickly glared at the insult as she covered her chest with her arms. "What the hell do our boobs have to do with this?!"

The miko sighed, rolling her eyes as the image of Aomine came into her mind. "I guess when you spend time with a boob bastard like him, you become obsessed with them." Shaking her head, she turned her attention over at the phantom haired male, seeing him stand beside Momoi. "What are you thinking about, Kuroko-kun?"

Kuroko lowered his eyes to his feet before giving his answer. "If the five members of the Generation of Miracles have a weakness, it's their overabundance of talent. The Generation of Miracles possesses strength far greater than any high school student…"

"But because their bodies are not fully developed, their bodies cannot keep up with their talent," Kagome uncrossed her arms, coming to look at the Seirin team together. "If anything, they have not been able to perform to their actual limit. They have been restricting the use of their power during the games we have witnessed already. If they didn't…they would have ended up hurting themselves. They know this very well."

"They…haven't reached their limit?" Kagami's eyes widened slightly, surprised to hear that they still had some strength chained up inside. Just how much stronger could they get?

Momoi sighed, coming back to lower her head. "Dai-chan…was reckless when he faced Kise-kun. I asked the coach not to let him play. Aomine-kun was furious, but the coach forced him off the starting lineup halfway through the games. But he just found out about it…and he said he would go against Akashi-kun. He…go angry and told me not to worry." Her eyes began to water at the memory of his yell. About the whole argument. "He told me never to show my ugly face around him…," Momoi covered her face with her hands, letting the coffee can drop to her lap.

Kagome's eyes dropped worriedly as she placed her right hand on her hip. _'That baka. He may have an obsession with boobs, but he needs to learn how to treat a girl.' _That boy definitely needed a hit on the head for that insult on a girl. No girl deserved such a comment. Even she had received a handful of them back in the feudal era and she was glad she could purify them. Too bad she could not even do it to one person in this era.

"Wait a minute," cut in the tiger, catching everyone's attention. "Don't you like Kuroko? Who cares if Aomine doesn't like you?"

Lifting her head at the question, the droplets of water crawled to the corner of Momoi's eyes. "Y-Yes, but that's not the problem. It's different from how I like Tetsu-kun. I'm worried about him and I can't just leave him alone!" Letting the tears free, Momoi returned her hands to cover her eyes as she continued on her sobs.

Kagami quickly flinched as he heard the cries from the girl, raising his hands defensively in front of him. "Uh….g-gomen."

"Ah, you made her cry," spoke the males in the team, turning to the tiger.

"No, I-"

Kuroko released a sigh before turning his head to face the red head. "You lack delicacy."

"He and Aomine-kun lack everything when it comes to girls," Kagome slapped her hand over the back of his head, coming to walk towards the crying manager.

The tiger's eyebrow twitched in shock as he received all of the comment and hits from his team. _'K-Kuroko is lecturing me about girls and Kagome just paired me up with the bastard!?'_

Placing her hand over her head, Kagome smiled at Momoi as she saw her head lifting up to meet her blue orbs. "It's okay, Momoi-san. I don't know Aomine-kun very well and to be honest…I would say we don't get along very well, but I am sure he wouldn't hate you over that. I am sure he know you were just looking out for him. Sometimes we let out anger get the best of us and make us do and say things we would never mean to say." Chuckling under her breath, she lifted her hand from Momoi's head. "Just give him a good slap on the head and that would surely cool him down."

"Oi…isn't Kagome-chan a bit scary when it comes to Aomine?" whispered Koganei, shivering at the smile on the miko's lips.

Kuroko came forth, coming to stand next to the miko. "I can take you home, Momoi-san. Let's go back together. I am sure Aomine-kun will be looking for you."

"T-Tetsu-kun…Kagome-chan…," Momoi quickly lunged forward, coming to hug the two tightly.

Hyuga pointed his finger towards the trio as his eyes landed on the tiger. "Kagami that is how you do it."

"Uruse! I get it already!" he scoffed, looking away from the scene.

Coming free from the hug, Kagome composed herself before turning back to face the pink haired female. "Momoi-san…I do have a question though."

"Huh?"

"We know why Aomine-kun didn't play in the Inter-High, but do you know why the other two didn't?" ever since Murasakibara had announced his absence of the game, she had been wondering exactly why he was not placed on the last two games.

Momoi sighed before coming to grab the coffee drink into her hands. "This is only conjecture, so I can't say for certain, but…Mukkun…I mean, Murasakibara-kun only listens to Akashi-kun and doesn't want to play against him. I believe he sat out the Rakuzan versus Yosen game for that reason."

"What about Akashi?" questioned Kiyoshi, finding himself curious on the topic.

"He…is not interested in the championship."

The team was quickly taken back by her words, finding it confusing why he would even be playing if he was not interested.

"Not because he doesn't want to win, but because his victory is assured. After his team beat Tōō, he was asked if he couldn't have beaten us more easily if he had played. He said only one thing in reply. That it wouldn't have been interesting."

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she heard the last words pass Momoi's lips. Whoever this Akashi captain was…he was definitely full of confidence and for him to think victory is assured, that was quite frightening to think. The miko sighed as she came to cross her arms. _'Looks like even humans can be just as scary as demons.'_

* * *

"Then, I am going back with Momoi-san," spoke Kuroko, waving to his team as they stood outside the gym doors. The night around was definitely beginning to feel colder and the aftermath of the rain only made everyone shiver slightly as a breeze came through.

"Be careful on your way, Kuroko-kun. Momoi-san," Kagome smiled at the two before receiving a nod and watching them walk off.

"Oi, are you okay with this?" whispered Koganei, leaning close to the miko.

Kagome blinked with confusion, turning her head to the side to face the second-year. "Okay with what?"

"You know…," Koganei pointed at the two before the turned around the corner fo the school gates, "with those two leaving together?"

"Baka, stop speaking nonsense," Hyuga gave Koganei a light slap on the back of his head before he released anymore of his words that could give away their observations. Kagome blinked at the captain, wanting to ask what that was about only to be interrupted by her own soft sneeze. The captain sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well, that was quite a surprise."

Shun turned his head to the side, coming to face Hyuga. "Anyway, that conversation…," coming to remember the topic about Akashi and his win.

"Yeah…," sighed Hyuga, "the Generation of Miracles is full of monsters."

"More like demons…," whispered Kagome.

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he stood behind her and patter her head. "Well, more or less than that, Kagome-chan."

Releasing a light laugh of her own with the team, they were quickly startled at the sound of Kagome's sneeze. Riko blinked, turning to her side as she saw the miko shake her head lightly from the slight dizziness. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?"

"I hope so…," she replied back with a heavy sigh.

* * *

Momoi blinked as she walked beside the phantom player, noticing the orange ball in his hand while Nigou walked beside his feet. It had been a long time since the two have walked home and this was the first time she had seen him holding a ball on the streets. "You don't usually walk while playing with a ball."

"Oh, this?" he blinked, lowering his eyes to the ball. Spinning it on his index finger, Kuroko eyed the quick spins as he continued to walk ahead. "I am training for a new technique."

"New technique?"

"Yeah, I have been wanting to show it to Kagami-kun and Kagome-chan once it is perfected, but I haven't had someone to practice it on," Kuroko caught the ball into his palm before coming to see the public court to his left. "Oh, do you mind if we stop there?"

"Huh?" following him towards the empty court, Momoi stood a few feet away from the phantom player, watching him dribble the ball once before catching it into his hands again. "What is it?"

Kuroko sent her a small smile: "I want to show you my new technique. Like I said, I haven't perfected it yet and wanted to show Kagami-ku and Kagome-chan first, but you can use it to make up with Aomine-kun." Although he did want to wait to show his new technique, he was worried about his former teammate. If anything, it sounded like he was upset he was not allowed to participate. If this could help him get motivated, then he would show it sooner.

"W-What? But…"

"It's fine. I mean to use it, and I won't be able to hide it from him until the next time we play," coming back to dribble the ball in place, he narrowed his eyes. "Could you take a defensive stance?"

"H-Hai…," gulping down her nerves to the unknown, Momoi kept her gaze on the male across from her, making sure not to lose sight of him. Her eyes widened immediately as she felt him go through and pass her. She was sure she did not blink nor look away from his gaze. She had not moved but only him moving forward. It was almost as if…he had disappeared from her sights. _'What just…I have no idea what just happened. But…if he perfects this, no one would be able to stop him even if they knew. An…unstoppable drive!?'_

* * *

Looking at the clipboard in front of her, Riko dropped the whistle from her teeth as she scanned the content of her planned regimen. With only one week before the preliminaries, the nerves were definitely starting to pile up. A small sigh passed her lips as she stared at the boys continuing their pass and shot practices on the court.

After the whole ordeal with Momoi the night before and her explanation of the infamous former captain of the Generation of Miracles, she was sure the whole team was feeling tense that such a guy could feel confident on winning something ahead of time. _'He will definitely be trouble later on.' _She was at least the guys looked ready for a new day of practice right after classes.

Riko flipped the page upwards, looking at the paper below before hearing light steps coming into the gym. The coach looked to her left, seeing Fukuda's girlfriend and Kagome's friend, Ayumi, coming inside with a paper in hand.

"Huh?" Riko blinked as she lowered her arms to her side. "May I help you?"

"Ah, ano…," Ayumi lowered her eyes to the paper in front of her before extending her arms out to the coach. "Kagome-chan wanted me to give this to you."

Taking the paper into her hand, Riko flipped it and looked at the contents. "These are the final Winter Cup papers we needed from Kagome-chan. Why did you bring them?" she questioned, finding it weird that the miko had not given them personally. Now that she realized, the miko was nowhere around.

"Ayumi-chan?"

Ayumi turned her head to the left, seeing Fukuda running up to her with the ball in between his hands. "Fukuda-kun, practicing hard?"

Fukuda laughed nervously as he held the ball next to his hip. "Definitely. The Winter Cup preliminaries are in a week and we are getting every little bit of practice we can."

"We will be cheering Seirin all the way!" she smiled, watching as the rest of the team gathered around. It was not every day they would get visitors, besides the visit from the bear the night before.

"Where is Kagome-chan, then?" questioned Riko, lowering the paper from her eyes. "Is she here today?"

Ayumi sighed, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, she didn't come to school. We usually walk together and today when I went to her house, her mother told me she had gotten a cold."

"A cold?" blinked Hyuga.

"It must have been from the rain yesterday," Kiyoshi frowned, beginning to feel bad that they had kept the girl out in the rain with no dry clothes around.

Kagome's friend chuckled under her breath as she waved her hand up and down. "Don't worry, miina. It is normal for her to get sick. On our last year in middle school, she would get sick every week and she has had so many diseases and illnesses that some even I can't pronounce."

"Huh?" the team blinked, having remembered back to the okonomiyaki restaurant and Kagome's friend mentioning of her frequent misses at school. They never thought it was real…

"Good thing it is just a cold this time," sighed Ayumi. "Who knows what else she could have gotten!"

Riko sighed, coming back to stare at the paper already signed by the miko. "Why didn't she send me a message?"

"I am sure she didn't want us to worry," spoke Kagami, coming to spin the ball on his finger. "It looks like she isn't the type to tell others about her worries."

Ayumi clapped her hands together, making the team jolt as her eyes began to sparkle. "Why don't all of you go visit her? I am sure she would like the company! She really doesn't get much visitors at her home."

Kuroko blinked, unsure what she meant by those words. "Where does she live?" he figured that if she was sick, the best thing to do was to go see how she was doing. It was the least they could do with everything she had been doing for the team up until now.

"Huh? She…never told you?" blinked Ayumi, tilting her head to the side.

* * *

Frowning at the screen before him, the blonde model raised his phone higher into the air, hoping that the signal was just being a poop to him and that the miko had actually replied to him. All day he waited for her reply and in the end he received- "Nothing…Kagomecchi! Where are you!?" he whined, quickly falling onto the floor the moment Kasamatsu's quick came his way.

"Baka! What the hell are you doing with your phone out during practice!?" he shouted, watching as the Kaijo ace rubbed the side of his ribs.

"Itai, senpai…"

"Get your ass up and get to practice," he glared, holding the ball to his hip. The captain retreated back the moment Kise raised his phone to his face.

"But senpai! Kagomecchi isn't answering my text messages! I have been wanting to take her on a date to thank her for her words the other day, but she won't reply!" Kise sighed as his shoulders slumped. "I can't concentrate. What if Kagomecchi is mad at me? What if she is ignoring my texts? What if she deleted my number-!?"

Kasamatsu's eyebrow twitched with every word that escaped the blonde's lips before coming to slap the back of his head. "Uruse, baka! Not everyone has the free time to be texting all day, which you shouldn't be right now!"

The blonde player sighed once more, looking over at his phone. "I wonder if she is okay…"

"I am sure she is," sighed Kasamatsu, turning back around to walk towards the court. "She isn't weak, baka."

Kise's lips quickly curved into a smile: "Why don't we go and visit her at Seirin?"

"Go back to practice, Kise!" he shouted, already feeling the vein on his forehead throbbing from Kise's pushing to go see the girl.

"Come on, senpai! She encouraged us before our game against Tōō…we should at least thank her," Kise smirked, seeing the small heat rising on the captain's cheeks before he turned his head around to hide it.

Kasamatsu groaned before beginning to dribble the ball on the court. "Whatever. Just get back to practice or I will hit you again!"

"Whatever you say, Kasamatsu-senpai!" he smiled as he put his phone back into his sports bag. At least he was going to see his beloved Kagome before the preliminaries started. That should give them some motivation back into the games.

* * *

"W-What the hell are you two doing here!?" shouted Kagami, pointing his finger towards the two Kaijo members standing near the Seirin gate. One thing was seeing Kise at the court, but to see him again at their school was already pushing it. After Ayumi had seen their confused faces, all she had done was giggle and say they should see for themselves where Kagome lives.

They were aware that it was a shrine, but what was so funny about it? Ayumi had even left with encouraging words.

'_I am sure all of you will handle it.'_

What was that supposed to mean?! Kagami's eyes narrowed as he saw Kise beginning to wave his hand to them as they had stayed frozen in their spots. Obviously they were not expecting this surprise visit so soon from Kaijo.

"Kurokocchi!" smiled Kise, watching as the Seirin team finally walked towards them. "How are you, Kurokocchi?"

The phantom player blinked, holding onto the strap of his bag as he felt Nigou's head peak out. "Kise-kun, what are you doing here?"

Kise frowned, seeing that he was not going to get a warm welcome like he expected. "Hidoi! That isn't how you greet someone, Kurokocchi!"

Kasamatsu sighed behind the blonde before he walked around and faced the team. "This baka wanted to come and see Higurashi-san."

"Kagome-chan?" blinked Riko, seeing the smile quickly being brought back onto the blonde's lips. Just how much energy did this guy have?

The blonde quickly looked left and right and over the team's shoulder to see any sign of his kawaii miko. His smile slowly fell apart with the sight of the girl not coming through. "Where is Kagomecchi?"

"Kagome-chan is sick," answered Kuroko, quickly receiving a glare from the tiger beside him.

"Oi! Kuroko! Don't be telling him that!"

"Eh!?" exclaimed Kise, eyes stretching with the news. "My Kagomecchi is sick!?"

"She isn't yours, bastard!" glared the tiger, coming to face the blonde eye-to-eye.

Seeing the two idiots in their argument, the Kaijo captain sighed before turning his attention to the rest of the team. "Higurashi-san is sick? That is surprising. Winter has not even arrived." He blinked, watching as Hyuga released a sigh.

"We were surprised ourselves. She caught the heavy rain yesterday and caught a cold," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "But we are guessing she has been stressing a lot with the upcoming preliminaries."

"Don't blame her," exhaled Riko, crossing her arms. "We all have been getting surprises here and there."

Kiyoshi sent the two Kaijo members a smile before speaking. "We were actually going to go visit her to see how she was doing. You two are welcome to come."

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Hyuga, hearing him chuckle. This guy was planning something and for once, he actually knew what.

"S-Senpai!" Kagami's eyes widened. Why the heck should those two join them? They were from Kaijo for peak's sake!

Riko sighed, waving her hand up and down on the boys. "Mah, mah, calm down already. Kagome-chan said so herself. Outside the court we should get along…to some extent. Besides, we are going to see Kagome-chan. If you guys want to go then you can follow, but if arguing is what you are going to do, then be my guest and stay here." Walking past the males, she could hear her team following behind, leaving Kagami and Kuroko staring at the two Kaijo members.

Kise quickly turned his attention over to his captain. "Kasamatsu-senpai, we should go and see if Kagomecchi is okay."

"I am not going to be dragged that far," he glared, crossing his arms.

"But we should at least see her and thank her, senpai!" Kise grabbed onto his captain's grey uniform sleeve, seeing the eyebrow twitch on his captain. "Onegai~?"

The Kaijo captain sighed, seeing it only right that he should check on the girl and thank her for the other day on the match against Tōō. Kasamatsu closed his eyes before rubbing his temple. "Fine, but we are leaving right after."

Kise quickly gave the tiger a blink before coming to follow his captain and the Seirin team around the gate. Kagami raised his fist as it shook with the intention to hit the annoying blonde. "Teme…!"

Kuroko blinked as his eyes landed on the charm hanging from Kasamatsu's bag, seeing the pink sphere hanging at the bottom. Where had he seen that before? Did Kagome not have one of those on her bag?

* * *

Coming into the dark gym with the only light illuminating from the windows above, pink orbs scanned the area inside. Making slow steps inside, her view landed onto the stage, seeing her childhood friend laying on his back. Momoi's shoulders slumped at the view, finding it almost hurting to see him in such a manner. No surprise that he was sleeping here with no practice being performed today. After having witnessed Kuroko's new move, she was beginning to worry for Tōō and she knew she would need to tell Aomine about it if he planned to win.

Momoi sighed under her breath, seeing nothing but the tan male's chest heave up and down slowly. Was he asleep? "Dai…chan?" she whispered, hoping to hear some kind of reply.

Nothing.

The pink haired female dropped her eyes down to the wooden court underneath her feet. "Dai-chan, I saw Tetsu-kun yesterday and his team…he…showed me his new move."

No reply.

Raising her eyes again, she saw him move his arm slightly. "Dai-chan, hear me out. Tetsu-kun's move could be a problem at the Winter Cup if we don't prepare for it. Dai-chan-"

"Satsuki…you are being loud."

The female manager sighed, seeing that only getting angry at him would get her nowhere. She shook her head, before resting her hands on her hips. "Dai-chan, listen…what I witnessed yesterday could be a threat to our team if we go against Seirin. You need to hear me out."

Before she could hear any type of reply from the Tōō ace, her attention was drawn towards the gym doors as she heard a familiar incoming voice. Momoi blinked, seeing Hojo walking in with a basket of his remedies as he ended the call. "Hojo-kun?"

Looking ahead, Hojo blinked before coming to send her a smile. "Ah, Momoi-san. What are you…," his words trailed off, noticing Aomine laying under the shadow of the stage, "two doing here?"

Momoi chuckled softly under her breath, not wanting for anyone to know of the slight broken relationship between her and her childhood friend. "I…was just checking on Dai-chan. What are you doing here, Hojo-kun?"

"Oh, I came to get one of the remedies I left at the storage room," he smiled, showing her one of the dried newts. "I got a call from a middle school friend who attends Seirin High and I was asking if they knew Higurashi-san's number so I could thank her for the other day, but they told me that she was sick today."

"Sick?" blinked Momoi. She looked better than okay the night before…

"She would always get sick last year and I would bring her remedies just to see how she was doing." Hojo smiled at the basket in his arms. "I thought this could be my way of thanking her knowing how hard it was for her to help us after their loss."

Momoi looked over her shoulder, seeing no reaction from the ace. An idea stuck her as she looked back at the basket in Hojo's hands. With a small smile, she turned to face Aomine. "Dai-chan, why don't you take the basket to Kagome-chan?" She needed Aomine's spirits to comeback even if just a little. It seemed to work when Kagome was around. "Dai-chan? Go see how she is doing."

Aomine grunted under his breath before turning his head slightly with one open eye. "Why should I?"

"Because she is sick, Dai-chan! The best thing to do is to see how a sick person is doing!" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"I can take it…," whispered Hojo. "I mean her shrine isn't far from here."

"Shrine?" repeated Aomine, having his interest peaked. The neko lived at a shrine? Coming to standon his feet, he jumped down from the stage and yawned his way towards the assistant manager. "What shrine?"

"Huh?" blinked Hojo.

* * *

Easily everyone could feel the twitching irritation coming from the tiger behind them as the team and Kasamatsu walked forward. If anything, Kise was only adding to it every time he mention either the miko's name or his with the '-cchi' at the end.

"I still don't see why you are coming," grumbled Kagami, placing his hands inside his pockets. "Kagome doesn't need loud people like you when she is sick."

"Neither does she need grumpy tigers," smirked Kise as he held his school bag over his shoulder.

Kuroko walked between the two, having his eyes ahead on the road. "Both of you should stop fighting or the coach will hit you."

"You deal with him like this?" whispered Koganei, seeing the small twitch of Kasamatsu's eyebrow.

"Everyday…," he sighed.

Blinking at the sight before her, Riko stopped in her tracks, catching everyone to halt behind her. Hyuga raised an eyebrow, seeing her look ahead and still as a rock. "Huh? Riko? What's wrong?"

She thought she was seeing things, but that green hair was no doubt the one person they knew so well. Of all places, they were coming across him now? It was bad enough with Kagami behind Kise's tail about coming over to Kagome's home. The corner of her lip twitched as she saw the green haired male's friend walking behind him with his voice reaching the team's ears.

With all eyes traveling forward, they could not help but blink at the sight of the two familiar basketball players across. If anything, they were questioning the item on the shooting guard's left hand. Was that a daruma? Kise leaned to the side, getting a glimpse of his former teammate. A smile spread onto his lips as his hand gave a wave. "Midorimacchi!"

Feeling his ear twitch at the name, he refused to look back, afraid his nightmare would come true and find himself staring at the annoying blonde. Someone he did not want to see. Takao blinked coming to turn his head over his shoulder and noticed the Seirin team with Kise and his captain standing a few feet away.

"Eh~, Shin-chan, look!" he chuckled, tugging on his sleeve.

"Don't want to," he replied with closed eyes. "I have no time for idiotic people, nanodayo."

Takao's chuckle came out once more. "Oh, well you better extra time because you will be surprised. Look."

"Midorimacchi! Over here!" shouted Kise, walking towards the green haired male with the rest of the team behind him. "Eh? Are you mad, Midorimacchi?"

"What are you doing here, Kise?" glared Midorima, finally turning around with his lucky item in hand. His eyes slightly widened at the sight before him. His nightmare had become a disaster. There was a group of idiots around him now. "What are all of your doing here?" he glared.

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed, taking in the slight venom in Midorima's tone. "We could be asking you the same thing."

"That is none of your concern," he replied back, matching his glare with the tiger's.

Covering his mouth with his hand, Takao rested his other on his hip. "Mah, don't be such a tsundere, Shin-chan. Just tell them you were looking for a green daruma."

"Green?" blinked Hyuga, looking down to Midorima's left hand seeing the object. That was first. He had never seen one in such a color.

"Uruse, Takao. Stop telling others what isn't their business," he glared, coming to adjust his glasses.

With one last giggle, Takao blinked, seeing the phantom player standing before him. Jumping back, he placed his hand over his racing heart. "Oi! Don't just appear out of nowhere!"

"I was here the whole time," he replied back, hearing Nigou give a bark in response.

Takao's eyes lowered to the dog resting inside the bag before giving a silent blink. Although it was great to see Midorima annoyed with everyone showing up at the same time out of the blue, he had to admit that he was confused as to why two Kaijo members were with Seirin. He blinked again as he scanned the group. There was one person missing. "Huh? Where is Kagome-chan? She is the only one who can make Shin-chan get flustered."

"Uruse, Takao!" exclaimed Midorima, coming to change his glare towards his teammate.

"Unfortunately, Kagome-chan has caught a cold," replied Riko, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Kise-kun and his captain decided to join us to go visit her at her shrine."

"Shrine?" blinked Takao, quickly turning his head to the green haired male. "Oi, Shin-chan! Did you hear that? Kagome-chan lives on a shrine! We should go visit her and see if there is anything that can help you with your luck!"

Pushing his glasses in, Midorima turned his back to the group. "I will not be going and especially not to that girl."

"Ah, come on, Midorimacchi!" Kise wrapped his arm around his shoulders, smirking at the sight of Midorima's tense shoulders and scowl. "Kagomecchi is sick. I am sure you are worried about her now."

"Why would I worry about that stupid girl?" he glared, moving away from Kise's arm.

Kuroko took a step forward, catching Midorima's attention. "I am sure she would appreciate the company and see that you worried."

Releasing a light laugh, Takao joined his teammate beside him before nudging him on his side with his elbow. "Come on, Shin-chan, aren't you at least curious what kind of shrine Kagome-chan lives in? I know I am."

"Oi! Kuroko!" shouted Kagami, turning his head to face the phantom player. What the hell was he thinking on inviting every person they came across!? He could barely deal with Kise and having Midorima would only push his buttons further! What was next? Coming across Aomine? To hell with that! "Don't be inviting people to Kagome's home just like that!"

"Why not?" blinked Kiyoshi. "The more the merrier, right? I am sure her family wouldn't mind. And besides, her friend at the gym said so herself. It didn't sound like the amount of people would be a problem."

Koganei blinked at his watch, seeing it was close to five and they had not even moved an inch from their spots. "Ano…shouldn't we get going if we want to see Kagome-chan? I wouldn't want to stay there so late and make Kagome-chan sleep in so late."

"He's right," smiled Riko, turning her attention to the green haired miracle and his teammate. "It is your decision if you want to come. We aren't forcing you."

"Oh, I am forcing him," smirked Takao, grabbing Midorima by his arm. "He doesn't like to admit many things, but I can tell he is worried about Kagome-chan, right, Shin-chan?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed, seeing he was receiving a bunch of stares from the group and even his own teammate now. Closing his eyesight, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Do what you like, nanodayo."

"That is the closest thing to a yes I will ever get," laughed Takao.

* * *

Eyes widened as they trailed the path of stairs leading upwards. Was this really where Kagome lived? Koganei gulped as he stood beside Mitobe and quickly shook his head. "Does Kagome-chan really live up there? I can see where Ayumi-chan sent her encouragement…"

"Oh come, these stairs are easy for us to take," smiled Kiyoshi coming to take one step upwards.

"Chotto matte!" shouted Riko, blowing on her whistle. This was just too good to pass on for her team. Her grin spread, making the Seirin team shiver. They could already guess where this was going. "Run to the top."

"Eh!?" they exclaimed together, wanting to join Kaijo's and Shutoku's side for the time being. The coach wanted them to run up the long flight of stairs!? Was she crazy? They just had practice! All eyes landed back up to the top, seeing no sign of the house nor the shrine just yet.

Kuroko blinked as he held the strap of his bag. Feeling Nigou shift slightly inside, he lowered his eyes to see his head coming out once again. He could only guess Nigou was happy to come and see Kagome after a whole day of not hearing about her. He was sure that he was not the only one worried about Kagome's health. Looking back up at the stairs, he could feel the gloom coming down on his teammates.

"I didn't sign up for this…," whispered Kagami with a sigh.

With another blow of her whistle, Riko pointed her finger upwards. With no hesitation, knowing they would get a scolding, Seirin rushed up the stairs, leaving the coach with the other two teams below. Kise blinked with a sweat drop partnering up. "…they ran."

"They have to," she chuckled, giving them an innocent smile, "or I will make them do it double time." Riko took her skips upwards as she noticed her team almost reaching the top. Upon seeing the stairs, her eyes shined at the chance. It was only natural for her to take it. Coming to the top, she blinked, seeing the team bracing themselves with their hands on their knees while others were literally on their knees to catch their breaths. _'Guess we should come to Kagome-chan's home more often.' _

"How on earth does Kagome-chan come home to this every day!?" Hyuga inhaled for some oxygen before letting it out heavily.

Kiyoshi chuckled before coming to scratch the back of his neck. "Guess Kagome-chan is fit if she takes these every day."

Reaching the top, both Kaijo and Shutoku blinked at their surroundings. They were not expecting such a large land for a home and shrine, but what truly surprised them was the tall tree to their left. Kise blinked again as he held his school bag. "Eh~ Kagomecchi literally lives in the past."

"It looks old," commented Takao, looking at the shrine ahead.

The sound of bouncing ball caught their attentions to the corner of the house. Blinking in unison, they noticed a kid with black hair dribbling the ball before shooting it up to the installed hoop on the house. The young boy clicked his tongue the moment the shot was missed and had him running for the rolling ball towards the stairs.

Grabbing the ball into his hands from the ground, Kuroko watched as the small boy came forth and blinked himself. "Here," spoke Kuroko, handing the young boy his ball back.

"Arigatou…," he replied, scanning the big group before him. Where had all these people come from? Or what business did they have at the shrine? His eyes landed on the female coach, seeing the familiar uniform. "Eh? Isn't that Seirin's uniform?"

"Huh?" Riko looked down to her attire, seeing him pointing at the clothing. "Uh…hai."

"Are you onee-san's classmates?" he questioned leaning close to the Seirin team.

"Onee…san?" Hyuga blinked behind his glasses. Was Kagome a sister? She never mentioned anything of the sort. Then again…they never asked themselves to know about her. "Are you Kagome-chan's brother?"

"Yup," he smiled, continuing to hold the ball between his hands. "My name is Souta!"

"Souta-kun, is your sister home?" smiled Kise, coming around to greet the younger boy.

Souta's eyes shined at the sight of the famous model before him. Was this a dream? He and his friends always read the sports magazines and there was no doubt that this was none other than one of the infamous Generation of Miracles. "Are you Kise Ryouta!?" he exclaimed. "One of the Generation of Miracles!?"

Kise chuckled under his breath before coming to send the boy a smirk. "The one and only-"

"Baka! Stop acting all high and mighty!" shouted Kasamatsu, slapping him on the back of his head. "You have enough fans already!"

"But senpai…I cannot ignore a kid's love for me," he frowned as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sugoi…onee-san never mentioned about knowing the Generation of Miracles," Souta blinked before coming to stare at the ball in his hands. "All she said was that she had joined the basketball club as their manager." He huffed with a mild glare. "Onee-san always get all the fun…"

Coming down to a squat, Kiyoshi met Souta eye-to-eye before sending him a smile. "Is your sister sick? We came to see how she was doing."

"Souta? Could you help me with- ah…what is this? Visitors?"

Turning their attentions ahead to the door of the miko's home, they came to see an older woman with similar looks to Kagome. They blinked once again as they saw her smile. Was this her mother? It had to be, right?

"My, I had no idea we would have visitors today at the shrine," smiled Kagome's mother. "Are all of you here to see the shrine?"

Hyuga sent the older female a small bow of his head as he came forth. "Ah, sumimasen for the unexpected visit, but we are Kagome-chan's friends. We heard from her friend she caught a cold and we came to see how she was doing."

"Kagome's friends?" she blinked. The slight surprise on the woman's face did not go unnoticed by the teams behind. Was it abnormal to have people over? "Oh, that warms my heart to hear Kagome has such kind people to look after her. Please come inside and make yourselves at home. The weather outside is getting chillier and I wouldn't want all of you getting sick. Come inside, I will make some tea."

"Come on, Shin-chan," smiled Takao, grabbing his teammate's wrist. "You like tea, right?"

"I said I would only come to the shrine," he glared back. "I didn't agree into coming into the house."

Souta blinked, noticing the item on Midorima's hand as they walked closer to their home. His eyes traveled upwards to observe his features. "Ah, aren't you one of the Generation of Miracles too?" Just how many did his sister know? "Ah! Midorima Shintaro! My friends and I can never make a three-pointer shot, could you teach me?"

"It isn't about teaching," he answered, adjusting his glasses with his hand.

"Don't act like you don't practice," glared Kagami, coming to walk beside him. "The kid is asking you to teach him. Don't reject him."

"I don't teach anyone."

"If you ask Kagome-chan to convince Midorima-kun, he will teach you," cut in Kuroko, placing his hand over Souta's head.

"Ku-ro-ko," the tick on Midorima's forehead throbbed as he saw the phantom player walk away with Nigou in his arms.

Souta stopped in his steps as Kagome's friends walked inside the house. He blinked while his hand reached for the top his head. Where had…he come from? He had not even noticed him. Just how many weird people did Kagome know?

* * *

"Here you go."

Turning his head to Kagome's mother, Kiyoshi grabbed the handed cup of tea into his larger hands. "Arigatou." He sent her a smile before coming to turn his attention at the crowded living room. He sat crossed-legged near the coffee table with Hyuga, the two Kaijo members, and Tsuchida while the others found their seats on the couches and nearby chairs Kagome's mother had brought in.

"You have a lovely home, Higurashi-san," smiled Riko, placing her cup of tea down to her lap.

"Oh, arigatou," she smiled back, placing the tray down to her side. "Well, I am certainly surprised to have visitors from Kagome's school. She rarely brings people over."

"Really?" questioned Takao, coming to grab one of the green tea cookies on the table. "Kagome-chan looks like to be the person to invite people over."

Kagome's mother released a soft chuckle as she shook her head. "Oh no. That girl never brings friends over. She rather hang outside the shrine." She knew the reasons and supported her daughter in whatever decision she made. But when Kagome had announced to her that she had joined a club at school, she knew that this is what her daughter needed after coming back from her long travels. Staying in the shrine all day would only depress her further into missing her old friends she could never see again.

"Only her friend Ayumi comes here," added Souta as he munched on a cookie. "But this is so cool! Onee-san knows famous people, okaa-san! These two are part of the Generation of Miracles!"

"Generation of Miracles?" repeated Kagome's mother, trying to find a source in her memory. "Ah, is that the group of young boys you told me about, Souta?"

"Yeah! Their basketball skills are off the chart! Oh! Does onee-san know Aomine Daiki?! I would really like to learn his style!" he smiled before finding Kagami's, Kise's, and Midorima's eyebrow twitching at the mention of the name. Looked like Aomine overshadowed them easily.

"Knows him?" laughed Takao. "Your sister has even spoken and even went against him!"

Souta blinked before coming to grab his cup of tea. "Sounds like her….she never really lets anyone push her."

"And the other day she met Muraskibara-kun," commented Kuroko, catching everyone's attention to him.

"She met him!?" exclaimed Kise, lowering his cup from his lips. "He didn't crush her right!?"

"The opposite actually," chuckled Kiyoshi, placing his cup of tea on the coffee table. "She handled him pretty well. She wasn't even intimidated with his height."

Hearing a light scoff coming from Souta, all eyes landed on him eating another cookie. "Onee-san doesn't get scared easily anymore."

"How is her cold?" questioned Riko, coming to turn her attention over to the older woman. "We hope it isn't bad."

"Oh, don't worry," she smiled at the female coach. "She should be up and healthy in less than three days. She has a strong immune system."

Strong immune system? That did not make sense to anyone after hearing from Kagome's friend that she continuously got sick on her last year of middle school. Was she sick…or was she not? Before anyone could question the curiosity that was brewing, they were startled by another voice.

"W-What is this?! A reunion?!"

All eyes glided to the entrance of the living room to see a male elder wearing a blue and white hakama with his hands behind his back. Kagome's mother smiled at the elder as she chuckled. "Ah, otou-san, these are Kagome's friends. They came to see how she was doing."

"Kagome…brought friends?" blinked the older male.

"This is our grandfather," smiled Souta, seeing the teams were still confused on his identity.

Kagome's grandfather was startled lightly at the sudden bark beside his feet. Looking down, he blinked at the sight of the black and white dog. "Inu?" he whispered, seeing Nigou beginning to wag his tail with his tongue out.

"Ah, gomen. Nigou likes to meet new people."

Eyes traveled upwards to the pair of arms coming to grab the dog before Kagome's grandfather released a scream from Kuroko's sudden appearance before him.

* * *

The miko slowly sat up from her bed as she felt the covers slide down her form. Releasing a heavy sigh, Kagome's hand came to her forehead. Was she dreaming? She was sure she had heard a scream from somewhere. Her eyes landed to the mirror across her room, seeing her reflection of her messy hair. "Ugh…being sick is not fun."

"_Otou-san! Chotto!" _

"_Jiji!" _

Kagome blinked as her eyes landed towards her closed door. No doubt that was her mother and brother calling out to her grandfather. Her eyes scrunched the moment she heard laughter and other voices below. Who was here? Coming to a stand, the miko fixed her hair and put on her slippers before coming to open the door and hearing the sound only increase in volume.

'_What the heck is going on?' _she questioned herself, making her way down the stairs. She could feel a bunch of auras mixed together, but her sickness just would not let her tell who they were. Taking the last step down, her eyes widened from the surprise. Not only was Kuroko and everyone else there in her living room, but her own grandfather was placing talismans on the phantom player one after another.

"Be gone, spirit!" he shouted, coming to place another on Kuroko's head.

"Oi! Ojii-san!" Kagome quickly made her way through and grabbed the talisman out of her grandfather's hand before it laid onto Kuroko's head. "W-What are you doing?!"

"He appeared out of nowhere, Kagome! He must be a spirit!" he defended back, watching as Kuroko stood still behind the miko. "Why isn't he gone yet!? My talisman should have worked!"

"That is because he is human!" she sighed, shaking her head. Of all things to wake up to. Kagome looked to her left, watching as Takao, Shun, and Kise held their laughs in behind their covered mouths as the others were simply blinking with utter shock. She was shocked herself! What the heck were they all doing here at her home!? "Oi! What are all of you doing here!?"

"We…heard you caught a cold from Ayumi-chan and we thought we should come and see how you were doing," smile Riko, seeing that it was true Kagome really never got visitors.

The miko's eyebrow twitched as an image of a grinning Ayumi came into mind. _'S-She told them where I live!?'_

"Kagomecchi!"

Kagome felt her body shiver from the familiar nickname and looked to the other side of the living room to see Kise setting his cup down on the table before standing up. "K-Kise-kun?" her eyes landed on the Kaijo captain and the two Shutoku members. "W-Wait! What are all four of you doing here!?"

"You wouldn't answer my messages, Kagomecchi. So I became worried and decided to visit you," Kise gave her a grin as he stood in front of the miko.

"I am sick, baka! I am not going to check my phone!" she quickly placed her hand on her forehead as she felt the dizziness come from her yell. "Ugh…"

"Kagome, go lay back in bed," Kagome's mother came around and placed her hand on the miko's shoulder. "I am sure all of your friends fit inside your room."

Takao quickly came onto his feet: "Kagome-chan, let's take you to your room! I am quite curious on how it looks like!"

The miko groaned under her breath before feeling a pair of hands coming onto her shoulders. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Riko beginning to push her up the stairs. "R-Riko-senpai?"

"Come on. We need you resting, Kagome-chan. The Winter Cup preliminaries start in a week and we need you fully rested," Riko gave the miko a grin, seeing her eyes drop.

"You just want me healthy for the games…"

"No, I am also worried about your health overall," Riko looked over her shoulder, seeing the boys coming to follow her up the stairs. "See, even the guys are worried about you. So go back to bed and we will keep you company."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she heard the multiple steps and voices coming from behind. She was not sure what was getting her irritated. Her cold or that everyone was actually going to her room. Her small room. "I didn't say you guys come in!"

* * *

Coming to sit on her bed, the miko watched with narrowed eyes as everyone settled inside her room. She was surprised that they were able to find a comfortable spot to sit. She could see a few of them leaning against the wall and others either on her floor or her bed. A low sigh escaped her lips, seeing no way of getting some rest for the day.

"Oi! Kise! Move out of my way!" Kagami exclaimed, seeing the blonde coming to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Eh~ but I want to sit next to Kagomecchi!" he pouted before turning his head to face the miko. "Nee, Kagomecchi! You want me here, huh?"

"I really would like some sleep…," she whispered, dropping her head down.

Coming forth, Kuroko blinked and placed his hand over the miko's forehead. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?

"Huh?" raising her head, Kagome's eyes widened slightly at the sight. Her grandfather's talismans were still on him? "K-Kuroko-kun, you didn't take them off?" her arm extended forward until her hand came to his hair and began to take them off from his person. "Geez, why didn't you just tell my ojii-san that you weren't a ghost? Gomen…I should have gotten there before he did this." It was not like she knew she would get a surprise visit from her friends like this and neither did she think that her grandfather would think Kuroko was a spirit of some sort. She was beginning to think her cold was giving her hallucinations of seeing Seirin, Shutoku, and Kaijo under the same roof - her roof.

"Huh?" Shun blinked as he looked at the bookshelf behind him. His eyes landed on the many picture frames she held until one particular one with a pink sphere right in front of it. From what he could see, it looked like some friends of hers with costumes on. Weird costumes. "Kagome-chan? Are you in cosplay?"

"Cosplay?" she questioned blinking her eyes towards the eagle eye master. She noticed his finger pointing to the picture frame his eyes were set on. The miko's shoulders slumped upon seeing the only image she was able to take of her feudal friends. Her lips curved slowly into a small smile at the memory of having introduced the camera to them and showing them how it worked. The only picture to keep her remembering that her travels were not a dream. That her last year was spent five-hundred years in the past. "Ah…I guess you could say that," she chuckled, watching as Riko came to grab the picture into her hands.

"They look older than you, Kagome-chan," she blinked, seeing the weird looking ears on top of the silver haired male. Her eyes traveled to the brunette female holding a life-sized boomerang and a male with black hair wearing traditional monk clothing. "Are these your friends?"

Kagome nodded slowly before coming to look down at her lap. "Yeah. Old…friends of mine."

All eyes landed towards the miko, seeing her smile being sent downwards. Kuroko stood still beside her before coming to look out the window and having the view of the tall tree as the last few leaves were coming down to welcome the winter.

"Hm? Is this…the Shikon no Tama you spoke about?" questioned Kasamatsu, seeing the pink jewel on the bookshelf where the picture frame had been. He knew it looked familiar, but this one was…much bigger than the keychain she had given him.

Kagami's eyebrow crooked at the word. "Shikon no…what?"

"Shikon no Tama," corrected the miko. "My grandfather has an old tale about the jewel having the power to grant wishes to anyone who possesses it." The smile made a return to her lips. _'Of course…that is just another replica of the actual size. The real Shikon no Tama…was erased from its existence.'_

"Sugoi!" exclaimed Koganei, coming to take a closer look at the pink jewel.

"Your shrine is quite interesting, Kagome-chan," smiled Kiyoshi coming to sit on the miko's desk chair. "You must be proud to have such a land with so much history."

The miko chuckled under her breath: _'…history, huh?'_

Kuroko blinked once more as he noticed the jewel being similar to that of Kasamatsu's keychain. Was that the same jewel? His eyes landed back on the silent miko. She was sure full of mysteries, but he could not help but feel like she was keeping some locked deep inside her. Somewhere where it could not be easily accessed to anyone.

"Ah, Kagome-chan! Guess what?" Takao sent the miko a smirk before coming to point at the standing Midorima beside him. "Shin-chan got worried about you the moment he heard you caught a cold. He practically dragged me here to come see you."

"Ta-ka-o!" Midorima's head turned to face his teammate, feeling the vein on his forehead throb once more. This guy just loved pushing his buttons.

Kagome blinked, turning her head towards the green haired male. "Really…?"

"No!" he shouted. "Takao brought me here by force!"

"Ah, I see," Kagome raised a brow with a matching pout. "So you weren't worried over me..."

"I-I…" Midorima took step back, coming to see the miko covering her face with her hands. "C-Chotto!"

"Looks like Kagami isn't the only one that lacks delicacy," sighed Hyuga, leaning against the desk beside Kiyoshi.

Kagami quickly turned his attention over to his captain. "Don't lump me up with him! It is bad enough I have to be compared to Aomine!"

"We didn't compare," cut in Kuroko, coming to see Nigou and Kagome's cat, Buyo, staring at each other silently on the miko's lap before coming to play with each other's paws. "We said you two are the same."

"Oi!"

Riko sighed as she came to sit beside the miko, watching the guys beginning to argue amongst each other. The coach shook her head before coming to cross her arms. "So much for letting you rest today, Kagome-chan. Gomen."

The smile returned on the miko's expression as she watched Takao taking Midorima's glasses and mimicking his voice with Kise and Shun laughing at the performance before having Kasamatsu and Hyuga controlling their teammate.

"No…this is the best remedy," she whispered, chuckling at the interactions. How long had it been since she had seen her home and her own room so lively? She slowly came to realize just how much she was missed even from one day of school and how much she came to miss them in return. Kagome looked over at the grumpy tiger and the phantom player looking at Koganei grabbing Hyuga's glasses and putting them on. "I really am fortunate…"

* * *

"Eh?! Seriously!? You saw her!?"

The wolf demon placed his hands on his hips as his grin stretched at the shock he had guessed would happen glued onto the auburn haired male across from him. His green eyes were practically wide from the surprise that all he could was to cross his legs from the couch he sat on.

"Kagome is definitely in this era and she is doing well. In fact, she has become the manager of the Seirin High basketball team," Koga twirled the pen between his fingers as his eyes glided to the corner, seeing the silver haired male looking down at his paperwork. "Their team is joining the Winter Cup."

"Oi! Did you tell okaa-san that we are here too!? Don't be hogging her all up for yourself!"

"Calm down," Koga's eyes lowered as he saw the kitsune demon coming to stand from his seat. "I told her that you two were still around. In fact, she wants to see you."

The kitsune youkai turned his head to the left, watching as the inu youkai continued on with his paperwork on his desk. After Koga had called them for a meeting, it was surprising that the inu youkai had agreed to it at the mention of the miko. "Did you hear that, Sesshomaru? Kagome wants to see us!"

"Oi, Shippo, calm down," Koga's eyebrow curved upwards, seeing the excitement burning in the kitsune's orbs. "We need to plan this out before you see her again. Knowing you, you would probably jump her to death."

Shippo's eyebrow matched the wolf's as he came to cross his arms. "Like you didn't. I bet you half my life that you even called her your woman and she hit you for it." After so many years of living and being trained by the two youkai after Kagome's departure five-hundred years ago, he had come to grow himself. With the many years that were added to his life, he had come to see the world evolve from the bottom-up and he had been able to stay at the age appearance of at most twenty. At least he did not look like a pedophile compared to Koga when he tried to hit on the younger girls.

Pushing the top of his pen, Sesshomaru reached over to the corner of his desk to grab another contract waiting for him to be read. "Shippo, if you want to see the miko, then go ahead."

"Huh? Don't you want to see Kagome?" blinked Shippo, coming to straighten his pose.

"Unfortunately, I have meetings to attend before the Winter Cup."

"Winter Cup?" blinked Koga, watching as Sesshomaru stood from his desk chair. "Don't tell me you agreed to sponsor the tournament this year?"

The inu youkai fixed his tie before coming to place his pen into his business suit pocket. "We decided to contract sport athletes for our upcoming promotions."

"Eh~ high school students?" Koga raised a brow. This was a new thing to hear. What had caught his attention to recruit high school students?

"We are interested in third-years going into college," he continued, grabbing the stack of papers before pushing his low silver ponytail over his shoulder. "We will offer to pay some of their tuition if they agree to promote the upcoming athlete clothing and shoes."

Shippo blinked as he watched the inu youkai walk around his desk and towards the exit of his office. "So Taisho Corporation decided to focus on the sports market?"

"It has become pretty popular," grinned Koga, resting his legs on the coffee table.

Placing his hand on the silver door handle, Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder and towards the wolf demon. "Also, I did receive your message about the miko's question. If she wants to tell her friends about her past and us, she will need to wait."

"Wait? Like how long?" he questioned back.

"Until I see them for myself."

* * *

"Thank you for having us, Higurashi-san! We are sorry for coming unnoticed," Riko and the rest of the males behind her gave a bow to the older woman before coming to see the miko standing beside her with a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt.

Kagome's mother chuckled before waving at the teens. "It was my pleasure. It isn't every day that we have company like this. All of you are welcome whenever you like."

"Oi, okaa-san!" whispered Kagome, coming to grab her mother's sleeve. What was her mother thinking? It was only a matter at time before opening the door on a random day and finding herself facing Kise or Takao or the whole group and their own teams!

"We will definitely visit, Higurashi-san!" smiled Kise, waving back at the family at the door.

Souta came forth, catching their attention as he held the ball between his hands. "Ano, one day can you guys come and teach my friends and me some basketball tricks? We have been wanting to learn since we never really tried it before."

With a small smile, Kuroko patted the boy's head before hearing Nigou giving a light bark. "We would love to help, Souta-kun. If your sister is okay with it too."

"Please, onee-san?" pleaded her brother, coming to give her the puppy eyes.

The miko sighed as her eyes landed on the waiting teams for her answer. Closing her sight, she rubbed her temple as it pleaded for sleep on its own. "I guess we could plan for a day to teach his friends and him."

"Yes!" Souta exclaimed, pulling his fist in in victory.

"I will teach you great moves, Souta-kun," smirked Kagami, coming to point at himself with his thumb. "I will show you that I am much better than Aomine!"

Souta blinked before dropping his expression with no interest: "ah….okay…"

"Oi!"

"Well, we should leave before it gets dark," cut in Kiyoshi, coming to turn to the group. "And Kagome-chan needs some sleep if we want her back at school healthy." Giving his last wave to the Higurashi family, Seirin followed behind, leaving the Kaijo and Shutoku with Kagami and Kuroko standing before the miko.

"Don't stay out too late, Kagome," her mother patted her shoulder before pushing her grandfather out of the way along with Souta to leave the miko alone with her friends. She knew well just from observation that these boys were close to her daughter and being in the prime time of meeting boys. She chuckled under her breath before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Go get some sleep, baka," scoffed the tiger, catching the miko's attention.

Kagome sent him a small smirk as she crossed her arms. "Yes, okaa-san~"

"Stop with the 'okaa-san' thing!" he shouted, receiving a laugh.

"Eh?! I want to be Kagomecchi's okaa-san!" whined the blonde, coming to tackle the girl in a hug. He was quickly grabbed from the back of his collar, stopping him in his plans to have the girl in his arms. Looking over his shoulder, he frowned at the scowl his captain held. "Kasamatsu-senpai…let me hug Kagomecchi!"

"Higurashi-san needs sleep, baka! Let's go!" pulling him back, the Kaijo captain gave the miko a small bow of his head as he felt his cheeks beginning to heat up. It had taken a bit of time to realize, but this was actually his first time coming to a girl's home and he felt comfortable even knowing there were girls around. Giving one last bow, he pulled Kise away towards the stairs.

Kise's tears streamed down his cheeks as both his arms reached out for the miko. "Kagomecchi! Get well soon! I will text you every day, okay!? Don't forget to reply!"

"That scares me…," she whispered with a twitch on the corner of her lips.

"Let's go, Takao," Midorima adjusted his glasses after giving the miko a glance. "I knew their stupidity was contagious, but do remember that my revenge is against you too, Higurashi. Don't fail to show up at the Winter Cup preliminaries."

The miko sighed as she crossed her arms: "Hai, hai."

Takao chuckled under his breath as he followed the green haired male. "Worried, Shin-chan? You can just practice some of your medical studies on her, you know? Be her doctor," he winked before receiving a hit on the head. "Itai!"

Both Kuroko and Kagami jolted slightly at the sound of Kagome's soft sneeze. Turning to face the girl, they blinked at sight of hands coming to rub her arms. "You should go inside, Kagome-chan," smiled Kuroko as he grabbed Kuroko into his arms. "We don't want to make your cold any worse."

"Yeah…," she smiled. As much as she was complaining about their visit, she knew that it was her cold doing most of the talking. She was even surprised how mild the arguments were between the different teams and the Generation of Miracles.

Coming to scratch the back of his neck, Kagami moved his eyes over to stare at the closed shrine. "Well…thank you for having us today. I do hope you get better…"

Kagome chuckled under her breath, seeing the difficulty the tiger was having in saying something nice. It was becoming obvious he was not used to these talks. "Arigatou, Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun." Hearing a bark coming from the mascot, she petted his head with a smile. "Arigatou, Nigou for keeping Buyo company." Raising her eyes to the duo in front, she gave them a small nod. "Be careful on your way home, you two. Arigatou…again."

"Go get some sleep already," grumbled the tiger as he adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "We need our manager for the Winter Cup preliminaries."

Kuroko sent the miko a small smile of his own after seeing the tiger turn away and walk towards the flight of stairs awaiting them. "He is right though, Kagome-chan. The team needs everyone to stand strong."

"I know," she nodded, coming to feel her cat, Buyo, rub against her leg. "I will be there. I promise."

"Goodnight, Kagome-chan."

"Goodnight, Kuroko-kun," waving them her goodbye, the miko's shoulders slumped before coming to see Buyo looking at her. "A lively bunch, aren't they?" She gave herself a light chuckle before walking back inside the house and closing the door behind her. _'I guess I should take some medication before going to bed. At least the cold isn't so bad.' _

Coming into the kitchen, she smiled as her mother prepared her some tea. "I thought this tea might help you sleep better."

"Arigatou, okaa-san," she spoke softly before coming to open the medicine cabinet to get her medicine. As minutes flew by, the miko sighed as she closed her eyes to let the bitter taste of the tea go through her throat. Some herbs were horrible to one's taste buds, but they surely worked wonders.

"Make sure you don't sleep in too late, Kagome," spoke her mother.

"Hai~," she whispered back as she made her way towards the stairs. Kagome stopped in her steps as a knock on the door was caught by her ears. Who would be coming this late? Unless one of her baka friends forgot something. Making her way towards the door, she rubbed her arms before opening the door slightly. "Did you forget something-?" she blinked as her cerulean eyes glided upwards to meet another darker hue of blue.

"Huh~ guess they were right about you being sick."

Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly at the male standing before her. Scratch what she had said before – this was the last thing she wanted to see right now and she knew it was not her cold talking anymore. She noticed the basket of what looked like remedies resting under his hand. What the heck was he doing with that?

"What are you doing here, Aomine-kun?" How did he even find her house?! She sighed, remembering that Momoi had accidentally given her number and address to the tan male through the paper that she had forgotten.

"What does it look like I am doing here?" he smirked, raising the basket of medicine. "I came here to take care of your, neko-chan."

Great. What a good way to end her night.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Oh no...Aomine made an appearance at the shrine. I really do hope that expectations did not drop with this chapter. Remember, everything that I put on the stories have a reason and will be either explained or brought back later on! Also, next chapter, the Winter Cup preliminaries will begin and...maybe Shippo? (mwahahaha).

I do hope you enjoyed reading this! Thank you for reading actually and all the reviews!

P.S. - every Tuesday and Thursday on Tumblr I am open to questions about my fan fiction stories that you are curious to know or just questions you have for me in general! So send me an ask or even a message if you just want to talk!

Please review? (I really can't believe the love the last chapter received! So I gave back! Thank you!)

Ja~ne!


	19. Win and Lose Instincts

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Well, here is a new update! I had a little trouble trying to place all the characters in the right moments, but I pulled through (I think?). But other than that...I hope this chapter came okay. I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter! It really warmed my heart to see all the support and love this story received. Definitely motivated me to continue because I am hitting writer's block and I am trying really hard to pull myself out of it again. **So thank you! Sending love back!  
**

Also, this chapter, Shippo and Koga appear, but they are watching from the side lines first! And guess what, our bad boy Hanamiya makes a small appearance! This chapter holds a lot of small conversations and event that help build the setting of the Winter Cup!

Enjoy!

Chapter 19 - Win and Lose Instincts

* * *

The miko's eyes narrowed as her hand quickly came to close the door on the blue haired male. A firm hand grasped it and held it open, stopping her in her plan to keep him out. "Oi!" she exclaimed, seeing the grin spread on Aomine's lips. Who the heck did he think he was to decide to keep the door open?

"That isn't very nice of you after I came all the way here to take care of you," he raised a brow before pushing the door open.

"I don't need to be taken care of," she replied, rubbing her arms. "But thank you for coming and checking on me. You can go now-"

"Kagome? Who is that?"

Kagome jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. No doubt that her mother had caught sight of the blue haired male standing at the door frame. The small steps from her mother's feet filled her ears until they came to a stop behind her.

"Ara, ara, more visitors for you, Kagome?" smiled her mother, seeing the blue haired male scratch the back of his neck lazily. "Kagome, it isn't nice to keep them outside when it is getting colder every night. Invite him inside for some tea."

"You heard her, Ka-go-me-chan," Aomine's lips lifted in a smirk as he leaned in. "Let me in."

Kagome turned her head to face her mother, furrowing her eyebrows with annoyance. "O-Okaa-san, it is already late. He only came to drop off whatever he brought, right, Aomine-kun?" raising her eyebrow towards the tan male, she sent him a glare. She hoped he caught the message and would leave, but knowing him-

"Huh? I came all the way here just to leave?" he scoffed as he pushed the basket of remedies into the miko's arms. "I would very much like that tea, Higurashi-san."

"Oh my, you are just as tall as her other friends," she chuckled, leading him into the living room. "What was your name again?"

"Aomine Daiki," he looked over his shoulder and sent the miko a smug smirk. He had won this round.

The miko released a sigh as she slowly came to close the door behind her. Setting the basket onto the nearby wooden table, she made her way over to the living room, not surprised to see Aomine already making himself comfortable in her home. Why was he here? To annoy her further? Did he not understand that Seirin had a grudge against Tōō?

Hearing the light yawn escaping from Aomine, she returned her glare onto his person. Not only were his legs resting on the coffee table, but it looked like he was ready to set himself a sleepover. Kagome walked over to the blue haired male and smacked his heavy legs away. "Oi. Don't be sleeping in other people's homes when you weren't even invited."

Aomine's eyebrow rose once more as he opened one eye. "Huh? Your mother invited me, remember? She told me to make myself at home while she brought the tea."

"I have a say in this too," Kagome placed her hands on her hips before she released them to hit some sense into the Tōō ace. So much for her getting some rest.

"Eh!? Aomine Daiki!?"

Both teens turned their heads to the owner of the surprised voice. Kagome blinked as her eyebrow gave out a twitch. Great, now someone to raise Aomine's ego.

"Is that really the Generation of Miracle's ace, Aomine Daiki!?"

"A-Ah, Souta, chotto-!" Kagome blinked again as the younger male ran past her and looked over her shoulder. Her twitches came back onto her eyebrow as she saw her younger brother with his mouth gaped open as he ogled his idol.

"Onee-san! Why didn't you tell me Aomine-san was coming today to visit!?" he exclaimed, turning his attention over to the miko. "I didn't know you were close with him!"

"I wasn't given notice neither," she whispered, crossing her arms. "And we are not close."

Aomine laughed under his breath, seeing he had a fan of his own. And none other than the neko's little brother. His arm stretched to grab the miko's wrist before dragging her down to his side. Locking his arm over her shoulder, he gave Souta a smile. "We are very close, kid. In fact, your sister is always following me or looking for me."

"As if!" she pushed some distance, setting her personal space.

"What is your name, kid?" questioned Aomine, seeing the boy continuing to stare at him.

The younger boy quickly pointed at himself on his chest with his thumb. "Higurashi Souta! I am eleven years old! I am part of the soccer team!"

"Soccer?" Aomine released a scoff before leaning back into the couch. "Basketball is better, kid."

Souta scratched his cheek as he avoided Aomine's lazy gaze. "Well, I am not very good. But…I am practicing!"

The miko sighed, watching the glow in her brother's expression. She had never seen him so passionate over an activity even when he loved soccer. Perhaps basketball was becoming something more popular within the younger generation.

"Here you go."

Eyes switched their views over to the cup of tea sitting on the coffee table. Kagome blinked as she noticed the smile on her mother's lips. "Souta, let's leave Kagome and Aomine-san to talk."

Souta's arms dropped to his side as he gave out a pout. "Eh~ but okaa-san! Aomine-san is here! I wanted him to teach me some moves!"

"You need to go to bed, Souta," she continued before placing her hand over Souta's shoulder. "Now come on. These two need to talk."

"But okaa-san!"

"Oi, kid."

Hearing the heavier tone, Souta looked over his shoulder and noticed the small smirk. He blinked, watching as Aomine leaned forward to grab the cup of tea. "Listen to your mother. I can show you some tricks another day."

"Really!?" Souta's mouth opened in excitement. "Yosh! Did you hear that, okaa-san! Aomine-san is going to teach me how to play basketball!"

"Hai, hai," she chuckled. Looking over at the two teens sitting on the couch, she gave them a small nod. "Don't stay awake too late, Kagome. Remember that you need to rest."

Watching her mother leave their company, Kagome's vein popped on her forehead the moment she saw the coast was clear. "Oi! Who said you can come back to my home?" questioned Kagome, turning her head to face the Tōō ace. He was already setting up the next appointment to come here without her approval!

Taking a sip from his tea, Aomine closed his eyes. No reply was given back even after he lowered the cup from his lips. "Your mother makes good tea."

"Don't ignore me, Aomine-kun," narrowing her eyes, she saw no sign of him replying. Kagome let a sigh escape her tired self before placing her hands on her lap. She was not sure if it was her cold making her think that all of these visits were too much or the fact that Aomine had appeared at her home. He was the last person she expected to come over. "Why are you here, Aomine-kun?"

"I already told you," he replied, coming to take another sip of the warm liquid.

"The real reason, baka," her eyes glided to the corner, seeing his own expression drop into a more serious tone.

Aomine's shoulders tensed down before setting the ceramic cup gently onto the wooden coffee table. No words came out from his person. Silence was beginning to dance around them with the only sound of the crickets' tune echoing from outside.

Kagome looked away, watching the small ripples of his tea die down. Looking ahead, her eyes set onto the open window. "What? No more teasing from you?"

"Are you admitting you like it?" he snickered.

"You wish," she rolled her eyes back. "Just that…it is unusual for you to stay quiet." Kagome's fingers intertwined together the moment she felt his aura waver. Was he nervous? Anxious? No doubt that there was something in his mind. The miko exhaled softly: "Momoi-san came to us and told us what happened. How is your…injury?"

The blue haired male's eyes tightened as he heard the question. Releasing a heavy sigh himself, his hand reached for the tea. "Satsuki shouldn't have opened her mouth."

"She was looking out for you. You didn't need to insult her and get mad," Kagome closed her eyes in thought. "I can understand you were frustrated from being pulled out, but your injury would only worsen. Just rest for the time being."

"Whatever."

"Did you at least apologize to her?" she questioned, raising a brow.

No reply.

She was starting to feel like she was forced to open a conversation with him – even if he was uninvited. But his aura was stressing her and she did not need that when her own body was being consumed by the cold. "Do you still think no one can beat you?"

"Is that even a question?" he jeered once more. "I already said it. The only one who can beat-"

"_The only one who can beat me is me, _hai, hai. Heard it many times." Kagome shook her head lightly, hearing the soft laugh from the male beside her. "But…don't think that can change, Aomine-kun." Turning her head to the blue haired male, she held her stare strong to his. She knew what this guy needed. He needed his eyes to be opened once more. To find his passion once more in the sport he loved. He needed someone to show him defeat so that he found the reason to practice. "Seirin will win against Tōō. I promise that you will find that passion you had once for basketball."

Aomine's expression was unchanged as he stared at the seriousness in the miko's orbs. Taking the last sip of his tea, he set the cup back down before standing back on his legs. "As much as I would like to find that passion again," his orbs connected to hers in mid-glare, "there is no one out there that can beat me, neko-chan. Seirin can practice all they want, but they have a limit. They can't beat me. Tetsu nor Kagami can win against me."

"It is true that they have a limit," spoke the miko, coming to stand before the tall male. "But so do you. Their practice won't go to waste. I can assure you that."

The Tōō ace chuckled as he leaned forward. "Although I can tell you they will lose, I don't mind the challenge, neko-chan."

Kagome turned around before making her way back towards the entrance of her home. "Just wait, Aomine-kun. We will meet you at the Winter Cup." Opening the door, she watched him place his hand inside his pants' pockets. "Although you came without telling me…I guess I should thank you for the basket."

"Yes. You should," he smirked, walking out the door.

She quickly turned to face him with a glare: "But you are not welcomed here without you telling me!"

"Oh? So if I call you, I can come?" he raised a brow, teasing the miko.

"Don't twist my words the way you want," Kagome crossed her arms, not wanting to give him the satisfaction from his teasing.

Turning around, Aomine began to walk away from the miko. "Don't miss me too much, neko-chan. If you feel lonely, you can call me."

'_Like I would call you,' _she shook her head before seeing him stop in his steps. "Did you forget something, Aomine-kun?"

"Yeah…," he sighed, looking over his shoulder. "If you want to challenge me at the Winter Cup, get better, baka."

The miko blinked, taken back by his words. She stood still as her sight remained glued on the Tōō ace descending down the stairs. Shaking her head, Kagome slowly closed the door behind her before catching the basket sitting near the door. She released a low chuckle of her own before walking towards the stairs of her home. _'Baka…those are Hojo's remedies.'_

* * *

Releasing a sigh, Kagome looked at the time in her cell phone before closing the device. She was definitely feeling the stress coming to her now. After four days of resting from her cold, she was grateful to Ayumi for sending her the notes she needed for homework, but now she was sure she was behind in some things.

'_Not only do I have to worry about catching up, but the Winter Cup preliminaries start today…,' _her eyes roamed around to see her surroundings. _'Where are they? Riko-senpai told us to meet at the school gates at ten...,' _she looked to her right and caught sight of the female coach.

"Ah? Kagome-chan!" smiled Riko, quickly making her way towards the miko. "Ohayo!"

"Ohayo, Riko-senpai," she returned the smile.

"How are you feeling? Is the cold completely gone now?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Kagome scratched her cheek as she gave out a nervous laugh: "well, I guess you could say I am back to normal, but I have a lot of school work to finish."

"Are you going to be okay with your school work and being at the Winter Cup preliminaries?" Riko blinked, beginning to worry that Kagome was surely going to be behind in her work. The last thing she wanted was for one of her team member's grades to plummet.

"It's alright. I will be fine," Kagome looked to her right once more as she saw the boys walking towards them. "Besides, if I start really worrying, I can always call for help on some tutoring." Her mind quickly pictured to Midorima before shaking the image away from her head. _'Forget it. Like he would help me.'_

"Ohayo, miina!" waved Riko, seeing Hyuga in front of the group. "Is everyone ready?"

Blinking, Kagome watched as Kagami bounced the ball with just his forearm and kept it balanced. "Hm~ you are getting pretty good with your left arm, Kagami-kun."

The tiger turned his head slighty to catch a glimpse of the miko. With a confident smirk, he quickly threw it into the air before catching it onto his palm. "Yeah. It's even been easier to eat with this hand lately."

The miko's eyes dropped upon noticing the red surrounding his pupils. No doubt that the tiger had been too excited to sleep once again. "…you can't learn to control your excitement and get some sleep, huh?" Kagome took a step back, seeing his gaze on her. "You look terrifying."

"Uruse!" he shouted, watching as laughed at his irritation. Composing himself, he let his shoulders relax as he noticed the miko back to normal. "Are you feeling better?"

Kagome blinked at the tiger, quickly noticing how he shifted his eyes away from hers. With a small chuckle, she nodded to him. "Hai. I am all better now." The miko bit her bottom lip nervously at the memory of a certain Tōō member appearing in her house. _'Maybe I shouldn't tell them about him…at least not yet…'_

"Oi," called out Hyuga, noticing the glow in Kiyoshi's smile. "What are you smiling about? It's creepy."

All eyes were drawn towards the tall center, seeing the smile stretch for miles. Unlike the rest of them, he did not seemed nervous at all.

Kiyoshi laughed softly as he turned to face the captain. "Oh, wari, wari. Don't let it bother you."

"Then why…is he so happy?" whispered Kagome, keeping her eyes on the tall brunette.

Riko sighed before coming to cross her arms across her chest. "Knowing him…it is probably something that we can't understand. His mind is always somewhere that we can't reach."

"I know what it is, Kiyoshi," smirked Koganei, catching their attentions as he released a heavy chuckle. Placing his fingers under his chin, he quickly faced the center. "You're excited because we have new uniforms, right!?"

"Eh!?" he exclaimed, lowering his eyes down on the jackets. "T-They are!? Sugoi, Kagome-chan! Did you order this in time for the Winter Cup?"

"You should have noticed sooner!" exclaimed Koganei, dropping in height from how dense the brunette was.

Chuckling at the conversations before her, Kagome sighed with relaxation as she saw the smiles on their faces returning. She only hoped that their nerves could be put aside and their minds set on the goal. Feeling Riko's hand on her shoulder, she looked at the smirk glued on the coach's lips.

"Well, we should get going. Everyone is here, right?" she questioned.

"Ano…it looks like we are still missing someone," whispered Kagome, looking amongst the team. "Is Kuroko-kun not here yet?"

"I'm here."

The group jumped together in fright from the voice behind them as they shifted their eyes to see the ghostly haired male. "Y-You are!?" they exclaimed in unison.

"Hai," he nodded. "I have been here the whole time."

The miko's eyes narrowed slightly as caught the soft exhale escaping from Kuroko's lips. Taking a step forward, she furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously: "Why are you sweating?"

"No! You are lying this time!" shouted Kagami, pointing his finger accusingly to the phantom player. "You barely made it on time running here!"

Both teens waited for an answer from the phantom player but none came.

"Silence!?" exclaimed the tiger.

Kagome chuckled once more as she saw the duo – mostly Kagami- arguing amongst each other. Shaking her head, she caught Hyuga's voice calling out to the rest for their attention. "Let's go! We haven't forgotten anything, have we?"

"What are you talking about?" smirked Riko, placing her hands on her hips. "We are on our way now to go get it!"

Walking forth towards the bus stop, Kagome held the strap of her bag before feeling a vibration coming from inside. As she slowed down her steps, the miko took out her cell phone and flipped it open to see she was sent a group message by none other than Kise. _'Really…?' _Her eyebrow twitched slightly upon reading the message that not only was sent to her, but a certain green haired male as well.

**Ganbatta, Kagomecchi! Midorimacchi! See you at the Winter Cup! Also, Kagomecchi, hope you are feeling better~ let's go out soon okay~?**

Hearing the low grown from the miko, Kuroko looked to his side to see Kagome looking at her screen with an irritated expression. "Kagome-chan? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she sighed, having sent a reply. "Just getting messages from someone who doesn't know the meaning of nerves."

"Huh?" blinked Kagami, overhearing the conversation. "Who sent you a message?"

"A conceited blonde…"

* * *

Ripping the end of the tape from its roll, green orbs narrowed as he eyes his newly taped fingers flex into his palm and out. Setting his eyes onto the chair in front of him, he could hear the faint echoing sounds of the people from the gym as he sat inside the locker room. It was not long before he heard the incoming steps of another coming his way.

"Oi~ Shin-chan." Takao took a step inside as he leaned onto the open door before noticing the chair and item sitting still in front of the green haired male. He blinked at the wooden carved bear eating a fish and noticed the item was slightly bigger than what he was used to. Why was Midorima bringing bigger items? His eyes set themselves on the silent shooting guard, making his lips curve into a smile. "Today we get to see Seirin. Hopefully Kagome-chan has gotten better since the last time we saw her."

Midorima's eyebrows furrowed at the name. "That doesn't concern me."

Takao lifted an eyebrow with a matching smirk. It wasn't the reaction he hoped for, but no doubt that deep…deep inside the tsundere, he did care. Knowing Midorima would only get angrier if he pushed the topic further, he changed his course in the conversation. "Is that today's lucky item?"

"It's a carved wooden bear. I acquired it from my regular antique store, nanodayo," he replied with his eyes still glued on the bear.

"Eh~ you already had one just like this," Takao took a few steps forward, getting a closer look at this new 'lucky' item.

"This one is bigger," Midorima quickly replied, ignoring the bored look on Takao's eyes.

Chuckling under his breath, Takao rested his hands on his hips. "Well, the senpais are all here. Hurry up and bring that thing with you." Continuing on with his laughs, Takao made his exit as he sang his words. "It looks heavy, though~"

A sudden low vibration caught Midorima's attention to his green cell phone sitting on top of his sports bag. Raising an eyebrow in question, his fingers reached for the device before opening the flip phone and letting the tick on his forehead throb.

* * *

"Tight man-to-man!" shouted Kasamatsu, watching his team members sweat abundantly as he took the lead in practice. Extending his arm out, he directed some of his players the other way. "Put some effort into it!"

His eyes narrowed upon seeing the blonde rush forward with the ball in hand before jumping up into a dunk. With a low chuckle, he nodded to the team and crossed his arms. "Yosh! Take a break!" He made his way to his bag and grabbed the towel waiting for him to clean the sweat off his forehead. With a tired sigh, he sat on the ground with his back rested on the stage located inside their gym. Although they were stronger than most teams, he knew that after their loss against Tōō, it would only get tougher at the Winter Cup games.

"Good work."

His eyes blinked at the sight of the water bottle being handed to him by none other than the blonde basketball player. "Ah, thanks." He took the bottle into his hand before taking a large drink and lowering it back down to his side. His eyes tightened as he heard Kise coming to sit beside him. "We still need to tighten our game." The incoming message vibration caught his and Kise's attention over to the blue bag beside the blonde. He could not believe the idiot was texting even during this time when their attention should be on practices. "Now that our spot in the tournament is guaranteed, you're texting people?" He shook his head before coming to take another drink from the bottle. "I bet it's a girl."

"No," Kise laughed nervously with a smile as he dug out his smart phone. The smile on his lips disappeared the moment he lowered his eyes onto the screen.

**From: Midorima – Die.**

**From: Kagome – It's too early for this, Kise-kun. Bye.**

He quickly turned his head to his captain as he pointed at the screen: "Senpai! What does it mean when someone tell you to 'die' and 'bye' when you wish them good luck!?"

Kasamatsu's leg was quickly raised to press against Kise's cheek the moment the blonde penetrated his personal space. "I don't know, but I am sure it is exactly what it sound like!"

* * *

"A special bracket?" questioned Murasakibara lazily, lowering his eyes to the side to see Himuro looking over at the new Basketball Monthly issue in his hands. He didn't understand why Himuro was so hyped about the incoming Winter Cup games, but he presumed it had to do with his rivalry against the split eye-brow guy from the street ball tournament.

Himuro chuckled, seeing his tall friend continuing to suck the liquid from his melted tube ice-sicle. He lowered his eye back down to the open magazine in his hands. "This year's Winter Cup commemorates some kind of anniversary. The first and second place teams of the Inter-High automatically participate. There are going to be more schools participating this year. In other words, your friends Aomine-kun and Akashi-kun are in the special bracket. Kise-kun will be participating in the regular bracket along with us." Himuro flipped the page, seeing a picture of a silver haired male tied into a low ponytail in a business suit walking out from a black luxurious car. "It seems like the CEO of one of the top Japanese companies is sponsoring the Winter Cup this year because of the anniversary. That is definitely exciting."

"Hm?" hummed Murasakibara, lowering the treat from his lips. "Anyway, Muro-chin, you seem pretty fired up."

"Because I didn't play in the Inter-High," he smiled. "I'm so excited to play against Taiga and your friends, I can't help myself."

The purple haired male returned the treat into his lips as his eyes glided forward. "I just want Gome-chin's mochi."

* * *

"Are you ready, guys?" Riko laid her hand on the white board in front of the boys as they stood inside their assigned locker room. It was only a few minutes before they had to enter the court and start their path on the preliminaries. "Kagome-chan will be going over what we are doing at the Winter Cup again, understood?"

Kagome pointed at the chart she had made on the white board and the names of the schools that would be participating. It had taken her some time to understand the rules, but with her sick days, she had spent reading over their upcoming opponents and the Winter Cup rules on what she had received a few days earlier. "Eight schools are participating in the preliminaries. Two of these schools will win the right to participate in the Winter Cup. After today's games, they will be narrowed down to four schools." Kagome pointed over at the different chart to the right. "Those four schools will play a league series, and the top two schools will go on to the Winter Cup."

Riko narrowed her eyes, catching her team's attention. "However, this time the participating teams are the eight schools from the Inter-High preliminaries. In other words, they are powerful teams who had successful summers."

"Our opponent today is the sixth place team, Josei High School," Kagome looked at the clip board in hand before turning her head to the coach.

"You heard her! There is only one left thing to do from now on. Let's win!" she shouted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

"Kagome-chan, could you erase the marks on the white board and write the plan I have on the other clipboard?" smiled Riko, hearing as her team walked out the locker room.

With a simple nod, Kagome grabbed the dry towel. "Yeah, I will go over to the court as soon as I am finished."

"Arigatou!" Riko quickly headed out the door, leaving the miko to start on her task.

'_I just hope everything goes smoothly without any conflicts…,' _Kagome sighed to herself as her hand began to move side-to-side to remove the black markings of her drawn out chart. _'But then again…basketball has never been a calm sport since the Generation of Miracles came into play.'_

* * *

"Oi! Where is Narumi?"

Hearing Josei's captain speak, the brunette male with straight hair turned his head over his shoulder to see him walking into the locker room as he adjusted the yellow sports jacket on his sleeves. "Ah, he is focusing in the back, Captain Kawase."

Kawase blinked with a sigh as he observed his first-year player sitting at the corner of the room in silence as the sound of his metal music in his ears echoed. A sweat drop fell from his head the moment he noticed the erotic magazine in his hands.

"How do metal and gravure magazines help him focus?" questioned the power forward, Tsubuku.

"Who knows…," whispered the captain.

Tsubuku scoffed: "It doesn't make any sense…"

"Well, it doesn't matter," smirked Kawase, turning his attention to his teammates. "So long as he plays like he always does."

"So? How is Seirin looking?" questioned Tsubuku.

"They have come far with the addition of a big rookie. They made it to the championship league this year and the last, but that is as far as they have gone. The one to watch out for is their rookie, Kagami Taiga. He will be our biggest problem, but…Seirin has a fatal weakness. Their team is not that powerful. Even their center is only a good player. In other words, their inside is weak. They don't have a coach either." Giving a shrug, he closed his eyes. "I only saw two girls with them when they came in, so one of them must be the coach."

"What!? An onna!?" shouted Narumi from the back as he yanked the headphones from his ears.

"How did you even hear that?" glared Tsubuku, quite surprised that the first-year had even heard that from his captain. Wasn't the metal music too loud?

With a low chuckle, Kawase looked over his shoulder and sent Narumi a smirk: "Let's have our own big rookie go on a rampage."

* * *

"That should do it." Kagome's eyes lowered to the box filled of towels and water bottles for the team in her arms before making her way towards the court. She only hoped she would make it in time for the start of the first quarter. Rubbing the corner of her eyes, she held back a yawn. "No. Stay strong Kagome! No need to fall asleep! The team needs you!" Taking a turn in the hallway, she disappeared from the two pairs of eyes watching her in the shadows.

"Let me go~"

"Hold it, kitsune," glared the wolf youkai, holding back the orange haired kitsune by the back of his shirt. His eyes glided forward, taking the miko's form before she completely disappeared from their sights. "You are lucky we taught you how to conceal your aura, if not Kagome would have sensed you, Shippo."

The kitsune huffed, turning his head over his shoulder. Giving Koga a pout, he let his arms drop to his side. "Hidoi, Koga. All I wanted was to hug okaa-san…"

"Not yet, baka," sighed the wolf youkai. "I wanted to show you first the type of work Kagome has taken. You were worried, right?"

Shippo turned his head back to look at the direction the miko took. "She looked tired…"

Koga released the kitsune from his grip as he came to stand beside him. "No doubt. No one said taking care of a sports team was easy. But after watching their match against Tōō, I am sure they have been practicing non-stop."

"Okaa-san's scent is…distressed," frowned the kitsune. "Are you sure she will be okay?"

"Kagome isn't weak and you know that," smirked Koga.

Shippo chuckled under his breath as he took out a lollipop from his pocket and took the wrapper off. "You are right for once, Koga."

"Uruse, kitsune!"

* * *

Shun blinked as he noticed Kiyoshi walking beside him into the court with the same grin from the morning? What was he so happy about? "What have you been so happy about since this morning?" he questioned, catching the tall brunette's attention.

"I haven't been in a game in a while," he laughed. "I can't help but smile," his smile went soft as it stretched even further while scratching the back of his head.

"Are you going to be okay?" questioned Shun.

Looking over his shoulder, Hyuga's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "Kiyoshi, I understand you are happy, but you came back to win. We are counting on you under the net."

"Yeah, I know," he nodded before coming back to show that soft smile of his.

Riko sighed, crossing her arms as she saw the grin on the brunette. _'Baka…at least show some nerves.' _

"He seems relaxed," whispered Kagami, coming to stand beside the phantom player. "Are we going to be okay?"

"I think we will be fine," smiled Kuroko, seeing Hyuga hit the back of Kiyoshi's head. "I guess you could say I feel at ease with him on the court. I don't think we will lose." His eyes were caught to their opponents walking in, seeing the yellow uniforms on their persons. Kuroko returned his attention to their bench seeing no sign of the miko anywhere. Was she going to make it in time for the first quarter?

"Let the Winter Cup preliminary game between Seirin High School and Josei High School begin!" called out the referee, watching as both teams walked forward to the line-up in the middle of the court. "Bow!"

Both teams quickly blinked in confusion and shock as they noticed one of the players on Josei begin to cry as he bit his lip. Narumi slowly turned around with disappointment in his face as it dropped low. His arms hung weakly to his side, not wanting to believe that his own captain had fooled him.

"W-What's wrong, Narumi?" questioned Kawase, taken back by Narumi's tears as well.

"You're so mean…captain," he whispered under his breath. "Why would you do that?"

"H-Huh?"

"Onna…you said the coach of the other team was a girl. You said that there were two girls...," he continued, unaware of the many blank stares he was receiving from Seirin.

Kagami's eyebrow twitched, seeing no spirit in the male as he continued to gloom on his own. "O-Oi…he is he okay?"

"What the heck is going on?" whispered Hyuga, feeling his eyebrows furrow as Narumi continued to hold the start of the game. What did this first-year want?

* * *

"Thank Kami…I made it," sighed the miko, coming into the bright setting of the court. Looking around, she could see a few people present for the preliminaries, but her eyes were quickly brought to the center of the court, seeing the Josei team around one of the players who appeared to be crying softly. _'W-What is going on…?' _

Kagome took a few steps forward until she made her way to their bench. Holding the box in her arms, she stood behind her seat and blinked at the scene. "What is going on?"

"Ah…Kagome-chan!" smiled Koganei. "You made it!"

Everyone's attention on the court was brought back to Narumi, watching him bring his hands to his chest as his fingers flexed in. Narumi sniffled back his tears, hiding the disappointment in his eyes with the shadow coming over his eyes. "I was looking for something bigger...something more exciting."

"What the heck is he talking about?" whispered Kagome.

"She's not…," Narumi quickly pointed his finger towards the female coach as he vented out his anger, "sexy at all! Give back what you stole from me!"

The Seirin boys jumped from his sudden outburst, not expecting that at all. They were too afraid to look at the coach now and they could definitely feel a cold sweat coming. They jumped once more as they heard a heavy box fall onto the bench, slowly bringing their attentions towards the miko as she cracked her knuckles for the insult he had given.

Kagome's eyes narrowed at the first-year. If there was one thing she could not stand, it was a boy or anyone insulting a woman for her looks. Who said looks were everything? She had received many back in the feudal era and many comparisons to Kikyo, but she was done biting her tongue. This guy needed to be taught a lesson.

"Huh?" blinked Narumi, taking notice of the miko. "Oh! There is another one, captain! And she doesn't have big breasts, but her face will do!"

"Why you-!" she stopped in her step the moment Riko's arm stretched in front of her chest. "Riko-senpai?"

Riko gave a grin of her own as a soft laugh was made. Bringing her thumb up, she moved it across her throat and back before dropping it into a 'thumbs-down'. "Go-slaughter-them," she chuckled, holding her smile.

Koganei quickly jumped back as sparks of anger flared out from the coach's eyes. No doubt she wanted to kill this team on her own.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" shouted the team in unison, not wanting to be any closer to the angered coach.

The miko sighed as she made her way around to her seat and placed the box beside her feet. "You should have let me taught him a lesson, Riko-senpai."

"Trust me," she snickered evilly with her knuckles being popped, "I want to kill him myself, but we are wasting time in this game. We might as well have the boys teach them a lesson to not underestimate a girl. Especially because I don't have big breasts! What is the big deal about breasts!?"

Kagome scratched the back of her neck, watching as both teams were back over to the center and waiting for the referee to release the ball into the air. "Want me to shoot him with an arrow?"

"That would be lovely!" smiled Riko, clapping her hands together.

Koganei gulped as he inched closer to the silent player beside him. "M-Mitobe…those two are getting awfully close, aren't they? Even Kagome-chan is starting to get scary…"

Mitobe nodded silently before gulping himself.

* * *

"I can gladly kill him myself," Koga cracked his fingers as he flexed them in, feeling the vein in his forehead throb with anger. "How dare he insult my woman!?"

Shippo shook his head as he sat in his seat between the audience, watching as Seirin tipped the ball first and was given to the red head. "You know she would kill you too if she heard you calling her that? In fact…she would purify you."

Koga rolled his eyes before crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. His eyes caught the ball being tipped by Josei under Kagami's grip. "She will come to accept it."

"Who says?" laughed the kitsune, watching the tiger beginning to lose his cool. "By the way, Seirin is the team okaa-san has been working with? Looks like that red head is beginning to lose his concentration. He is pressing his foot on the gas too soon."

"Looks like it," chuckled Koga, watching as the ball bounced off the court and the referee called it out against Seirin. "But trust me, Kagome wouldn't choose a weak team. I am sure she has helped in shaping them since the last time I saw them."

* * *

"Damn it," cursed Kagami, walking past the phantom player. He was not sure what was getting to his head, but the heat of game was getting to his head and he just wanted to dunk the ball.

Kuroko blinked, looking at the shaking shoulders of the tiger. "Kagami-kun, please calm down."

"Uruse! I am calm!" he shouted back.

Kagome's eyes dropped, seeing the tick on his forehead twitch with the matching of his furrowed eyebrows. _'You don't look calm at all, baka.' _She knew it had been a while since Seirin was on an official game, and Kagami was sure to be excited, but he needed to learn to tone it down. Sighing under her breath, her eyes glided to the opponents. _'But…I can see why he is fired up as well. They are double-teaming Kagami-kun. We did expect something like this, but seeing it now…it is pretty tough.' _She blinked the moment Kiyoshi's hand laid over the tiger's head and gave him a few heavy pats. _'Kiyoshi-senpai…'_

"Kagami, you look terrifying," he chuckled, seeing the glare on the tiger, before patting his head once more. "Let's take it easy."

Kagami quickly removed the brunette's hand away from his head, glaring at his attacker. "That hurts! You hit too hard! What are you going to do if my head caves in?"

The miko blinked once more, having noticed Kiyoshi's hand had almost fit perfectly to grab Kagami's entire head. _'Were…his hands always that big?'_

"Huh?" blinked Kiyoshi, narrowing his eyes in a more serious tone. "What are you talking about, Kagami? Heads don't cave in that easily."

"I know that!" he shouted back. When was this guy ever serious!?

Shun sighed, placing his hands on his hips: "What should we do, Hyuga? They are a rougher team than we expected."

"Yeah," he nodded, turning his head to face the tall brunette. "You shouldn't be telling people to take it easy. Come on, now."

"It's been so long, my instincts…," Kiyoshi chuckled, coming back to scratch the back of his neck.

"Oi!" exclaimed the captain.

Kiyoshi's eyes glided back to Josei, seeing them ready for the next play. "Well, I should be fine soon. Give me the ball. This game is just getting started. Let's have some fun. Right?" he smiled, coming back to give a final pat on top of Kagami's head before walking forward.

* * *

"Oh? They are playing already?"

Walking behind the Tōō captain, Ryo blinked away the bangs from his eyes as they made their way into the stadium. After Imayoshi had asked him to come with him to see Seirin's first match, he agree, curious himself to see how much Seirin had improved. His eyes glued themselves onto the back of his captain. "Who do you think is winning, Seirin or Josei?"

"Who knows?" smirked Imayoshi, digging his hands into his pockets. "Well, they are equally strong teams, but Josei is a terrible match up for Seirin. Seirin has a weak inside. In contrast, Josei's strength is their aggressive inside. Their first year center is especially powerful." Making his way inside, he opened the door for himself and walked into the scene of the game. "It might be a tough game for Seirin." He stopped his conversation the moment his eyes landed on one of the Seirin players he knew had not participated in the Inter-High. "Huh?" His eyes followed the movements from Kiyoshi's dribble to the pass he had given to Hyuga. Was that really…?

"It looks like Josei doesn't have that much of an advantage…," whispered Ryo, seeing the score close together.

"Yeah," the grin on Imayoshi's lips stretched. "I am glad we came to see this game."

"Huh?"

"Watch Seirin's number seven carefully," he whispered back, his eyes glued on Kiyoshi's movements. "His play is impossible to predict."

Ryo's eyes widened slightly the moment he watched Kiyoshi catch the ball into his grip and jump up for a score. "A hook shot?!" His lips parted, awed how quickly Kiyoshi's wrist flicked the ball over Narumi before being caught by Hyuga and making the shot. Ryo continued to observe Kiyoshi's movements, seeing how easily he could maneuver the ball with just his wrist and grip. "Isn't it…exceptionally slow? The passes I mean?"

"Kiyoshi is an unusual center with the passing sense of a point guard," explained the Tōō captain. "The defense has to predict what is coming. It's like a game of rock-paper-scissors. But holding the ball with those huge hands, Kiyoshi can change his choice when a normal person would have released the ball. He can change his strategy after observing his opponent. He has the Right of Postponement. It's not that he is impossible to predict…"

* * *

Kagome's eyes narrowed, having observed Kiyoshi's play through the game. _'There is simply no point in predicting his moves. This is my first time watching Kiyoshi-senpai play in an official game, and I am…amazed.' _

Her attention was brought to the cheering crowd, only seeing the audience that was in front of her sights. Blinking, she quickly took notice of the two familiar Tōō players. _'What are they doing here?' _Her eyebrows dropped slightly, wondering why Tōō would be present in this game. Were they curious? Surely Aomine would not present himself, right? _'Doubt it. Knowing his lazy butt.' _Her eyes dropped back down to the game, watching as Shun passed the ball over to Kuroko before it was passed by his palm towards the tiger. _'At least we can show them what we have been working on!' _

Kagami made his way forward as he dribbled the ball, seeing the hoop free for his shot. _'I've got plenty of pent up frustration! I'll smash the hoop!' _

"Go!" shouted the Seirin bench, seeing the tiger take off from the ground.

"S-Seriously?!" exclaimed Kawase, watching as Kagami's body was close to the hoop. "S-So high!"

"Take this!" exclaimed Kagami, lifting his arm with the ball in his hand, ready to be dunked. His forehead quickly met with the rim of the hoop, knocking him down to the ground flat.

Kagome stood from her seat, shocked herself that Kagami had actually hit himself with the hoop during a game. "He jumped too high!" she exclaimed, feeling the corner of her lip twitch.

* * *

"Oh~," blinked Shippo, having seen how high the teen jumped to the hoop. "That is impossible for most humans. Not even a human could possibly headbutt a hoop."

Koga snickered, hearing the buzzer go off for the end of the first quarter. "That boy has definitely made some improvement with his legs. Not only him, but the rest of the team."

Shippo pointed his finger to the phantom player, watching as he brought the knocked out tiger from his leg back to the bench. "Who is that? I noticed that quick pass from him before the red head tried to make a dunk."

"Ah, Kuroko Tetsuya," he replied. "Apparently he was the sixth man to the Generation of Miracles."

"Sixth man?" repeated Shippo, taking out the lollipop from his mouth. "He is practically invisible to the eye. Almost as if he holds no presence."

"Exactly," Koga released a smirk. "Those two have made Seirin an interesting team.

Shippo sighed, leaning back in his seat as he placed the lollipop back into his mouth. "Are you sure they are human, Koga?" He knew they were, but these guys were showing skills he had never seen in humans.

* * *

Coming into the fourth quarter, the miko and Riko could easily notice the pressure the Seirin boys were beginning to press on Josei as the points continued to pull apart. Kagome chuckled with a smile, watching as Kiyoshi made yet another shot with ease. "Seirin pulled away quickly from Josei's defense. The addition of Kiyoshi is huge for Seirin."

Their eyes caught the rebound Kiyoshi caught into his hands before being passed over to Hyuga to make a three-pointer shot. "Our inside was our weakness, but now it has become our strength," she continued, seeing the point gap only increase.

"With a strong center, you can get rebounds," spoke Riko, crossing her arms as her eyes remained on the court. "If you can get rebounds, you can shoot freely." A small smirk curved into her lips. "Consequently, you make a lot of shots."

"You are making a lot of shots today," smiled Kiyoshi coming to run beside the captain to go back into their defense.

"I always make my shots, baka," Hyuga replied, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Looks like those two are working well together," smiled Riko. "I am sure the team feels it too."

Kagome blinked, before slowly pointing her pen over to the fuming tiger behind the two second-years as tick after tick appeared on his face. "Are you sure about that? It looks to me that someone is missing on the action and wants to be part of it…"

Kagami gritted his teeth together with a glare to match as he watched his senpais enjoy making their shots. "Getting excited on their own…that's enough, you shit heads!" he whispered under his breath. He wanted to dunk at least once! "Let me make some shots!"

"Oi, Kagami," called out Shun, knowing he would be seeing smoke coming from the tiger's anger.

"It's no use," glared Hyuga. "The baka can't hear you."

"Well, it's good to be hot-blooded," smile Kiyoshi as he rubbed his wrist.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched slightly. "He is too hot-blooded…," that baka needed a bucket of water on him, before he lost it again. With a low sigh, Kagome called out Kuroko's name, catching his attention slightly. He blinked, seeing her finger pointing over at the black wrist on his wrist and making the action of letting it go.

His eyes fixated back onto the angry tiger as he slowly pulled his wrist band and set it free to hit the tiger's cheek. He blinked, watching as the tiger was knocked back into reality before receiving an angry glare.

"Oi! Teme!" he shouted, ready to grab Kuroko by the collar of his shirt.

"Kagome-chan told me to do it," he replied, pointing over his shoulder.

"N-Nani!?" he exclaimed, setting his eyes on the miko. "Oi! Kagome-!"

"That is enough, Kagami," she glared, crossing her arms.

"What did you say, Kagome!?"

Kuroko sighed, catching the tiger's attention. "It is easier for them to take shots because you're drawing all the defenders to yourself. You shouldn't pout about that."

Seeing that Kuroko was doing his part in calming the red head, Kagome called Kagami's attention once more before coming to signal with her head over to the audience. Not only did Kagami's eyes glide to the directed path, but Seirin followed suit, taking notice of Imayoshi and Ryo sitting amongst the audience.

Kagami blinked, recognizing them right away. "They are from… Tōō?"

Kuroko gave out a nod, seeing their gazes on them. "Aomine-kun will hear about his game. Once you have calmed down, make a declaration of war."

"That is not something you do with a cool head," scoffed the red head. "Leave it to me, though. I'll give it to them good."

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath, seeing the new determination in Kagami's eyes. "They make a good duo."

"I got one!" exclaimed Shun as a pun came in. "They are as cute as a couple!"

Hyuga walked forward as he stood in front of the miko and the female coach, seeing the tiger stride towards the end of the court for his next play. "I am grateful for Kuroko's and your personality, Kagome-chan, in these situations. But…," eyes landed on the new flaring anger coming from the red head as he stomped his way through, "did you need to mention Tōō?"

"I'll do it. Just you wait, you jerks!" shouted Kagami. "Damn it!"

"Maybe…not…," she replied with a sheepish grin.

The game quickly resumed and the ball was passed into Kagami's hands. Cursing under his breath, he watched as two Josei members came in front of him to stop his path. Releasing another smirking scoff, Kagami began to dribble the ball. _'They don't have any spirit anymore with only a minute left in the game. They are just continuing to play their initial strategy.' _The smirk stretched from his lips. "No matter how many they send, it's not enough!" Kagami quickly broke through Josei's double defense and ran forward with the ball in hand.

"He broke through!" exclaimed Riko.

Coming back to dribble the ball, Kagami's eyes narrowed with his goal ahead. "Defenders without the will to win can't stop me!"

"You're not going anywhere!" shouted Narumi, coming side to side with the tiger to stop his advances. "You haven't won yet!"

"I'm relieved someone like you is around," chuckled the tiger. "Sorry, though. The winner…," Kagami quickly jumped up, aiming for his dunk.

"A lane-up!?" exclaimed Imayoshi, shocked by the height in his jump.

"Make the shot, Kagami!" shouted Hyuga.

Kagami dunked the ball in as his hand gripped the rim of the hoop before slipping down and falling back on the floor. Kagome stood from her seat once more: "again!?"

"He made it this time, though!" exclaimed Koganei, as the rest of the team's eyes dropped at the sight of their ace falling from his dunk.

The buzzer echoed throughout the stadium, signaling the end of the game. "Game over!" shouted the referee.

"Ow…," grunted the tiger, rubbing his back as he sat up. His eyes landed on the offering hang by the phantom player.

"You are falling over a lot today," he commented, sending him a smile, "Kagami-kun."

Sending him back a smirk, Kagami took the offered hand and was pulled back on his feet. "Uruse."

"All right!" exclaimed Riko, coming to hug the miko tightly as the rest of the benched players celebrated themselves.

Kagome smiled, watching the rest of the team cheer in victory from their win. _'We did it! We won…our first game!'_

Shippo chuckled, seeing the smile stretch on the miko's lips. "Seirin is truly an amazing team."

"Yeah," smiled Koga, leaning forward to see Kagome coming to be hugged by Kiyoshi and Hyuga ruffling her head. "They truly are. Are your worries gone now? You were worried about what kind of people she was with, right? So?"

The kitsune stood from his seat as he took another lollipop out from his pocket. "As long as they make my okaa-san smile like that…I like them too."

"With a score of one-hundred and eight to sixty-one, Seirin High School wins!" announced the referee, seeing both teams lined up and bowing respectively to each other.

* * *

"Huh? What is that, Kagome-chan?" questioned Shun, leaning close to the miko as she read the paper in her hands. The team walked forward as they made their way through the exiting crowd to get to their locker room, but their attention was brought to the silent miko.

"Ah, I got this from the Winter Cup organizers," she replied, continuing to the read the sheet. "It looks like the games that were played before us have been decided."

"Seriously!?" exclaimed Koganei, turning his head over his shoulder. "Then that means that the four teams have been decided from the preliminaries?!"

Hyuga sighed, pushing in his glasses: "it looks like it."

"So? How does it look?" questioned Riko, curious to hear the teams, although she had a feeling she already knew who had moved forward.

Kagome sighed, seeing the familiar school typed on her paper. "Shutoku High advanced to the championship league. As well as Senshinkan High and Kirisaki Dai Ichi High have advanced." Lowering the paper from her eyes, she could see the seriousness taking over their features. Of course it was too early to celebrate. The true matches would begin now.

"For better or for worse, we only have three games left," spoke Koganei, breaking the silence.

Furihata looked at the sheet as Kagome handed it over to his hand. "The Winter Cup preliminaries went by in a flash."

"What are you idiots talking about?" glared Hyuga, turning his attention to the first-years. "It's just the opposite. We are just getting started."

"Have you forgotten already?" questioned Riko, turning to face her team. "Only the top eight schools out of over three hundred from the summer have been allowed to participate."

The miko came to walk in between Kuroko and Kagami, looking ahead in her path. "In other words, the Winter Cup preliminaries began with the Inter-High preliminaries. It's one long qualifier that has been going on since this summer." The facts of the Winter Cup were finally setting in, making the miko realize that truly the frightening teams were standing at the top of the chart and that is where they were headed. _'But before that, we have three games to win!'_

"Our first opponent in the championship league is Senshinkan," spoke Hyuga. "We have lost to them twice already. Let's win this time!"

The group quickly stopped in their steps the moment they noticed their coach ahead standing still and silent in front of their locker room door. Kiyoshi blinked, tilting his head to the side, trying to get a glimpse of what had made the coach stop. "Riko? Is everything okay?"

Riko turned her head over her shoulder as her finger came to point at a note taped on the door. "Kagome-chan…this is for you."

"Huh?" she blinked back. She quickly felt eyes on her person, making her jolt back. No doubt that she was feeling uncomfortable with the questioning gazes. "Are you sure?" she questioned, making her way to the front.

"It says your name," Riko's eyes traveled back to see the note.

Coming to the front, the miko blinked at the note on the door. But she quickly took notice of the lollipop taped above it. _'A lollipop?' _Reaching for the note and treat, she opened the folded paper. Her eyes scanned the contents, reading the small message that was given to her. "Good work today, Seirin. And don't push yourself too hard, Kagome…"

"Oh? A secret admirer?" blinked Koganei, tilting his head to the left to get a glimpse of the note himself.

"Maybe it was that Narumi guy from the court," suggested Kiyoshi, tapping his chin lightly with his finger.

The cracking of bones filled their ears before coming to see the source. The boys gulped nervously as they watched Riko crack her knuckles as memories of Narumi's insult flooded back in. "If it is him, he better be prepared to die!"

"C-Coach!" shouted Koganei, trying to calm her down.

Kuroko's lips slowly curved into a smile as he watched the team argue back and forth to stop Riko. His eyes were brought back to stare at the silent miko, seeing her attention still on the note. Her other hand held the lollipop before coming to bring it to her eyes. "Do you know who it could be from?"

Kagome gave him a simple shake of her head, lowering the lollipop down to the note. "No…but I feel nostalgic for some reason…"

* * *

Exiting the building, Kagome made slow strides behind the group as her eyes remained on the note and lollipop in her hand. With no name of the owner, she was beginning to get curious herself. Why the lollipop? With a gentle sigh escaping her lips, she made her way forward, hearing the voices of the Seirin boys full in excitement.

"Kagome-chan. Kagami-kun."

Hearing the gentle voice behind them, Kagami and Kagome looked over their shoulder to see the phantom player holding a basketball in his hands. Lowering the note and lollipop to her side, she faced Kuroko with a smile. "Is everything okay, Kuroko-kun?"

"I need to show you both something," he replied, watching as both of the teens blinked in confusion before sharing a glance.

* * *

Looking around her surroundings, Kagome was surprised that Kuroko had known there was a public court just a few blocks away from the bus stop. Her eyes landed on the hoop before seeing the phantom player walk to the opposite side of their spot. The sun had finally laid to rest, making her turn to the lights around the court flicker on.

"So?" questioned Kagami, placing his hand on his hip. "What do you want?"

"Will you two help me practice my new drive?" he questioned, seeing both the tiger and miko standing side-to-side.

'_His new drive?' _blinked Kagome, hearing the light bounce Kuroko gave. _'Did he discover his new skill?'_

Kagami took a step forward, feeling his eyebrows furrow: "Oi, oi! What the hell? You still haven't finished that?"

Kuroko's eyes lowered down to the ball in his hands as he sighed softly. "I have done everything I can on my own. I just need you two to help me perfect it."

The tiger released a scoff before feeling the miko's hand lightly hit his chest. "Oi!"

"Mah, mah, we should help him, Kagami-kun," she chuckled, lowering her arm back to her side. "I would be happy to help, Kuroko-kun. I am quite curious what you have been working on." Although she was impatient herself like Kagami, she knew that Kuroko was doing things in his own time. He needed it. After losing against Aomine, he had a lot of time to think and she wanted to see this new drive that could possibly help them in their upcoming matches.

Releasing a snicker under his breath, Kagami placed his sports bag down. "Fine. Sure. Let's see what you got."

"I need you two to be the defense," spoke Kuroko, receiving a few questioning blinks from the miko. "Don't worry Kagome-chan, it is only for practice."

She had never really played basketball, but if she just needed to be in a defense position, then she would try. Both Kagami and Kagome took their stance in front of Kuroko, watching him closely as he dribbled the ball in place. Their eyes narrowed to focus on not only the ball, but the phantom player as well. They knew Kuroko's skills to an extent, but this new drive was quite a mystery. Kagome's eyes followed the ball's movements before noticing Kuroko taking a step forward.

Bracing themselves to stop him, their eyes widened slowly the moment Kuroko vanished from their view and passed through them. It was almost as if a gust of wind had carried him off forward with their bodies completely freezing.

Kagome stood frozen, staring at the empty spot Kuroko had previously been standing on. _'S-Sugoi…if he can pull this off, it really will be an unstoppable drive.'_ The sound of the ball caught their attention, both Kagami and Kagome slowly lowering their eyes to see the ball on the ground in front of the miko.

Kuroko blinked as his eyes stared at his empty hand. He was sure he had taken it with him. "Huh…?"

"Don't give me that!" shouted Kagami, realizing what had happened. "Done everything, my ass! You lost the ball!"

"I lost the ball," Kuroko commented back as looked at his two team members.

"I just said that!"

With a soft sigh, Kagome lowered herself to grab the ball into her hands. _'Well…it looks like Kuroko-kun still has a long way to go with this new drive.' _Her eyes landed on the surface of the orange ball, noticing the smooth texture instead of the usual. _'Huh? The leather has been mostly worn off…it's so smooth.' _She could easily see the light from the court reflect on the ball in her hands. _'I remember Riko-senpai telling me that it doesn't usually take long for this to happen when you use a basketball outside. But…did he really do this all summer?' _Looking back at the phantom player, she made her way forward and handed him the ball. "Ah, here."

"Arigatou," he whispered, coming to rub the black marking from the ball. "I need a new ball," he spoke. "I wish I could use the gym more."

"I am sure Riko-senpai would allow you," she smiled back. "You know, so that your ball doesn't get like that anymore."

"This is the sixth one," Kuroko lowered his eyes once more to the smooth surface of the ball, not taking notice of the slight shock in Kagome's and Kagami's expressions.

* * *

The buzzer for the final quarter echoed throughout the stadium as the Senshinkan versus Seirin match came to an end. Riko quickly jumped from her seat as another win came their way. Kagome sighed a breath of relief, seeing the scoreboard and seeing the smiles on the team's faces. The next day for their match had quickly arrived and ended. She saw no struggle in the match, which amazed her on how much Seirin had grown as a team. _'They won again Senshinkan! We won!' _Standing from her seat, her eyes traveled to the other half of the court. Her sights followed the familiar orange uniforms and the ball being passed over to Midorima.

'_Looks like their game is almost over as well…what school is it?' _Looking over at the scoreboard, she read the name of their opponents. _'Kirisaki Dai Ichi. Oh…we will be going against them after Shutoku.' _Scrunching her eyes, she could not see any of the Kirisaki Dai Ichi first string players. _'Did…they purposely lose the game against Shutoku?' _

Taking a step forward, she made a halt as she felt a pair of eyes on her and the team. The miko looked around her surroundings before coming to search the audience. _'I can definitely feel someone watching us.' _Her observations came to a stop the moment she caught notice a group of five males wearing the same color sweats and jackets from Kirisaki Dai Ichi sitting amongst the audience. _'Chotto…what are they doing there when they have a game down here?' _

"Kagome-chan?"

Hearing the call of her name, she turned her head over her shoulder to see Kuroko handing her the clipboard. "Ah, arigatou…"

"Are you alright?" he questioned, seeing her a little off in concentration.

"Y-Yeah…," she whispered back, slowly coming back to see the mysterious Kirisaki Dai Ichi members standing from their seats and leaving. _'Were they watching our game?' _Her attention was drawn back to the court the moment Shutoku's buzzer went off, signaling the end of their own game.

"Game over!" shouted the referee.

Her eyes blinked upon seeing the green haired shooting guard walking past Takao. She could easily see his aura flaring with anger – no doubt from their opponents throwing away their game and belittling them.

"Looks like Shutoku won, too," spoke Shun, catching his team's attention.

Kagami's eyes contracted down upon meeting Midorima's green orbs. _'Which means we will finally get to play them.' _

"We both have one win," commented Riko, seeing the whole Shutoku team coming to stand and stare back at them. "If we win another game, we will secure a spot in the Winter Cup. If we lose, our chance will fall far out of reach."

The miko sighed, coming to stand between the phantom player and tiger as her eyes meet the green haired shooting guard across. No doubt the rivalry was true between the two teams and tension was definitely rising. Gripping her clipboard in hand, the miko's shoulders slumped. _'Shutoku's Midorima Shintaro…the true obstacles start now…'_

* * *

"There is no time to celebrate," Hyuga's eyes narrowed down into a glare as he sat on the bench inside their locker room. Even after their win against Senshinkan, the victory feel just was not there yet. They knew their toughest opponent was yet to come in the next round. "Our next game is sure to be a difficult one."

"But we have Kiyoshi-senpai!" exclaimed Fukuda, catching his captain's attention. "We are better than we were before. We beat them last time."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Eyes quickly traveled to see Kuroko's own gaze on the floor as he rested his elbows on his knees. The miko blinked after setting her clipboard down on the bench. She could see the seriousness in his eyes and there was no mistake that he had seen it too. Shutoku was aiming for revenge against them.

"Huh?" questioned Furihata.

"That is precisely why I think the next game will be difficult," he replied, coming to raise his eyes to the team.

Riko released a sigh, seeing that her team was beginning to feel the pressure. "Kuroko-kun seems to have the right idea. Our previous victory was too good to be true. They are absolutely better than us."

"But they don't think so," cut in Kagome, coming to organize the towels for the next game. "They should be looking down on us as the superior team, but they will be coming at us with everything they have. On top of that, we will be facing a member of the Generation of Miracles. This won't be easy, you guys…," she did not want to scare them or place any more pressure on the boys, but after feeling Midorima's aura, she could not sugar coat anything. Midorima was going to give his one-hundred percent in this next game.

With a nod, Riko opened the door to the locker room: "with that in mind, we should warm up for the next game. Let's go. Kagome-chan? Do you need help with those?" she questioned, watching Kagome fold the towels.

"No," the miko smiled back before coming back on her task. "Go on ahead. This is the manager's job. I will definitely be there before the game starts."

Riko chuckled under her breath before stepping out from the locker room with the team behind. "Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

Feeling a pat on her shoulder, the miko's eyes traveled up to the tall brunette. "Kiyoshi-senpai?"

"Don't overwork yourself, Kagome-chan. And don't forget to have some fun with us as we play," Kiyoshi gave her one final pat on her shoulder before following the team outside.

Straightening her back, Kagome held a towel between her hands as she watched the door slowly close. Dropping her eyes onto the half folded towels, a small sigh escaped her lips. She was not sure if it was her sensing Kiyoshi's aura wrong or she was truly becoming tired, but his aura seemed weaker. Something was paining him and it truly worried her. Looking back towards the shut door, her shoulders relaxed down. "I should be telling you that, Kiyoshi-senpai…"

* * *

Making their way through the hallway, Kiyoshi stopped in his steps as he caught sight of a familiar person from the corner of his eyes. Feeling his eyebrows scrunch on their own, he called out for his team's attention. "Sorry, miina. You guys go on ahead."

The boys and Riko looked over their shoulders, seeing Kiyoshi's smile as he waved. Having caught the person himself in his eyes, Hyuga could not help but feel uneasy that Kiyoshi wanted to stay back and have a chat. But he would trust his friend's judgment and direct the team forward.

With a simple nod from himself, Hyuga replied: "Yeah."

Hearing the steps continued forward, Kagami held his suspicion before turning back to follow behind. He was not blind nor oblivious to had missed the person sitting in the shadows of the hallway they had walked by. Whoever he was…the vibe he was getting was not a pleasant one.

* * *

"Okay, that should be all of them." Rushing through the hallway with her clipboard in hand, the miko took a turn in the hall and stopped at the sight of Kiyoshi's back facing her as he continued to stare ahead of the direction to the court. Where was the rest of the team? She took a step forward, hoping the second-year was feeling okay. "Kiyosh-"

"It's been a while, Hanamiya."

Kagome stopped in her steps the moment Kiyoshi's voice cut her path. Who was he talking to?

"Yo." A smirk stretched on pale skin as corrupted eyes opened from the shadows of the dark hallway to see the tall brunette standing a few feet away. "I've been dying to see you."

Kiyoshi turned his head slightly to the right, seeing the familiar grin on the black haired male as he sat on the chair. "I saw you during our game. You chose not to participate in the Shutoku game."

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" questioned Hanamiya, curving an eyebrow upwards.

"I'm not saying it's wrong," shrugged the brunette. "I just don't like it."

Kagome remained silent, hearing the small cold chuckle escaping from the mysterious person in the shadows. From what she heard, Hanamiya, was the male who was sitting amongst the audience and having thrown away his match against Shutoku. Gripping her clipboard to her chest, she lowered her eyes to continue to hear the conversation.

"You're as honest as ever. It's disgusting," Hanamiya closed his eyes as he stretched his legs out. "If I had played today and shown all my cards that would make all three games serious pains in the ass." His eyes slowly glided to catch a glimpse of the seriousness in Kiyoshi's eyes. "I don't care about the victory right in front of me. You will lose the remaining two games on your own."

"What do you mean?" Kiyoshi's eyebrows furrowed, watching as the black haired Uncrowned King stood from his seat.

"Whoops, I have said too much." Walking to stand beside Kiyoshi, Hanamiya placed his hands inside his pockets. "You're playing Shutoku first, right? Good luck. I'm rooting for you. By the way," with a small snicker, Hanamiya looked over his shoulder with a wave of his hand, "I hope your injuries heal soon. I'm worried about you."

Turning around the corner, Hanamiya stopped in his steps upon seeing the miko standing with her eyes on his person. He raised an eyebrow, having recognized the female as Seirin's manager after he had observed their last game. "Oh? Do we have an eavesdropper?"

Kiyoshi quickly turned around and noticed Kagome standing before the black haired male. "K-Kagome-chan…?"

With his grin stretching a bit more, Hanamiya walked past the miko as he delivered his last words. "Manager-chan, take care of Kiyoshi for me, okay?"

Hearing his steps faint in the distance of the hallway, Kagome's eyes slowly dropped down to the floor. What was this feeling? This aura…it was dark. His whole presence was unwelcoming. The moment she had laid her eyes on his, she felt slight fear and nothing but shivers ran up and down her spine. _'This guy…his words held no concern.'_

"-chan?"

Why was he so familiar with Kiyoshi?

"Kagome-chan?"

She sensed nothing good from him, but only fear consuming her. Worry was eating her away.

"Kagome-chan!?"

Hearing her name being called out by the brunette, she finally snapped her eyes to meet Kiyoshi's concerning orbs. "Kiyoshi…senpai?"

"Are you okay?" he questioned, having noticed her frozen state. He sighed as his eyes traveled back to the disappearing form of Hanamiya as he took a turn the other way. "The team is waiting for us. We should go." Turning around, he looked at the silent miko beside him as she followed. He sighed once more before coming to pat the girl's head lightly. "Don't worry about him. He is just an old acquaintance I met last year."

"Gomen…," she whispered, lowering her clipboard to her side. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop…"

"I know," he smiled, retreating his hand from her head. "But…I am at least happy to have you here."

"Huh?" she blinked, seeing his eyes staring ahead.

Kiyoshi's fingers curled into his palm as he held the smile on his lips. "Who knows what I would have said to him if you weren't there…."

* * *

"Did Kiyoshi-senpai forget something?" questioned Furihata, seeing the silence his senpais were beginning to decorate the atmosphere with.

Hyuga sighed as his back was turned to the rookies in his team. "Yeah…something like that."

"Is it about that guy at the corner?"

Hearing the tiger's voice, Hyuga's head turned to face Kagami's mild glare. It looked like the tiger was not completely oblivious to his surroundings. "Oh, you noticed?"

"I got a sense that he is a pretty good player…but the vibe isn't good," he replied, catching the rest of his team's attention on the topic.

Hyuga nodded as his eyes dropped to the floor. Although he was not sure if Kiyoshi would like to release the history just yet, he could at least give his new team members a sense of where they were heading. "Well, it's nothing to hide. In the world of middle school basketball, Teiko's Generation of Miracles were the best. Needless to say, they are the five prodigies whose stunning power led to three national championships. However, there were others one year older. Five talented players capable of going head-to-head with the Generation of Miracles. If they had been born in another era, they may have been called the Generation of Miracles." Releasing a sigh, he crossed his arms. "Including Kiyoshi, the five of them are known as the Uncrowned Kings. That guy you saw…was one of them. The Bad Boy Hanamiya Makoto."

Fukuda took a step forward: "If he stayed behind to greet him, they must be friends, right?"

"It's just the opposite," replied Hyuga, turning his body to face the questioner. "You could say he is the antithesis of Kiyoshi. If Kiyoshi is the most honest basketball player, he is the most dishonest."

* * *

Green orbs intently stared into the metal of the lockers in front of him as he sat on the bench inside his team's locker room. Only the light of the propped open door gave him the calmness he needed before he entered the court to his awaiting match. His fingers curled into his palm as his ears caught the sound of the rain softly falling outside.

"Now that I think of it, it was raining last time, too."

From the corner of his eyes, the green haired shooting guard watched as Takao leaned against the door frame of the locker room and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder.

"It's time, Shin-chan. Let's go."

Midorima slowly stood from his seat and straightened his glasses with his taped fingers. "Yeah."

* * *

"Looks like we made it."

"Just in time," brown orbs traveled down to the two incoming teams of the next match before setting his sights on the miko behind the phantom player. "And looks like Kagome is ready herself."

"Eh? Where is okaa-san!?" the kitsune looked around until he finally caught his target with his golden orbs. "Ah! Okaa-san! She looks lovely as always! I hope my note made her feel better," he chuckled, slowly making his way down from the balcony of the audience and towards the empty seats in front. "So what is this? Who is Seirin going against now?"

Koga sighed as he came to sit beside the orange head. "Looks like Shutoku High. I made some research myself on them and it looks like Shutoku lost against Seirin at the Inter-High this summer."

"Really?" blinked Shippo as he leaned back in his seat. "Then that just means Seirin will have the upper hand."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Shippo." Koga's eyes narrowed, noticing the miko's eyes travel to stare at the green haired male as both teams took off their jackets and t-shirts. "If anything, I am sure Kagome knows what this match truly means for both teams. Basketball may not be like the battles we had during the feudal era, but when it comes to revenge, it is the same feeling within us youkai and humans."

* * *

Watching the tiger tie his shoes on the bench, Kuroko spared a glance back towards the Shutoku members preparing themselves. "Kagami-kun," he whispered, catching his attention. "Did you see Midorima-kun's face when he came in?"

"Yeah," he sighed, slowly coming to see the glare Midorima held. "He seems like a different person now."

The miko sighed, finally understanding what this uneasy feeling was coming from. The fact that Midorima's whole demeanor looked completely different than the last time they went against them. She knew what it was. It was simple. She had seen it in Kise's eyes after their practice match. Coming to stand in front of the team as they prepared, she lowered her clipboard back to her side. "The Generation of Miracles we have played until now were undefeated and intelligent. I remember someone telling me a long time ago…some defeats are meaningful and losing makes you stronger." Coming to turn her head to the side, she watched Midorima beginning to take the tape off his fingers. "For living creatures like us, victory is life and defeat means death." She had felt the same way when she had gone against battles in the feudal era. If they wanted to move forward, they had to win.

Kagome chuckled softly as she came to scratch her cheek with a closed smile. "It's an extreme example, but humans retain that instinct. That is the best way I could put it…"

"No, you're right, Kagome-chan," spoke Kiyoshi finishing in adjusting his shoes. "Those who know the terror of defeat…hunger for victory."

"Well, they are not the only ones who have suffered a terrible loss," Hyuga stood from his seat, having his team members stand after him to stretch their arms.

"You're right," Kiyoshi chuckled, seeing the determination in their captain's eyes.

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed, coming back to see the starvation for revenge in Shutoku. "One defeat is enough for me. They are not the only ones…"

"…who are starving," Kuroko took a step forward as he adjusted his black wristbands.

The miko released a heavy sigh, watching as both teams walked into the court for their waiting match. She would not lie to herself. She was beginning to feel uneasy, but nonetheless, she was also excited to see the upcoming match. Her eyes traveled to see Kagami and Midorima meeting eye-to-eye in silence as the tension between them began. _'Miina…ganbatte.'_

"Just as we expected," spoke Riko, coming to sit on the edge of the bench, "they are not showing any signs of carelessness. If Shutoku's strategy hasn't changed, we will need to shut down Midorima-kun to win. There is mostly likely a limit on how many times he can shoot super-long three-pointers. You have seen how long they are, right, Kagome-chan?"

"Hai…," she replied, sitting next to the female coach. "Just making the ball reach the net requires his entire body's strength. I noticed from his last game with Kirisaki Dai Ichi, he spends a little more time winding up with each shot he takes."

"Yeah, I noticed that too after reviewing their strategy," nodded Riko. "Even if we can't block all his shots, if we push him to his limit, we will reduce his accuracy drastically."

"In that case," smirked Koganei, setting his eyes ahead on the tiger standing before Midorima, "we have someone on our team who gave Midorima one hell of a hard time."

Kagome chuckled under her breath: "And this time, the team and he are at full power."

* * *

"Wari, but he doesn't have time for you this round."

Hearing a voice walking towards him, Kuroko's attention left the two aces and met Takao's gaze.

"Unlike last time," Takao's eyes narrowed, seeing the unreadable eyes of the phantom player, "he has completely accepted Kagami as his rival. The rest of us feel the same way…especially our senpais."

"That's good to hear," spoke Kuroko, bringing Takao's attention onto him. "But that is all the more reason we cannot lose."

"The second championship game of the Winter Cup preliminaries between Seirin High and Shutoku High will now begin! Bow!"

The referee held the ball in his hand as both teams were lined up at the center of the court facing each other before coming to bow respectively. The cheering squad for Shutoku began as both centers prepared themselves for the tip off.

Kiyoshi sent Otsubo a smile as he got into his stance. "This is our first high school game against each other."

"Yeah," smirked the Shutoku captain. "And I won't go easy on you."

"Kagami-kun."

Hearing the phantom player's voice coming beside him, the tiger took a glance and noticed Kuroko having come closer to relay a message. "Kuroko…"

"Midorima-kun is looking for a one-on-one against you. You're the only one who can handle him. And just like Kagome-chan said…he is hungry for revenge. We have to be careful, but…can I ask you to handle Midorima-kun yourself?" he questioned, meeting the tiger's eyes.

Releasing a scoff with a matching smirk, Kagami's eyes connected once more with the green orbs across from him. "Of course. I planned to do that all along."

The referee soon blew on his whistle before throwing the ball up for both centers to jump on the tip off. The ball was quickly pushed away, making everyone curious who had gotten the upper hand. Furihata leaned forward, having missed which center had touched the ball first. "It's close!" he exclaimed.

"Where is the ball?" questioned Tsuchida.

Shun quickly caught the ball into his hands before it was tipped off from his hands with Takao's hand.

"All right!" shouted Otsubo. "Nice, Takao!"

Kimura grabbed the ball before he passed it over to his captain, seeing the net was free of Seirin defenders. Kimura's eyes slowly widened the moment Kuroko passed in front of him and pushed the ball away from Otsubo's direction in the pass. _'W-Where did he come from?! We can't stop this guy without Takao!'_

Kagome made a fist as she brought it to her chest: "Nice!"

"Yes! They got it back!" exclaimed Riko.

With the ball bouncing on the court, eyes expanded the moment Midorima came forth and caught the ball himself and prepared his stance and aimed. The miko shook her head: "M-Midorima-kun!?" Her body relaxed lightly as the tiger jumped up and pushed the ball away from Midorima's hands, ending his intentions for the first shot. _'Kagami-kun…he has gotten higher in his jumps…'_

Midorima clicked his tongue in irritation as he saw the smug look on Kagami's face. Takao took a step forward, not believing how easy it was becoming for Kagami to stop their ace's shots. "W-What!?"

"All right!" shouted Hyuga. "Nice block!"

The ball bounced off the court, making the referee blow on his whistle for the players' attention. "Out of bounds! Orange ball!"

Kagome slumped into her seat, seeing how quickly the referee had to make a call with not even two minutes into the game. "S-Sparks are flying already between them…"

"I almost forgot to breathe with all that intensity…," sighed Furihata as his hand landed on his chest.

Kagami turned his head around to face the green haired ace, bringing his eyes into a thin glare. "Don't think you can make any slow shots while I am around." With no comment back, Midorima ran past the tiger. Kagami followed Midorima's movements, seeing it strange that the tsundere had given no repy to his words. Something was not right.

With the ball back in the court, Takao caught it into his hands and quickly passed it back around his back to Midorima, smirking as he caught it with ease.

"I already told you!" shouted Kagami, coming behind the shooting guard and knocking the ball from his hands. "It is no use!"

"Out of bounds!" shouted the referee once again. "Orange ball!"

Fukuda blinked, seeing it amazing how easily it was becoming for Kagami to stop Midorima's shots. "Kagami is amazing! He blocked Midorima again!"

"What's going on…," whispered Kagome, seeing no alarming expressions from the Shutoku team. By now, anyone would become uneasy with Kagami's blocks, but Shutoku looked to calm. _'I thought Midorima-kun would pick up a new skill or make some kind of change. He is playing exactly like he did before…'_

"Just so you know," spoke Midorima, catching the tiger's attention and everyone else's as he stood in front of him, "I have no new skills. The only thing I have done until now is endurance training. You may be a bad match up for me, but don't underestimate me." Pushing his glasses in, his eyes narrowed. "My shots aren't so cheap that I need some kind of stopgap for you."

Kagome quickly stood from her seat, realizing Midorima's intentions. _'H-He…he is…'_

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko.

"I'm sure you have noticed, but I can't take those shots endlessly," continued Midorima. "However, the same is true of your jumps. There is only one thing for me to do. I simply need to keep shooting until you can't jump anymore whether that is ten thousand or a hundred million shots."

Everyone remained silent with the only sound of a chuckle coming from the tiger echoing through the court. "Bring it on," he smirked, seeing the glare tighten on his green haired opponent.

The miko gripped her clipboard, seeing that this was no longer a match to stop Midorima, but simply – _'it is a test of endurance.'_

"That's odd…," whispered Kuroko, catching Kiyoshi's attention from behind.

"What is?" he questioned.

"I'm not sure how to put it, but Midorima-kun isn't acting like himself."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Looks like things are getting serious between Shutoku and Seirin! Also, Shippo will make his surprise appearance to Kagome in the next chapter! Is anyone excited!? Even I am! And the match against Kirisaki Dai Ichi will begin...we should all brace ourselves...no really. Brace yourself. Also, right now on Tumblr, on Tuesdays and Thursday, it is open to people to ask questions about this story, Pure Rukh, and any other stories I have! So if you like, go ahead and send me an 'ask' on Tumblr before Thursday is over!

But I do hope this chapter was decent enough...

The next chapter will be definitely much longer as a lot will happen! And many surprises will be given!

Thank you for reading and for the reviews! I did have plan to type Pure Rukh, but because of the huge amounts the last chapter received...Love Hoop was updated first!

Please review!

Ja~ne!


	20. Warm Yet Cold Past

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** Now I want to thank all of you for the wonderful review I got last chapter although I know last chapter was not the greatest (even I will admit that). So I am worried about this chapter as Shippo finally makes his appearance. So please don't be harsh on me. It took me a long time to write this chapter because I kept erasing everything I wrote.

Also, I will try to type two chapter for next week (depending how this chapter goes in reviews and such) so that I can update one for next week and the other to have ready so that I can update during vacation. But it does depend how this chapter is taken.

Thank you for the continued support and love that people have given to this story and even me. I have gotten so many words of encouragement and motivation on Tumblr and on here. It really helps! So thank you!

I hope you enjoy! This chapter is mostly Shutoku versus Seirin, so there is a lot of 'action' and small talks along the way. Also, can we talk about how we have reached the 20th chapter? 20! I didn't think this story would get this far!

**Chapter 20 - Warm yet Cold Past **

* * *

Seeing the ball end in Midorima's hands once more, Kagami turned his head with wide eyes. The tiger quickly clenched his teeth as he jumped up in the air and tipped the ball off from Midorima's grasp. The game was barely starting, yet he could already feel the strain in his legs with every high jump Midorima was forcing him to do. He hated to admit it, but Midorima's strategy was working. _'Dammit!' _he cursed to himself, watching the narrowed eyes on his opponent. Midorima had been going on with the same strategy since the first quarter and it looked like it was going to continue.

"All right!" shouted Fukuda from the bench, seeing the ball bounce away. "Kagami blocked him again!"

"They have been replaying this scene since the start of the first quarter!" exclaimed Furihata seeing the court balanced in power.

The miko sighed under her breath as she watched the time decrease by the second. Although Kagami was doing his best in stopping Midorima, she knew that this game plan would not last long. _'We have been keeping our lead against Shutoku since the beginning of the game…but Seirin is doing everything they can so far, but I have a bad feeling about Shutoku…'_

Eyes traveled to the ball in Hyuga's hands as he was confronted by Miyaji before dribbling it in place. _'I wish I could celebrate,' _the captain's eyes narrowed seeing no escape route from Miyaji' person, _'but it won't be that easy.'_

"What's wrong?" questioned Midorima, seeing the heavy breathing pattern from the tiger beside him. "Exhausted so soon? In that case, I am disappointed."

"Of course not!" glared Kagami, hearing the insult. "Bring it on, teme!"

Kagome sighed once more as she placed the clipboard on her lap. The amount of sweat dripping down Kagami's skin was too much compared to the other players. He was already pushing himself too hard and with Midorima's comments, it was only making it worse. _'He is not looking well. Kagami-kun is clearly more exhausted. Kuroko-kun was able to help him last time, but…this time…,' _her eyes traveled over to the phantom player, seeing Takao right behind him in his marking. _'No…it's this time as well. Takao-kun is making this really difficult.'_

"It's still only the beginning of the second quarter," chuckled Takao, catching the attention of Kuroko as he stood behind him. "What's wrong, Kuroko?" His lips curved into a smirk, seeing the tight focus on the phantom player. He chuckled at the sight, knowing well that he knew Kagami was beginning to struggle to save his endurance.

'_Kuroko-kun's greatest weapons are his ever-changing passes that utilizes his misdirection.' _Kagome's eyes followed the ball as it ended in Shun's hands. _'They have saved us countless times in many games. But Takao-kun sees the entire court. His hawk eye is no doubt stronger than Izuki-kun's eagle eye when they are put together on the same court. Last time we avoided it with a trick of misdirection.' _She quickly recalled her memories on their last game against Shutoku. Her eyes tightened, watching as Kuroko tried to get away from Takao's presence only to have him block his path once more.

"You are not going anywhere," chuckled Takao, stretching his arms to his side. "That won't work anymore."

Kagome gripped the sides of her clipboard, seeing the tight court as Shutoku defended against their team. "Kuroko-kun's misdirection can only be used for a limited amount a time...," she whispered to the coach beside her. She could even sense the nerves in Riko's aura as the game continued on.

"Hai," nodded Riko. "Not only that, but against an opponent he has played before, his effectiveness drops significantly."

Shun quickly threw the ball over to Hyuga's direction only for Miyaji to cut in front and tip the ball for their team. "Crap!" shouted Shun.

Eyes widened once again as Midorima came forth and caught the ball into his hands and prepared his stance for his signature shot. Kiyoshi's eyebrows furrowed: "Kagami!"

"No you don't!" yelled the tiger, making his way in front of the shooting guard and jumping in front of him. Kagami watched from the air as Midorima slowly crouched down with the ball in his hands, leaving him to curse under his breath.

"A fake!?" exclaimed Hyuga.

Midorima quickly dribbled the ball as he made his way around the tiger in the air and prepared for his true shot.

"I'm not finished yet!" Kagami's foot landed back on the ground before pivoting and turning to jump the other direction of the green haired player.

Takao's eyes widened, seeing the fast reaction of the tiger after he had just landed from his first high jump. _'A second super jump right after he landed!?' _

Kagami extended his arm out to tip the ball away from Midorima's hand, only for the tip of his nail grazing over the surface of the ball after it was set free towards the hoop. Everyone around followed the arc of the ball as it slowly made its way over.

'_Will it go in?' _questioned Kagome, feeling her heart almost stop as she was left in anticipation. Her pupils enlarged as she saw the orange ball hit the rim of the hoop – missing the shot. _'Midorima-kun…missed!?'_

The green haired shooting guard's eyes widened to see his shot miss for the first time in his life. No, he had not missed. He was sure Kagami had touched the ball with the tip of his nail by just a second. _'Was he quick enough to touch the ball?'_ he questioned himself.

"What unbelievable leg strength…," whispered Takao. His view changed over to the ball, seeing it still inside the court. "The ball is still in play! Run!"

Mouths dropped open at the sight of Kuroko coming up and catching the ball into his hand. When had he arrived there? The miko's shoulders slumped back down, seeing Kuroko land back down onto the wooden court. _'He was already running for the ball after Midorima-kun's fake. He believed Kagami-kun would touch the ball no matter what.'_

Kuroko quickly passed the ball over to Shun, smiling as the eagle eye player made the shot into their own basket.

"He is mixing in fakes," spoke Riko as her eyes narrowed on Midorima. "That is a first. This is getting worse and worse for Kagami-kun."

The ball was given once again to Midorima the moment Kagami came to face him. The tiger's face tightened, unsure what Midorima would do. _'Which is it? A fake or a shot? Damn it! There is no time to think!' _He took a jump upwards and cursed once more the moment the shooting guard past him to stand in another place for his aim. _'Then…I just have to jump again!' _Kagami landed back onto the ground before coming behind Midorima and extending his arm out to stop him.

"He won't reach this time!" exclaimed Kagome, seeing the difference in distance. _'This isn't good!'_

"You're not making this shot!" shouted Kiyoshi, appearing in front of Midorima in a jump.

Takao chuckled under his breath as he ran past Kuroko and made his way over to his teammate. "We have been waiting for this to happen!"

From the corner of his eyes, Midorima watched as Takao gave him a smirk. With a final glare, he changed the direction of his wrist and threw the ball over in Takao's direction. Expressions were filled with shock at the surprise pass Midorima had made. With the ball in Takao's hands, he quickly passed the ball over to Miyaji before he made the shot into their hoop.

Along with Riko, Kagome came to stand from her seat, surprised from Midorima's course of action. Did he really pass? He never did that in any of his games.

'_Seriously?' _Kagami's fingers curled into his palm. _'Midorima passed!?' _

"This is no joke," chuckled Kiyoshi as he rested his hands on his hips. _'He acted like he was doing it for himself, but he was shooting for his team. This must be the reason for Kuroko's and Kagome-chan's uneasiness.' _

Coming forth, Hyuga released a sigh. "Midorima has never relied on his teammates before. That's how we found openings and defeated him with teamwork. But now it's the opposite. Midorima has stopped fighting alone. Shutoku is a true team. They are more than formidable."

"I won't deny the situation is difficult," smiled Kiyoshi, watching as both Shun and Kuroko joined them in. "We are just in a bit of a pinch, though. It's not over. Let's have some fun."

The captain exhaled once more, still wondering how easily Kiyoshi could hold his positivity. "Yeah, I know."

"But, what are going to do?" questioned Shun, seeing that it was still a problem to stop Shutoku.

"I can't think of any way to stop Shutoku," commented Hyuga, coming to face the tall brunette.

Kiyoshi blinked as he turned towards his captain. "We will come up with something."

"You don't have any ideas!?" exclaimed Hyuga as his hand quickly slapped the back of Kiyoshi's head.

"That hurt…," he whispered as he rubbed his hit. With the smile coming back to his lips, Kiyoshi turned back to face the silent phantom player. "Well, we can start by benching Kuroko."

"E-Eh?" blinked Kuroko.

"If your misdirection doesn't work, you will only hold us back."

Even with the smile on Kiyoshi's face, Kuroko could not help but feel like a brick was piled over his head at the heaviness of his words.

"You are doing your best, but you are more of a hindrance."

Another weight was added to the pain.

"There is really no reason for you to be on the court."

Kuroko was quickly dropped with the final weight of Kiyoshi's words. He felt Shun's hand coming to pat his shoulder to console his depressed feeling. "There, there. Let it be, newbie."

"Izuki, shut up," glared Hyuga, seeing the pun master getting his chance. With the buzzer sounding off, eyes traveled over to the bench, watching as Riko stood from her seat as she spoke to Mitobe about the plan she had in mind. Hyuga nodded, finding it quite surprising that both Riko and Kagome were on the same page as them when it came to game. "The coach seems to be thinking the same thing."

Standing from her seat, Kagome watched as Kuroko gave Mitobe a high-five before coming to sit on the bench. With a low sigh, she could see the slight hurt in his eyes from being benched even though he knew himself that he was not helping much. Takao was on him during the whole game that it was almost impossible for Kuroko to perform his skill. Handing him a towel, she sent him a smile. "You will get your time to shine, Kuroko-kun. Don't lose focus."

"Arigatou," he whispered, gently grabbing the towel into his hands.

"Don't worry," she spoke, watching him place the towel over his head. "I am sure everyone on the court will be alright."

Kuroko gave her a nod with his lips curving into a smile of his own. "I'm fine. If anything, this will it easier to use my new drive. Besides…if you don't look worried, Kagome-chan, then I shouldn't be neither."

* * *

Running through the open doors leading to the stadium, pink orbs blinked tiredly as the female manager stopped at the balcony and nothing the players in their stance. Catching her breath, she huffed heavily. "T-They already started!" The female lowered her head, coming to remember how the Tōō ace had rejected her offer to watch Seirin's game against Shutoku. "Dai-cha is a baka! He didn't even come."

"Oh? Momocchi."

Hearing the male voice coming from behind, Momoi looked over her shoulder and noticed the familiar blonde coming into the stadium.

"Are you here to watch Kurokocchi and Midorimacchi's game?" he questioned with a smile.

"Ki-chan!"

"Could you stop calling me that?" he chuckled nervously.

Momoi smiled at the blonde, seeing it kind of ironic how he did not like his nickname when he had his own for the people he respected. "But you're Ki-chan! Are you alone?"

"Yeah," he sighed, coming to scratch the back of his neck. "I invited my team, but they all turned me down. It's disheartening, really…," he pouted, looking to the side. He was surprised when the whole Kaijo team had rejected his offer. Were they not curious about the game and Seirin in general? He quickly shook his head before turning his attention over to the pink haired manager. "I know! Why don't we watch the game together?"

"Huh?"

"It's a little weird standing with someone who beat us, but we are both going to the Winter Cup. How about a temporary truce?" Kise sent her a small smirk, seeing her confused. As much as the Tōō versus Kaijo match pained him, he knew that the Winter Cup was a chance to get his revenge. Seeing her nod, Kise pointed over at the two seats at the front. "There are two seats over there. Let's go."

With the two walking forth, Kise stopped with blinks as he noticed the familiar black haired trainer sitting beside an orange haired male. Not only that, the orange haired male looked like a model himself! Who was that? "A-Ah…Koga-san?!"

Feeling his ear twitch at the sound of his name, the wolf demon looked to his side, seeing the blonde player standing beside a pink haired female. Koga blinked, trying to get into his memories to see if he could recall the male. The wolf youkai nodded with a grin: "Ah, Kise Ryouta, right?"

"You remember me!" chuckled Kise. "This is an honor! Didn't think I would cross paths with the famous personal trainer again!"

Momoi tilted her head to the side, having seen the face somewhere. Koga? As in Ichiro Koga? The famous athletic trainer for national athletes?! What was a guy like him doing here? With her mouth falling open, she took a step forward. "Koga-san!? R-Really? You know him Ki-chan?"

"Well, we meet during Seirin's game against Tōō," Kise chuckled as he placed his hands inside his pockets.

"Wah! You went to our game!?" she exclaimed excitedly.

Koga nodded before coming to cross his arms. "Well, I went to the game to see a friend."

"A friend?" Momoi blinked as she placed her index finger over her chin. Koga knew someone from high school? Perhaps their coach? She followed Kise's movements and took the seat beside him. "Do you know someone from Tōō?" she questioned.

The wolf youkai shook his head with a snicker as his attention was drawn back to the court. "Nope. From Seirin."

"He is friends with Kagomecchi," cut in Kise, turning his head to face the female. "Midorimacchi was with me at the time and were quite surprised that she knew Ichiro Koga."

"K-Kagome-chan knows you!?" she exclaimed. Seirin's manager knew someone this famous and well-known in the sports industry? Her eyes slowly traveled down to the miko, seeing her observe the court and Shutoku's movements. "S-Sugoi…"

Turning back his attention over to the famous trainer, Kise blinked. "Are you here to see Seirin's game, then?"

"Yeah, but I came here to bring this guy over," with Koga's thumb pointing beside him, both Kise and Momoi leaned forward to see the orange haired male still concentrating on the game. "He is an old friend of Kagome's as well and he kept pestering me that he wanted to see what she was doing these days. Yo," nudging the kitsune's arm with his elbow, Koga caught his attention, "introduce yourself."

The kitsune quickly gave them a wave with two fingers pressed together as he grinned. "Nice to meet ya~ my name is Shippo."

"Ano…you know Kagome-chan, Shippo-san?" blinked Momoi. He looked young, but his looks could easily be deceiving seeing how attractive he was.

Shippo snickered under his breath: "Oh yes. She has taken care of me since I was little-"

Koga's hand met his chest, stopping him from saying anything further. "What he means - Kagome and Shippo have known each other for…years, so I guess you could say Shippo has always looked up to her like a big sister."

"Sister?" questioned Momoi. "Um…how old are you?"

"Me?" Shippo pointed at himself. "Nineteen."

"Eh!?" exclaimed Kise. "Then how come you see her like a big sister!?"

Koga's eyebrow twitched, seeing that they had placed themselves in a hole with no escape. How were they supposed to explain that Kagome had taken care of him since he was small? Koga coughed out his nerves, seeing both Kise and Momoi turning to him. "Shippo was always the short one in the group when he and Kagome were…young. Kagome was taller at the time and Shippo never processed the age difference."

"Oi," Shippo whispered under his breath, catching the insult. He was not that stupid.

"Mah! You two are so lucky to be close to Kagomecchi!" Kise exclaimed shaking his head in disbelief. He would give anything to be that close with the miko!

The kitsune blinked, hearing the nickname on the miko. _'Kagomecchi?'_

Hearing the cheers raise from the crowd, Momoi quickly turned her head to face the court. She had almost forgotten why she was there in the first place! "Anyway, how is the game going so far?" she questioned.

"Well, if you are asking me, it is getting pretty interesting," chuckled Koga.

Kise's eyes widened slightly as he watched both Kiyoshi and Kagami beginning to double team Midorima on the court. "They are double-teaming Midorimacchi?"

"They are not letting Midorima take any shots," added Koga, seeing the intensity in Seirin's defense. From his observations, he could tell that Seirin had no plan in stopping Shutoku, but they were pushing on stopping Midorima's three-point shots. The crowd cheered as Miyaji broke through Hyuga's defense and made a shot himself. With a chuckle under his breath, Koga crossed his arms once again. "This is definitely getting interesting." He watched as Hyuga's eyes narrowed as he caught the ball into his hands and hearing his yell.

"If we can't stop them, we just have to score more than them!"

Hyuga quickly passed the ball over to Shun with no hesitation, before it was passed over to the tall brunette. Momoi leaned away from her seat, seeing the quick reflexes from Seirin. "They're fast!"

"What a quick attack!" exclaimed Kise, not expecting to see this course of action on them.

"It looks a bit different," spoke Koga, seeing Kiyoshi flick his wrist in the air to throw the ball towards Shun, "but they are playing just like Tōō would."

Shippo rested his cheek over his knuckles as his elbow laid over the arm rest of his seat. "Looks like Seirin has no choice but to score since they have no defense plan."

"It looks like it," smirked Koga. His eyes slowly glided over to the miko, watching her hold her clipboard to her lap. He knew she was beginning to get nervous, but if she believed in the team, then why would he doubt Seirin's actions?

* * *

Catching the ball into his hands, Takao glared at the backs of their opponents, seeing that they were definitely a good team when it came to offense. "Is this the new Seirin?" he questioned, his eyes tightening down.

"No, not quite," commented Otsubo, clearing the sweat from his forehead. "It would be more accurate to say they are back. Seirin's style is offensive team basketball. It has become even faster with Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi and Hyuga, the stars of the inside and outside. Scoring with the speed and passing of all five players…it's run-and-gun speed basketball. This is their true form."

The miko's eyes narrowed down slightly, watching as Seirin were giving it their all. "Looks like Kiyoshi-senpai's and Hyuga's words helped to push them through." She was beginning to worry slightly, but she had faith in the team that they would pull through. She just could not see Seirin lose at this point. They had so much ahead of them.

"Two things have changed since Teppei joined," spoke Riko, crossing her arms as she caught the attention of her team on the bench. "The first is the strengthening of our inside. The other is the quickening of our passing by cycling the ball with our point guard Izuki-kun. High-paced point wars are our specialty."

Kagome returned to observe the court, seeing that Riko's words held truth. Gripping her clipboard on her lap, she held her breath. _'But…can this type of basketball work against T__ōō when they are much faster?' _The miko knew they had a long way to go before going against Tōō, but if they could beat Shutoku, then Seirin definitely had a chance at the Winter Cup to redeem themselves. Her eyes quickly widened the moment Takao passed the ball over to Midorima. _'No!' _Standing from her seat, Kagome lowered the clipboard to her side: "Kagami-kun!"

The tiger cursed under his breath as he jumped up, but was a second too late the moment Midorima released the orange ball and made it into the hoop. "Shit!" Kagami returned his glare on the shooting guard, watching him adjust his glasses.

"Stop daydreaming," Midorima's eyes narrowed. "You can't lose focus for even a moment if you want to stop me." The buzzer soon echoed throughout the court, signaling the end of the first half of the game.

"All right!" shouted Kimura as he patted the green haired male's back.

"Nice, Midorima!" Miyaji chuckled with his hand coming next in a harsher praise.

Kagami's fingers curled in, watching as Midorima turned back to face his teammates. It irked him that he had no true plan on stopping Midorima's shots. His own endurance was beginning to decrease and he needed to save his legs' power with the second half still left. What can he do?

"Don't let it get to you, Kagami!" grunted Hyuga, elbowing him on his abdomen. "If they score, we will score ourselves!" He chuckled seeing that the tiger was beginning to fume with anger in feeling powerless. They need him cooled down before he let his anger get the best of him.

"Let's score more!" smiled Kiyoshi, dropping his hand over his head – harshly.

* * *

"Wah, the crowd is definitely getting excited," whispered Shippo, coming to lean back in his seat. His eyes followed the teams coming to their benches, but caught sight of the miko handing out the towels and water bottle to her players. "Hmph, I should have gotten into basketball."

"Oh shut it," Koga shook his head. Just how much attention did Shippo want from the miko? _'Then again, I want it too…'_

Kise chuckled under his breath with his eyes catching sight of the miko in thought. "Koga-san, how do you think the second half will go?"

"Huh?" he blinked, taken back by the sudden question. He gave him a nod, seeing he wanted his opinion as a professional. Closing his eyes, he opened them in tight focus on both teams resting. "I have no idea."

"E-Eh…?" blinked Kise and Momoi.

Shippo's eyes dropped as he watched the wolf youkai from the corner of his view. What kind of professional was he when he replied like that? The demon was really stupid sometimes. "Oi, aren't you the one in this kind of field? Can't you at least say something that could sound smart for once?"

The wolf youkai scoffed, deciding to ignore Shippo's insult this time. Sighing, Koga scratched the back of his head. "I was not meaning it in a clueless way. The second half will definitely be a point war. But Seirin is at a disadvantage, though. Seirin has no way to stop Shutoku, but it's not as though Shutoku can't stop Seirin. If Seirin does not come up with nothing, they will fall first."

"Well, that's only true without Kurokocchi," smiled Kise, catching both Koga's and Shippo's silent attention. "He won't be able to keep his mouth shut for long. The phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles is the real deal."

Hearing a chuckle from the kitsune, eyes landed on his attention being glued on the miko standing before Seirin along with Riko. "But Kagome is also the type to never stay quiet. If she has something to say or do…she will do it."

* * *

Releasing a soft sneeze, Kagome shook her head. Where had that come from? The miko sighed as she checked her jotted notes on her clipboard. So far, she had caught no other trick to Midorima's skills, nor a way to stop Shutoku's advances. They were definitely at a dead end. _'Sheesh…are they that evenly matched this time?' _

Her eyes landed forward, seeing Hyuga stand with the rest of his team players. "Listen up!" he exclaimed. "Honestly speaking, stopping Shutoku is really difficult for us right now. I think we all know that by now. Our only choice is to score more than they do."

"The second half will be a point war," cut in Riko, crossing her arms. "We can't fall behind."

"Yeah!" shouted the team in unison before hearing the buzzer once again to call them again into the court.

Kagome sat beside the phantom player, feeling her shoulders slump slightly. _'I am afraid to say it…but I don't think we on the bench can help this time. Shutoku and Seirin are at equal footing. Even with Kiyoshi-senpai back…things are definitely getting harder. And they have probably studied our performance from the Inter-High. But…we have Kuroko-kun's new drive. It is just a matter to tell when to use it. If Shutoku pulls too far ahead before we put Kuroko-kun in, we are finished.' _

Kuroko's observed the miko from the corner of his eyes. She was being awfully too silent in this game, but he could not blame her. Even he was beginning to worry. He knew that this kind of strategy was not the best, but it was working for now.

* * *

With the game resuming, eyes quickly followed the ball in Midorima's hands before it was thrown over to Takao's way. Even with both Kagami and Kiyoshi on him, he still found a way through. Takao smirked as he made his way through the court and chuckled as Shun came forth. With his smirk growing wider, Takao's eyes narrowed. "Just kidding." Passing the ball underneath his legs, Shun's eyes widened at the sudden action. "Don't' miss," he snickered, hearing the ball being caught back into Midorima's hands.

"Quiet, baka," Midorima took his aim and released the ball into the hoop, taking everyone into shock.

The tiger's pupils expanded: _'A-A return? They can do that!?'_

Kagome watched as Shutoku's score went up with one point ahead of theirs. _'They took the lead in the second half!' _She was beginning to get confused the more Midorima continued on with his passes. Was he truly starting to believe his team? Changing her course of view, she blinked at the sight of the green haired shooting guard as he pushed in his glasses. Blinking once more, the miko tilted her head to the side the moment she caught the ends of Midorima's lips curve slightly upwards. "Huh?"

"What is it, Kagome-chan?" questioned Koganei, having her heard her voice.

"Just now…," she whispered, "was Midorima-kun smiling?"

"Smiling?" repeated Kuroko; confused. Midorima…smiling? No one on earth had witnessed that nor was it believed possible. "Are you sure you saw that, Kagome-chan?"

"I…don't know," sighing, her eyes quickly came to expand at the sight of Kagami trying to jump once more to stop Midorima's shot. _'No!' _He had stood frozen unable to move as legs shook. "Kagami-kun!" The miko stood from her seat, seeing the pulses on his calves from the strain. _'Baka!'_

"You seem to be at your limit," Midorima scoffed at the sight of the tired tiger.

Kagami quickly faced the shooting guard with a grunt. "What did you say!?"

"He is unbelievable," Riko stood from her seat, seeing that Kagami was quickly being pushed now by Midorima's plan. "Not even Kagami-kun and Teppei can stop him together. The Generation of Miracles are monsters."

Kagome sighed with a nod. She had to agree with Riko's statement and what frightened her was the future opponents would only get worse.

* * *

"Midorin has changed, hasn't he?" smiled Momoi, catching the blonde's attention beside her. With a soft expression, she had come to analyze Midorima's difference in attitude and even game play. Even him passing was a miracle.

"Really?" questioned Kise, raising a brow.

Turning her head to face the blonde, she sent him a wink. "So have you, Ki-chan."

He was taken back by her statement. He had changed? He could not see where Momoi was observing this if he did not even see it himself. "Huh? How so? Are you sure it's not that Midorimacchi hasn't been changed?"

"What…do you mean?"

Having overheard their conversation, Koga released a snicker under his breath. "I will agree with Kise-kun. People are changed, but when other people have come and affected your life in some way, you can't help but change." His long memories of Kagome appearing in his life for the first time always have him grinning. He used to be a wolf youkai killing the innocent without a care, but the moment she had set him straight, he had changed.

And it wasn't just him.

* * *

"Are thing really this different with Midorima's change?"

Hearing the voices of the first years on Seirin's bench, Takao blinked before setting his view on the green haired male. _'His change?' _he questioned himself. Was that how people were viewing him now? Had he changed? _'He hasn't changed, though. Not much…anyway. We acknowledge his skill. He is a freak and it's not as though we like him because of the way he is. But when we see him practice every day nonstop, even though he can be weird and annoying, no one can hate him.' _His eyes glided over to the miko, seeing her blink at the sight of the sudden eye contact. _'But I guess he has changed, though. It might be because of Kuroko and…her.' _

The miko jolted slightly at the sight of Takao's eyes on her before he quickly ran ahead. Why was he staring? Raising a brow in confusion, Kagome shook her head. _'How come I am getting the feeling I am being observed by many today?' _

"Kagome-chan."

Hearing the calm voice beside her, Kagome turned her attention over to the phantom player. "Kuroko-kun, what is it?"

"I think…I can do it now," he whispered. "My new drive."

"Are you sure?" she questioned. Kagome caught a glimpse of his orbs firing with determination, but even his aura was beginning to rise with confidence. With a smile, the miko nodded and turned her head to face the coach. "Riko-senpai, I think it's time to put Kuroko-kun back in."

"Hm?" taking a glimpse at the phantom player, Riko raised a brow. "Are you ready?"

Kuroko nodded: "Hai."

With a smirk coming onto the coach's lips, Riko stood from the bench and walked over to the referee table to make the change.

"Kagome-chan." Looking up at the phantom player adjust his wrist bands, the miko blinked the moment he looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I will help the best I can to move forward."

Kagome chuckled under her breath, seeing Kuroko turn back to face the court. "I know you will."

The sound of the referee's whistle was heard, stopping the players from moving as the buzzer came afterwards. Attention was drawn over to Mitobe giving Kuroko a high-five before he made his way into the court. With narrowed eyes, Midorima pushed in his glasses. "He is finally coming off the bench."

Takao made his way to stand in front of Kuroko, seeing the new determination in his eyes. "We still won't go easy on you. That and this game are different stories. We have been waiting for you, Kuroko."

"Kuroko," called out Hyuga, taking a step towards the phantom player, "are you ready?"

"Hai."

"Of course he is," Kagami pushed the phantom player from behind with a smirk, ignoring Kuroko's tumble. "Are you sure you can scare them?"

Kuroko sent him back a smirk over his shoulder before coming to his position.

"They are putting him in now?" whispered Miyaji, placing his hands on his hips. With the third quarter almost over, it had him wondering if Seirin could even catch up. Takao could easily point out the phantom player. "I thought hi mis-whatever didn't work anymore. They are not that desperate, are they?"

"If anything, it's the opposite," spoke Midorima, catching the attention of his Shutoku members. "He wouldn't be coming onto the court now without something up his sleeve. He must have something." All the years he had played with Kuroko, he knew that Kuroko was never placed on the court unless there was a plan. This was no different. He hated to admit it, but Shutoku had to place their guard up.

The buzzer to resume the game went off with Hyuga holding the ball outside the court and passing it over to Shun. His eyes narrowed, watching as Takao was tightly onto Kuroko's presence. They were not going to let him do anything.

"Takao-kun is all over Kuroko-kun again," whispered Kagome, narrowing her eyes on the hawk player. "But he can't stop him now."

Riko nodded to the miko's words. Coming to cross her legs and arms, the coach's lips curved into a grin. "He developed this technique to defeat the Generation of Miracles. It is only a matter of time that he can show us what he can do."

* * *

"Seirin has dropped their pace," commented Kise, watching as the offense Seirin had on before declined in speed the moment Kuroko was called back in.

Koga nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "If they attack carelessly right after bringing in their trump card, they will completely lose control of the flow of the game."

Watching from his seat, the kitsune relaxed back as he noticed the calm expression on Seirin's faces. "They are calculating the best time to use their trump card."

* * *

With the ball passed to Kiyoshi, the center's eyes landed on Takao's guard in front of Kuroko. Nodding, Kiyoshi passed the ball over to an empty direction. Takao cursed under his breath, noticing from the corner of his eyes as the phantom player began to move away. _'It's coming!' _Following him, he was quickly screened by Kagami's person. _'A screen!? Nani!?' _The hawk player's eyes widened as he watched Kuroko running towards their shooting guard. _'They can't be serious! He is taking on Shin-chan!?'_

Kuroko caught the ball into his hands, surprising everyone at his sudden course of action. Kuroko actually held the ball in his hands! Midorima's pupils widened as he clenched his teeth. _'Impossible! Kuroko can't use his misdirection while he has the ball!'_

Kagami smirked with a snicker, watching as Kuroko slowly lowered his arm with the ball in hand to his side. "It isn't about skill or speed. Only Kuroko can pull off the Vanishing Drive!"

Green orbs followed the ball's movements until Midorima took a blink and realized Kuroko's sudden disappearance as he passed through him. _'W-What!?' _Looking over his shoulder, he could not believe what he had just witnessed. Kuroko had easily passed through him and easily passed the ball over to Kiyoshi before making a dunk.

"He did it!" exclaimed Kagome, releasing a sigh of relief. Kuroko had perfected his drive!

Shun quickly passed the ball over to Kuroko once more, seeing him run back to their hoop. "Kuroko!"

Takao grunted under his teeth the moment the ball landed into Kuroko's hands, making him rush to stop him. "No you don't! I don't know what you did, but you won't get past me!"

Narrowing his eyes, Kuroko charged forward, easily passing through Takao's presence and heading towards the hoop with the ball still in hand. Throwing it over to his captain, he smiled as Hyuga made his shot, earning them three more points to their score.

"Let's keep calm!" shouted Miyaji, throwing the ball over to Takao. His eyes widened the moment Kuroko intercepted and passed the ball over to Hyuga once more.

Hyuga smirked as he made the shot one again, leaving them in a tie for the end of the third quarter. With the buzzer going off, the teams walked over to their benches for the break. The pressure was definitely pushing them down on their shoulders seeing the fourth quarter was next and it would be the hardest one yet.

The miko's eyes narrowed slightly, watching the tired sweat trickle down the five players, but could not help but feel her eyebrows furrow at the sight of Kagami breathing heavily through his mouth. _'He is pretty tired. He has been on Midorima-kun this whole time.' _The guy was exhausting himself too much. With a sigh, Kagome placed an ice pack over his neck - surprising him. Seeing his tired eyes on hers, she easily gave off the worry in her expression. _'I could give him some of my miko-ki and replenish some of his lost stamina, but there are too many eyes on him at the moment. Even Riko-senpai is keeping an eye on him.' _

"Kagami, are you okay?" questioned Shun, seeing the tiger continue to stare at the silent miko.

"I'm totally fine," he smirked, turning his attention to Shun. "Besides, I can't give up before Midorima."

'_You are not fine, baka,' _the miko sighed before giving Kiyoshi another water bottle. Blinking, she raised a brow upon noticing his aura. It was a bit weaker than before and she was sure she had seen it okay during the game. Lowering her eyes onto his knee, Kagome pressed her lips together. _'Don't tell me his knee is getting affected…'_

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kiyoshi, breaking her out of her observations.

"Uh…nothing," she whispered, scratching her cheek. As much as she wanted to question if he was okay, she knew it would only put further attention on Kiyoshi – which she knew that was not what he wanted. Turning to face the female coach, she spoke. "Riko-senpai, is Kagami-kun's legs okay?"

Riko's eyes landed on Kagami's calf muscles before seeing the stats of their current condition. Placing her fingers underneath her chin, she released a sigh. "He isn't straining too much, but Kagami-kun, you do need to be thinking clearly during the game. We can't have you jumped all the time. Your legs are still not strong enough to withstand them all."

"Hai, hai," he sighed.

The buzzer soon caught their attention, ending their rest. Moving to the side, both Riko and Kagome watched as their team players stood from their bench and headed over to the court. "Okay, let's go!" shouted Hyuga. "We will go hard in the remaining ten minutes! Seirin, fight!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

Kagome quickly reached from the tiger's jersey, tugging it from his back. Seeing his face turn over his shoulder, he blinked at her questioningly. "K-Kagome?"

"Don't do anything reckless," she narrowed her eyes. "You got it?"

"I got it," he sighed, turning away from her concern. Before he took another step forward, his eyes met Midorima's gaze on them. "I will beat him."

Blinking over to the green orbs on them, Kagome watched as Midorima's gaze changed from the tiger to her person. With a nod, Kagome sent him a small smile. "Looks like we are even at this point."

"Not for long," he replied with a glare.

Takao chuckled under his breath as he met with Kuroko, seeing he was observing the trio. "Nice. Looks like Kagome-chan is getting him worked up, too. Well, we can't let Kagami nor Kagome-chan outdo us that easily." Tightening his focus on the phantom player, he pressed his lips together. _'Honestly, I'm not sure what his trick is yet, but…', _Takao tilted his head to the side: "I will stop you even if I have to cling to you."

"I can't have you beating me so easily," Kuroko gave his reply, accepting the challenge.

* * *

With the game quickly starting in its fourth quarter, Seirin rushed forward with their initial strategy. Kiyoshi dribbled the ball in his run before passing it over to Kagami and then to Shun. From the corner of his eyes, the eagle eye user threw the ball towards his captain, seeing Miyaji running in to cut in front of Hyuga.

"Gotcha!" shouted Miyaji.

"Oh, crap!" exclaimed Takao, seeing Kuroko pass by him and intercepting into the ball and tipping it over to their ace.

Kagami caught the ball into his hand before taking a jump and dunking the ball in even with Kimura and Otsubo defending against him.

"Nice shot!" smiled Kiyoshi, patting the tiger's shoulder before running to their defense.

"You are lucky it went in!" Hyuga's hand met the back of Kagami's head.

Getting the ball into his hands, Takao passed it over to an angry Midorima. "Shin-chan!"

Narrowing his eyes, the shooting guard prepared his stance and aim. "Don't get ahead of yourselves!" He was starting to get annoyed over the rise in confidence the tiger and Kuroko were getting just because of the few points they were making. He would show them not to underestimate his own skills.

Kagome followed the ball's movements, finding it still surprising that Midorima had this much stamina left in him. _'He should be running out of steam soon. He said he increased his endurance, but…by how much!?'_

The shot was made, having the crowd cheer at the accurate three-pointer scorer. The ball was soon in Seirin's hands, giving it over to Hyuga's hands before he released his own three-pointer shot. "We are not here to lose!" he shouted.

"Neither are we!" smirked Takao, passing through Hyuga's blockage and making his own shot into the basket.

Kagome and Riko blinked as she watched both teams go back and forth in scores even with the minutes ticking by. It was all happening too fast for them to process what was happening with each member. It was as if they were experiencing a high in the game with their minds fully focused on the goal. There was no doubt Shutoku continued to try to make their shots along with Seirin's. The scores being even at each other.

'_This balance needs to tip off sooner or later,' _Kagome's eyes tightened in focus, watching as Kiyoshi made a shot. _'This can't go on forever. We have less than a minute left and Shutoku is in the lead by one point! Come on, Seirin! There is no time left!'_

Shun's ball was tipped off, making him curse under his breath as the ball was close to bouncing off the court. _'No! The ball will be theirs!'_

Eyes widened the moment Kuroko jumped up and caught the ball into his hands, seeing Takao come after him. "You are not going anywhere!" he shouted to the phantom player.

"Then," Kuroko lowered his stance, "I will force my way through!" He knew there was no time to lose. They needed to act quick! Using his new drive once more, he passed through Takao and made his way forward.

'_Damn, damn, damn!' _Takao's eyes widened as he watched the ball being passed from Kuroko's hand over to Kiyoshi.

"Nice pass, Kuroko!" smiled Kiyoshi before bending his knees slightly for the jump, only to stop for a second upon feeling the strain.

Kagome's pupils stretched, seeing his frozen state. _'Kiyoshi-senpai!' _

Pushing himself to jump, Kiyoshi aimed for his dunk, only to see Midorima's arm stretch beside him to stop him from doing so. "No way, Iron Heart!" he shouted.

'_Crap!' _Kiyoshi's hand released the ball and noticed Midorima's finger slightly brushing to it before his back collided with the shooting guard's chest. The referee blew the whistle, seeing the foul before the basketball hit the rim of the hoop – missing the shot.

"Defense, pushing! Shutoku number six! Free throw, two shots!"

Midorima cursed under his breath as he turned to face the scoreboard. They were one point ahead and only two seconds were left in the quarter. These two free throws could cost them the game!

"Don't worry about it, Midorima," Kimura placed his hand over Midorima's shoulder, seeing him already irritated with the outcome. "It was actually a nice play. If you hadn't done that, he would have made it for sure."

'_Damn it,' _he cursed to himself again. _'I meant to block without fouling him. No wonder they call him the Iron Heart.' _

"We are still hanging by a thread," spoke Miyaji. "All we can do now is pray."

Takao sighed, wiping the sweat with his jersey as he saw Seirin prepare. "If he makes these shots, we have to accept it's over. Even if he misses, if we don't get the rebound…"

"There is no way he isn't feeling the pressure now," added Otsubo, seeing his team beginning to worry. He would not lie and say he was not feeling nervous himself on these free throws. "Before you start praying, give it your all! We need to get that rebound!"

"Two seconds left…," whispered Kagome, seeing Kiyoshi breathing a little heavier than before. _'The game comes down to two free throws.' _She would have never thought this was how the game was going to end. All of the pressure was on Kiyoshi. Standing from her seat, the miko took a step forward as she watched Kiyoshi put the pressure onto his right leg as he stood while his left knee bent from the pain. The shaking of his leg was almost bearable to watch. Just how much was he keeping in?

From the side, Hyuga's eyebrows furrowed, not missing the silent pain Kiyoshi was trying to hide to himself. Nodding, he turned his attention to the other three in his team. "Screen them out. Don't let them get the ball!"

"We are just being prepared," smiled Shun, noticing that even his captain was beginning to worry. Turning to Kiyoshi he sent him a smirk. "We are not telling you to miss, of course."

"Making both of these is the fastest way to win," scoffed the tiger, placing his hands on his hips.

Kuroko came forth after adjusting his wrist band. "Let's have some fun, senpai."

Taking in a deep breath, the tall brunette exhaled before turning towards the hoop with a smile. The pressure was on him, but he could not let that get in the way of their win. "That is what I will do." Coming to his post, his eyes landed ahead, seeing both Seirin and Shutoku divide in to two lines on each side of the hoop.

"Two shots," spoke the referee as he handed the ball into Kiyoshi's hands.

Kiyoshi waited for the whistle before he began to bounce the ball in place to get a good grip. Spinning the ball between his hands, he stopped the movement and eyed the basket ahead. The silence was drowning everyone as they waited for Kiyoshi's next move. He quickly took his stance and set the ball free into the air. Eyes followed the arc of the ball until it swooshed into the basket.

"It went in!" shouted the Seirin on the bench.

"We are tied! We are tied now!" exclaimed Koganei.

Kagome gripped her clipboard as it rested beside her. She watched as the referee blew the whistle again while handing Kiyoshi the second ball. His aura was wavering and the flinch in his eyes said it all. _'Kiyoshi-senpai…stop pushing yourself so hard!' _From the corner of her eyes, she could see Riko praying with intertwined fingers as the rest of the team were bracing themselves for Kiyoshi's last shot. Coming back to see the tall brunette, she could not help but flinch herself at the sight of Kiyoshi bending his knees for his jump.

His hand set the ball free with all eyes present following it up in the air. Time seemed to slow as the ball slowly descended down and hit the rim of the hoop.

"Rebound!" shouted Riko and Shutoku's coach.

Jumping up for the ball, both Miyaji and Otsubo extended their arms out to grab the ball. Their eyes quickly widened the moment Kagami grabbed the ball into his palm and moving it to the side before he jumped back up to make the dunk himself.

Midorima's hand quickly met on the other side of the ball, halting Kagami from pushing the ball into the hoop. Both Kagami and Midorima pushed on their ends only for the ball to be flicked away to bounce on the court. The buzzer soon went off, signaling the end of the game.

* * *

The crowd went silent and awed by the final score. Both teams were tied now and there was no more time left to continue on. Momoi blinked with shock at the final outcome. "They are…tied."

"The game is going into overtime, then?" questioned Kise, leaning forward from his seat.

"Normally, yes," spoke Koga, sighing under his breath. Even he had not expected this to happen, "but because this tournament is trying to keep games short, they have no overtime rules." Even he had heard from Sesshomaru, as one of the sponsors, that the games before the Winter Cup had to be made short.

"Which means…it's a tie," whispered Kise coming back to see both teams silent on the court.

Catching Shippo standing from his seat, Koga raised a brow. "Where are you going?"

"Where else?" he smiled, making his way through the crowd. "I have to say hi to someone."

"C-Chotto!" Koga quickly stood from his seat as he followed behind the fast walking kitsune, leaving both Kise and Momoi in blinks. He knew that he was being impatient about wanting to see the miko, but knowing the kitsune, he would do anything no matter how many eyes were on him! Before he exited the audience section, his eyes landed on the other half of the court, seeing the team with teal and black colored jerseys. Narrowing his eyes, he could feel a bad vibe from the team. His eyes read the scoreboard, catching the team's name. _'Kirisaki Dai Ichi?'_

Momoi tilted her head to the side as the two men disappeared. "Where are they going?"

"He said that he was going to say 'hi' to someone…," replied Kise as he turned back to face the court. His golden orbs narrowed upon watching the miko relax her shoulders. He was not sure if it was weird to him or not, but he was beginning to think Kagome had a secret. From the cosplaying picture to knowing someone like Koga – it was weird. _'What are you hiding, Kagomecchi?'_

* * *

'_That last free throw…,' _Kiyoshi's head lowered along with his eyes as he stared at the wooden floor. _'If I had just made it…,' _cursing under his breath, he lowered his eyebrows. Why did his pain need to kick in at that moment?

"Kiyoshi!"

Hearing Hyuga's voice, he turned to his side seeing his four teammates rushing to him with their hands up in the air before knocking him down on the ground by the impact. The tall brunette rubbed his neck as he looked up to his teammates. Were they mad? "You guys are brutal. Honestly, I didn't expect you to blame me that much."

"Blame you?" questioned Hyuga. "Those were high fives."

"Eh?" blinked Kiyoshi.

"Don't be stupid," Hyuga sighed, seeing what Kiyoshi meant by 'blame'. "We made it this far because of you."

Shun sent Kiyoshi a smile as he rested his hands on his hips. "No one took it easy. It's no one's fault."

"Besides," spoke Kagami, looking to the side, "we didn't lose."

"We did the best we could," smiled Kuroko. "I have no regrets."

"Bakas!" shouted Riko, hitting the four behind their heads. "Don't just push Teppei down like that if you aren't blaming him!"

Chuckling under her breath, the miko came beside the sitting center and offered her hand to help him up. "You did great, Kiyoshi-senpai."

Kiyoshi returned the smile before placing his hand over hers. Coming up to his feet, he patted the miko's head. "Arigatou."

"Is your…knee okay?" she questioned, coming down to stare at it once more.

Lowering his eye to his injury, Kiyoshi bent it slightly before giving the miko a nod. "Yeah. No need to worry. I am fine." Although he was upset that the game had ended in a tie, they did not lose. That just meant they had to win the next game and meet Shutoku in the Winter Cup to finally put an end to their balanced rivalry.

"Kagami."

Hearing the deep voice beside them, Seirin turned their heads to meet Shutoku facing them. Midorima took a step forward as he pushed in his glasses. "Surely you are not satisfied with this."

"Of course not," he scoffed with a smirk. "We will settle things later."

"There will be no ties at the Winter Cup," spoke Takao, coming to face the miko as she came to stand beside the phantom player. "Let's settle things then."

"I couldn't ask for more," smiled Kagome.

"Okaa-san!"

Before anyone could utter a word, eyes widened the moment the miko was tackled down on the ground. All players took a step back, seeing the male with orange hair held in a low ponytail having his arms wrapped around Kagome's neck as he nuzzled her cheek.

_'Okaa-san!?' _they exclaimed in unison inside their heads. Had they heard right?

"K-Kagome-chan!?" shouted Hyuga, concern filling his eyes as he saw the miko sitting back up and rubbing the side of her head.

"Itai…," Kagome's eyes slowly opened to stare back at a pair of green orbs. "W-What the heck-!?" She stopped her words from leaving their lips as she saw the toothy grin on the male wrapped around her on the ground.

Taking a step forward, Kagami's eyebrows furrowed: "Are you okay, Kagome!?"

"Oi! Shippo! I told you to wait up!"

Eyes quickly glided over to the incoming male as he stuck his hands inside his pockets. Riko blinked, noticing the familiar trainer coming into the court. What was he doing here? "K-Koga-san?! What are you doing here?!"

The wolf youkai quickly set his eyes on the miko being tightly hugged by the kitsune. Grunting under his breath, his made his steps quicker before pulling Shippo from the back of his shirt and onto his feet. "Oi! I told you to watch it! Don't tackle my woman down!"

"Don't be calling her your woman, baka!" shouted Shippo in defense. Seriously, what was this wolf youkai thinking getting in the middle of his reunion with Kagome? "Besides! You already saw her!"

Confused by the sudden argument, Kuroko slowly turned his head down to see the silent and dazed miko. She sat frozen in her spot as her eyes remained on the duo ahead. Was she okay? She did not get hurt, did she? Before he could question her health, Kuroko stopped the moment he saw Kagome's lips part.

"Shi…Shippo?"

Both youkais stopped in their yells before turning towards the sitting miko. Reacting first with a smile, Shippo stepped close: "Okaa-san! So you do recognize me!?"

'_Okaa-san!?' _the same questioned ran inside the heads of the players from both Seirin and Shutoku as they saw the grin on Shippo's expression. Seirin's manager was a mother!?

Kagome sat silent, unable to process any words in her mind. Was this really Shippo? The baby kitsune she had taken care of in the feudal era? His aura was no mistake. This was definitely his aura and here he was with Koga. This had to be her Shippo.

"Ano…are you okay, okaa-san-?" Shippo was quickly hit on the back of his head by Koga's hand. Rubbing his hit spot, he looked over his shoulder and glared at his attacker. "Oi! What the hell!?"

"Don't call her that, baka!" Koga glared with an eyebrow twitch. Did he not know he had an audience present?

Kuroko lowered his arm down, catching the miko's attention to his offering hand. Her cerulean orbs met his before placing her petite hand over his. Helped back onto her feet, Kagome watched as Kiyoshi tilted his head to the side.

"Who are you?" he questioned. He was sure he had called Kagome…'okaa-san'. He looked a bit older than her to be a mother – if she even was one.

Shippo blinked at the tall brunette before he came forth and wrapped his arm over the miko's shoulder. "My name is Shippo."

Looking at the orange haired kitsune beside her, Kagome wanted nothing more to hug the boy, but was caught in Koga's sigh.

"I am sorry to break this happy moment for all of you, but it looks like we need a moment to speak with Kagome," Koga scratched the back of his neck, seeing that all eyes were turned to him – questioningly. Pointing with his thumb over his shoulder, he tilted his head to the side. "Let's go, you two."

Shippo locked his arm with the miko as his grin remained glued on his lips. "Come on, okaa-san! We have a lot to talk about!"

"A-Ah…c-chotto…," as she was dragged away, Kagome's eyebrow twitched knowing that she was getting the curious stares from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she could already sense the questions wanting to release from each person. _'Wait! I need to clarify with them about this before they get any wrong ideas! S-Shippo! Koga! Chotto matte!'_

Seeing them disappear and leave the court, Takao scratched his cheek with a chuckle. "Well that was certainly a surprise, huh, Shin-chan?" He released a louder laugh before placing his hand back on his hip. "To think Kagome-chan was leading a secret life as a mother!"

"He is only joking with the nickname, Takao," Midorima's eyes narrowed on the empty door frame.

"What was that about?" blinked Koganei. "They just took our…manager."

"Kagome-chan…looks shocked."

Hearing the phantom player's words, heads turned to face him. Kagami raised a brow in question. "What do you mean, Kuroko?"

"It looked like…she was going to cry…"

* * *

"Well, now that we are out of people's eyes, we can talk freely, right, Koga?" smiled Shippo, turning his head over his shoulder to see the wolf youkai sighing as he came out of the stadium.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, damn kitsune." Koga's eyes narrowed as he saw the kitsune's arm linked with the miko's. The baka had to be careful what he said around others! Then again…he was not one to talk. He did call Kagome 'his woman'. Looking around his surroundings, he caught no people and sighed again, seeing the coast clear for them to talk.

Shippo quickly found the miko's hands cupping his cheeks as she made his head turn to face her. Blinking, he returned back to his toothy grin. "What's wrong, okaa-san? You think you are dreaming? I promise you I am the real thing-"

Kagome quickly wrapped her arms around the kitsune's neck, taking him by surprise by her silent action. His ears twitched at the sound of her muffled tears in his shoulder as her body shook slightly before his own arms wrapped around her waist. Burying his face into her hair, he patted the miko's back.

'_I guess I don't need to say anything more,' _he chuckled mentally.

Kagome leaned away with her tears still hanging from the corner of her eyes as she cupped the kitsune's cheeks once more. "You…really grew up," she chuckled before coming to lean her forehead into his.

"Aren't you proud of me, okaa-san?" he grinned with closed eyes. "I have become really strong, you know? I can protect you now!"

"Protect her from what, baka," Koga's eyes dropped. "We are in different times now. All she needs protection from is those baka basketball guys that keep flirting with her."

"Flirting with me?" blinked Kagome, leaning to the side to stare at the wolf youkai. What was Koga talking about now? Dropping her eyes, she blinked with a bored tone. "Stop talking nonsense, Koga."

Koga's lip twitched at the miko's answer. Was she being dense? There was no way she was being dense with this. It was obvious that she had caught the attention of the few basketball bakas in there! He huffed with crossed arms. She deserved a better man. _'Like me. I could take care of her in this era as well.'_

"I am surprised you got into this activity, okaa-san," cut in Shippo, catching the miko's attention once more. "I would have never thought of you as a basketball manager."

"Neither did I," she chuckled. "Chotto, what do you do, Shippo? Are you a student? Or…"

"You kidding," scoffed Koga, coming to stand beside the orange haired kitsune. "This guy just helps Sesshomaru with some stuff in the business. He finished school long ago. But since he is gifted with the genes of a youkai like us, we don't age much."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as she observed the two youkais in front of her. Of course they were gifted with wonderful genes. It was unfair how good looking they were and how young they stayed. She had guessed five hundred years would make a change, but the only thing that did change was Shippo's height.

"Basically this baka is living life," Koga patted Shippo's back harshly, earning him a glare back.

Coming back to face the female, Shippo sent her a smile. "But you picked a nice team to manage, okaa-san. I was never into the sports field like this air-head, but the match with Seirin versus Shutoku definitely grabbed my attention. You have some strong teammates." Shippo snapped his fingers, looking at the wolf youkai beside him. "Especially those two weird ones. The red head and the one you could barely even see in the court, who were they, Koga?"

"You mean Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun," smiled Kagome. "Yeah, they are…a unique duo. But the whole team is unique if you ask me. I am enjoying my time with them."

Seeing the smile on the girl, both Shippo and Koga relaxed. After years of worry and concern over the miko were finally set to rest. The smile she held assured them she was okay now.

"And looks like Kagami is doing well with his leg strength, but he still needs more training before he can go against Tōō. But before Seirin can advance to the Winter Cup, you guys will need to go against Kirisaki Dai Ichi, correct?" questioned Koga, raising a brow.

Kagome nodded, remembering back to having checked the tournament bracket. "Yeah, I was told that they were strong opponents." The miko's memories clicked back to having encountered Hanamiya. No doubt that the colors he was wearing were the same as Kirisaki Dai Ichi.

"Just be careful, Kagome," spoked Koga, putting his hands back into his pockets. "I don't get a good vibe from that team…I am sure you don't neither."

He was right on that. The moment she had connected eyes with Hanamiya and after overhearing his talk with Kiyoshi, she had received nothing but shivers down her spine. Almost like she was getting a warning to stay away from him. _'My aura readings are never wrong…but it isn't like we can just avoid him. Our next game is with his team.'_

"Well, don't worry about too much, okaa-san," smiled Shippo, patting the miko's shoulder. "I am sure your team will be okay against them.

'_I hope so…,' _she sighed. Her eyes quickly blinked as she noticed a black and white fur ball running past them and around the corner towards the vending machines. _'W-Wait…was that…?'_

"Oi, isn't that the dog you had the other time I saw you?" questioned Koga with a raised brow. "What is that mutt doing here?"

"Nigou!" exclaimed Kagome, seeing that there was no chance of the dog hearing her. _'Kuroko-kun actually brought him?! Did he have him hiding in his bag this whole time!?' _Biting her lower lip, she took a step forward and looked behind her shoulder. "Um…"

"Go ahead," Koga's fingers waved her off. "Get the mutt. I know he is important to the team."

With a nod, Kagome sent the two youkai a smile. "Arigatou." She quickly wrapped her arms around the kitsune, surprising him in the process. "Please don't lose contact with me."

"I won't," he chuckled. "You think I will leave you after all these years of waiting? Of course not, okaa-san."

"Right," she nodded as she separated herself from her adoptive son. "Also, Shippo…please refrain yourself from calling me 'okaa-san' in front of others. It was hard enough explaining to the others why think baka," she pointed over at the wolf youkai, "would call me his 'woman'."

Shippo sent her a frown in disapproval. What was wrong with calling her 'okaa-san'. Sure he understood that they were in different times, but she was his adoptive mother. It was a pain that some things like their past and their true identity had to be kept a secret. But at least he had his mother back to his side one last time. A chuckle escaped under his breath as he took in her features. She looked exactly like he had last seen her.

Kagome waved at the two boys, knowing that Nigou would very much run to any place he set his curiosity at. Turning back towards the direction of Nigou's path, she looked over her shoulder once more and sent them one last smile.

The kitsune waved at the miko as his own grin widened. His heart definitely felt much fuller after seeing his mother after so long. Who knew five hundred years could feel so lonely without the one person that you deeply cared about.

"Happy?" questioned Koga, crossing his arms.

"More than happy," smiled Shippo as he turned his body to face the wolf youkai. "I am glad she is in safe hands with Seirin."

Koga snickered as his eyelids closed. Even he had the same thoughts when he caught sight of the miko with the team. But after meeting the team personally, his worries had died. She was in good hands alright. It was obvious the team cared for her. "Well, we should get going. We are coming here tomorrow as well."

"Ah, right," nodded Shippo as he took out a lollipop from his pocket. "When do they go against Tōō Academy? Aren't they the team that beat Seirin in the Inter-High?"

Giving him a nod back, Koga's right hand reached behind his neck and gave it a scratch. "But it seems that they won't be going against each other until further in the tournament. The same region schools can't go against each other once the Winter Cup is here. But I think the team needs to redeem themselves sooner if they want to grow. With Tōō further in the tournament, it will take a few games before they get there."

"Hmm," placing the lollipop into his mouth, Shippo crumbled the wrapper in his hand. "Why don't you just tell Sesshomaru to change the tournament teams?" A small smirk curved into Shippo's lips. "He can, you know. Besides, if you say Seirin needs to get over their loss, it might as well be sooner than later."

Tapping his chin with his index finger, Koga nodded to Shippo's idea before releasing another chuckle. "You know, that is not a bad idea. Kagome might hate me later, but she will see that Seirin will grow if they win against Tōō."

"Maybe I should get a present for okaa-san, then…"

"A present?" questioned Koga. "What for?"

"As a thank you," he smiled.

"Ano…."

Both Koga and Shippo quickly jolted at the sound of another voice, making them look behind the wolf youkai. Blinking, they noticed the familiar ghostly haired basketball player standing silently. When did he arrive? They had not even sensed him! What was he? A ghost!?

With a lip twitch, Koga took a step back. "A-Ah….Kuroko, right?"

"Did you see my dog anywhere here?" he questioned, seeing the stares he was getting from both Shippo and Koga. "He jumped out of my bag when I opened it."

Shippo sent the phantom player a grin as he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. "Yeah! That little black and white dog? Okaa- I mean, Kagome went after him that way!"

Kuroko blinked at the duo before giving them a nod. "Arigatou." Making his way forward, questions in his mind began to create the more he stared at the two mysterious persons that Kagome knew. Koga was obviously older and the orange haired male did too. How did she knew them?

* * *

Slender taped fingers pressed the coin into the vending machine before reaching to push the button of his desired drink. Another index finger quickly pressed on the button first, surprising the green haired male of the sudden interruption.

"This is what you wanted, right?" smiled the pink haired female as she reached down the vending machine and grabbed the red bean drink up to the shooting guard. "It's been a while, Midorin."

Midorima's eyes narrowed before taking in the drink into his hand. Hearing another pair of footsteps coming towards them, he turned his head to the right, not surprised to see a familiar blonde.

"Not a bad game, right?"

Huffing under his breath, Midorima made his way down the path of the vending machines, hearing both Momoi and Kise following behind. Did these two have nothing better to do than to follow him? Surely they still had teams to work in.

"If you win your next game, you will be in the Winter Cup," commented Kise, seeing that Midorima was not going to take the initiative to speak first. "Make sure you don't mess this up."

"That's impossible, nanodayo," Midorima finally spoke as he found the wooden wagon parked outside the stadium. Even after his team had left, he had told Takao to finish up his packing so that they could leave soon as well. He was tired as it was and with the results of the last game, he was not happy. A tie meant nothing. "Don't be stupid, baka."

"Who are you calling stupid?!" exclaimed Kise, a little offended at the insult.

Closing his eyes, Midorima continued his steps forward. "I'm not the one you should be worried about. Seirin's next opponent is Kirisaki Dai Ichi. Hanamiya Makoto." Turning his head over his shoulder, his eyes tightened at the seriousness of the name. "It's obvious they have their sights set on Seirin in the championship league. They are guaranteed to do something to secure their victory."

"One of the Uncrowned Kings…," whispered Kise, resting his hand on his hip. Even he had heard of the name and it had nothing good tied to it. "They got another difficult opponent to face."

Momoi nodded to their words, having nothing to say back. Even she had guessed Tōō would have difficulty against Kirisaki Dai Ichi with such a rough player like him.

"I'm leaving," spoke Midorima, catching the attention of the two behind him. "See you later."

"Already? But it's been so long since we have seen each other," whined Momoi, seeing the shooting guard walk towards the wooden vehicle attached to a bicycle.

Kise took a step back, seeing the unknown vehicle in front. "Whoa, what is this!?"

"It's exactly what it looks like," he replied back. "Takao pulls it."

**Bark. **

With the light bark filling their ears, eyes were drawn inside the wooden carrier. Eyes blinked in unison at the sight of the black and white dog wagging its tail as his own eyes blinked back at them. Kise blinked silently as he recognized the mascot right away. _'T-This guy…'_

'_He is wearing a uniform! K-Kawaii!' _exclaimed Momoi inside her head as her eyes shined with excitement at seeing the dog.

'_Why? Looking at him makes me so angry for some reason!' _Midorima's eyebrow twitched the more he continued to stare at the dog's blue orbs. Something about them irked him.

Momoi's hands gently grabbed the dog into her arms as she stared into the familiar eyes. "What is he doing here?"

"Momocchi, you are getting too excited," chuckled Kise.

"Nigou! Nigou!? Where are you?"

Hearing the female voice coming around the corner, both Momoi and Kise blinked at the sight of the miko appearing before them. A smile stretched onto the blonde's lips. "Kagomecchi!"

"Ah….Kise-kun, Momoi-san…," blinking her cerulean orbs again, the miko caught sight of the green haired shooting guard giving her a scowl. "Midorima-kun…what are you three doing together?"

"We came to watch the game," smiled Kise, taking a step towards the black haired manager. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome eyes landed on Nigou, seeing him smiling at her in Momoi's arms. "Ah! There you are, Nigou!"

Midorima quickly screeched with a grunt the moment he looked inside the wooden vehicle. Turning around, he pointed at the dog in Momoi's arms. "That dog peed in my cart! Give him to me, Momoi."

"Why?" she questioned.

"I'll shoot him into the basket."

"Oi!" shouted Kagome, hitting the back of Midorima's head. "That is cruel! You can't do that, Midorima-kun! What did he ever do to you!?"

Midorima rubbed the back of his head as he sent a tighter glare on her. "He peed in my cart!"

"So?! That is what dogs do, baka!" she defended back as Nigou jumped into her arms. "Learn to be forgiving!"

"Kagome-chan."

Turning her head over her shoulder, Kagome smiled as she saw Kuroko walking towards them. "Kuroko-kun." Nigou quickly jumped down to the ground before running over to his owner. "Did you come looking for Nigou?"

"Hai," he nodded, feeling Nigou's tongue licking under his chin with excitement of being reunited. His eyes landed ahead, seeing not only Midorima with the miko, but also Kise and Momoi in the group. "What are you all doing here?"

Momoi's eyes widened as she saw Nigou licking Kuroko's skin. _'A god that looks like Tetsu-kun is licking Tetsu-kun's face!' _She quickly fainted to the side with Kagome reacting and catching her by her shoulders. "I-It's so cute…"

"M-Momoi-san!?" exclaimed Kagome, seeing the girl unconscious. The miko sighed, seeing it shocking that the girl had actually fainted at something so simplistic.

"Kagome-chan, were you done talking to Koga-san and your…other friend?" questioned Kuroko, catching Kagome's attention from the pink haired manager.

"Huh?" she blinked. "Oh….yeah. After I saw Nigou running out, I told them I had to grab him before he ran far from the stadium."

Kuroko's eyes lowered down to Nigou in his arms, feeling his eyebrow drop in worry. "Gomenasai. We cut your talk short."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Kuroko-kun," she smiled. "Koga and Shippo are coming tomorrow to see our next game."

"Oh, that's right!" exclaimed Kise, snapping his fingers. "Koga-san and that other guy were here!"

Blinking with confusion, the miko's eyes glided over to the blonde. "You saw them?"

"We sat next to them," he smiled. "I was surprised to meet Koga-san again since the last time. I met him with Midorimacchi when Seirin was playing against Tōō, right, Midorimacchi?"

The shooting guard grunted in reply as he pushed in his glasses. He had no interest in answering that question even if he was curious how Kagome knew the famous Ichiro Koga. But the bigger question now was about the young male that had called her 'okaa-san'. What kind of nickname was that? And here he thought Kise's and Momoi's nicknames were bizarre.

"I am quite shocked you know someone so famous, Kagomecchi," chuckled Kise. "I would have never thought that you knew Ichiro Koga."

'_Neither did I…,' _she felt her sweat drop appear. She knew the demon Koga, not the athletic one.

"Koga-san calls Kagomecchi his woman," cut in Kuroko, gaining wide eyes of shock from the miko.

"Nani!?" exclaimed Kise, dropping his mouth open.

Midorima chocked in his shock as he adjusted his glasses once again from their crooked look.

"His woman!?" repeated the blonde, changing his eyes to stare at the miko. "A-Are you dating him!?"

"No!" she shouted back. Kagome quickly sent the phantom player a glare, seeing him look away holding back a laugh. The little baka was messing with her! With a sigh, she set Momoi's shoulders into Kise's hands. "Long story short, I have known Koga for…a few years before he, um…became famous."

"Then who was that other guy?" questioned Kise. "He seemed to be friendlier with you."

The image of a young Shippo came into her mind, making her chuckle with a nod. "He…is a precious person to me. He would always cheer me up when I was having hard time."

The three males stood silent, surprised slightly at seeing her soft smile appear on her expression. Kuroko blinked, almost as if he was seeing Kagome shine brighter the more she opened up to them. A part of him was slightly envious that she had such caring friends and that she cared for them back, but it made him smile every time she showed that happy expression. It warmed his invisible heart.

"There you are!"

Eyes glided over to the other incoming voice, seeing none other than Midorima's teammate, Takao, with his hands inside his pockets.

"Shin-chan! Let's go!"

Huffing one last time, Midorima turned his back to the others. "This is foolish. I'm going home."

"You're leaving?" questioned Kagome, watching him walk towards the wooden cart.

The shooting guard stopped in his tracks before looking over his shoulder towards the miko. Narrowing his eyes, he sent the girl a nod. "Higurashi. Kuroko. Let's play again at the Winter Cup. We will settle our score there."

Both Kuroko and Kagami nodded to his challenge before seeing him walk next to Takao as the black haired male moved the cart with them.

"Well, we should get going too," spoke Kise, adjusting Momoi behind his back before lifting her up. "I will get her some water. I wish you guys luck tomorrow! Also, Kagomecchi…I am still waiting for that date." He sent her a wink before walking the opposite direction of their path.

"Keep waiting," she dropped her eyes with a bored blink. It was official to her that the blonde was not going to take a 'no' for an answer.

"I'll text Kagami-kun and tell him we found Nigou. He went back inside to look for him when he escaped. I'll tell him to meet us in front of the stadium so that we can walk together," spoke Kuroko, getting the miko's attention back on him.

The miko nodded before lowering her eyes over to the dog in the phantom player's arms. "Alright. I just hope he hurries before the sun sets."

* * *

The tiger sighed as he looked at the screen of his phone, glad that Kuroko and Kagami had found the little monster. The team did not even have time to react to Kagome's new tackling friend due to Nigou running off on his own. Kagami stopped the moment he saw the door open to their locker room. He was sure he had been the last one out after Hyuga and Riko had left. Blinking, he took a step forward as he heard a grunt of pain being released from inside.

'_Who was that?'_

"You're full of bravado."

The tiger blinked again as he heard his captain's voice inside talking to someone else. What was Hyuga still doing here? He had left. Leaning close, he held the strap of his sports bag to get a better ear full of the conversation.

"It was unnatural for you to miss that shot," spoke Hyuga, seeing the tall brunette gripping his knee.

"You knew?" questioned Kiyoshi, smiling at the captain's glare.

"I thought something was up," Hyuga released a sigh as he came to sit beside his teammate, resting his elbows on his knees. Closing his eyes, he collected his words in thought before he spoke them out loud. "Don't play in our game against Kirisaki Dai Ichi."

"Don't be ridiculous!" he shouted. "This year is probably my last chance! Even if it destroys my knees, I am playing!"

Kagami flinched at Kiyoshi's words, shocking him fully that his knees were still injured. He thought he was fine. That is why he was back, right? Gripping his closed cell phone, Kagami's eyes narrowed as he continued to over hear the conversation. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but hearing that one of his teammates were still hurt and hiding the pain – it pained him even more.

* * *

"Ah, there he is." The miko's lips curved into a smile as she saw the red headed tiger walking out of the stadium as his hand tightly held the strap of his sports bag. Blinking, she noticed his head hung low as his eyebrows furrowed. Reading his aura, she quickly caught the feeling of anger and confusion. Had something happened inside?

Holding Nigou in her arms, Kagome took a step forward, stopping in front of the tiger. "Kagami-kun?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Are you…okay?"

Kuroko came to stand beside her, seeing the silence wrapping around Kagami. No doubt that something was in the tiger's mind, but he was not the type to talk about it that easily. Before he could question his teammate, another voice interrupted their gathering.

"What are you three still doing here?"

Looking behind Kagami's person, the trio blinked at the sight of Hyuga walking out the stadium – alone. Narrowing his eyes slightly to a mild glare, Kagami watched as his captain made his way towards them. Where had Kiyoshi gone? Did he go the other way?

"Hyuga-senpai, are you the last one out?" questioned Kagome, hearing the captain sigh.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And you," he quickly flicked the girl's forehead, surprising her from his sudden attack, "don't go running off like that! We weren't sure if to wait for you or if you were going with your friends!"

"Gomen…," she pouted, rubbing her forehead.

Hyuga huffed, crossing his arms as he saw the pout on the miko's lips. "You have a lot of explaining to do. But let's wait until the whole team is here."

Kagome sighed herself, giving him a nod in response. "Hai." Explanation were waiting and she needed to come with another excuse as to why Shippo had called her 'okaa-san'. This time it would be more difficult to come up with a reason. _'Shippo…as much as it joyed me to see you…you could have chosen something else to call me.' _

"Are you guys heading to the same bus stop?" questioned Hyuga, seeing it strange the three were heading to the same spot.

"Hai," nodded Kuroko.

"Captain." Hearing the tiger's voice finally release, eyes landed on the seriousness that had taken over. "Can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" he blinked.

The miko drew an eyebrow upwards, seeing it slightly weird that Kagami was being serious about something and especially coming up with questions. What was going on with him?

"What was that about?" questioned Kagami, tightening his eyes. "Why did Kiyoshi-senpai say this year was his last chance?"

Both Kuroko and Kagome reacted to his words with their eyes slightly widening with the news. Last chance? The miko slowly turned her head towards the captain, seeing him silent with no expression on his part.

With a low sigh, Hyuga closed his eyes. "You heard that? Fine, then. Considering his condition, all of you would have found out eventually. I might as well tell you everything. It happened last summer…," walking forward, he heard the steps of his kouhais behind him. "The moment I entered high school, I had bleached my hair blonde."

"B-Blonde…?" blinked Kagome, not being able to picture the captain in such a color.

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled under his breath. "But during my first year in Seirin, I decided quit basketball. I thought it was a loss of time and not worthy of putting my effort in. I basically rounded my time in arcade games and doing whatever I liked yet…I still felt empty. I met Kiyoshi and he quickly tried pushing me into creating a basketball team since there wasn't one in Seirin. I kept rejecting the idea, but in the end he was able to convince me. We worked hard in every practice, but during our match against Kirisaki Dai Ichi last year, Kiyoshi had trouble with another Uncrowned King – Hanamiya Makoto."

The miko's eyes narrowed at the name. Even the name alone made her tense.

"Towards the end of the fourth quarter, I noticed his knee beginning to weaken on him."

"I noticed his knee shaking at the end of the Shutoku game," commented Kagome, remembering the flinches the tall brunette would give as he tried to move.

Hyuga exhaled as he looked to his side, seeing cars pass by. "He was pushing himself, making some minor injuries, but Hanamiya Makoto…he is a real bastard."

"What do you mean?" glared Kagami.

"The moment he was placed on the court, his smirk alone was enough to make me put my guard up. We were winning that game, but no doubt that he had his eyes on Kiyoshi. But I was sure I heard it. I saw it. Hanamiya gave a signal where another player heard it," Hyuga's teeth clenched, remembering have heard Hanamiya's fingers snap with a smirk. The tone in his voice was drenched in fake worry. "That signal made the player injure Kiyoshi's knee further."

"And that is when he ended up in the hospital…," finished Kagome, dropping her eyes down to Nigou in her arms. So the male she had overheard speak with Kiyoshi had been the culprit. But there was no evidence.

Curling his fingers into his palm, Hyuga closed his eyes. "Kiyoshi needed surgery, but he put it off so that he could play this year. I don't want him to play the next game. That would only worsen his injury if he were to go against Hanamiya."

"But he doesn't want to," cut in Kagami.

"I know he doesn't," Hyuga's eyes slowly opened, watching as the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky auburn. "But I can't stop him. He wants to play for his last year."

Kuroko's eyes dropped, hearing the hidden pain behind his captain's voice. To hear that someone so despicable injured someone else to win…it angered him deeply. Following the captain with his friends, he watched Hyuga place his hands inside his pockets.

"That's that," he added. Looking over his shoulder, a scowl glued onto his features as he noticed the gloom over their faces. "Oi, come on. Don't take it so seriously. It's just an old story. You don't need to worry about it." Stopping in his steps, Hyuga adjusted his glasses. "This is the only year I will get to play with Kiyoshi. I don't want to have any regrets."

The trio behind the captain remained silent before the miko was the first to smile at the strong stand Hyuga held. Reading his aura, it did signal off worry, but he was the pillar of the team. The captain. "Hyuga-senpai."

Hearing the miko's voice, Hyuga looked over his shoulder once more.

"Don't worry, we will take care of Kiyoshi-senpai on the court as well," Kagome nudged Kuroko and Kagami with her elbow as she adjusted Nigou in her arms. "You have us now. You have the team, Hyuga-senpai. I promise you that if Hanamiya Makoto ever comes to hurt Kiyoshi-senpai, he will have to deal with us."

Kuroko and Kagami nodded to the girl's words, seeing no reason to object. They cared for the team as much as their captain did.

With a chuckle escaping under his breath, Hyuga faced forward and proceeded down his path. "You three sure are bakas."

* * *

Looking away from her clipboard, the miko's eyes landed ahead, seeing Seirin beginning to warm up on the court. After the crazy day before, she was surprised how easily she had crashed on her bed once she arrived home. So many emotions were passing through her mind. The high of her happiness to be reunited with Shippo, but after hearing Hyuga's story on Kiyoshi's injury, nothing but worry filled her. Today was the day they would play against Kirisaki Dai Ichi.

'_Against Hanamiya Makoto…,' _her eyes wandered to the other half of the court, seeing the black and teal team warming up themselves. Hearing a miss on the rim of the hoop, her attention was drawn to Hyuga. Did he miss his shot?

"Is Hyuga okay?" questioned Koganei, coming to grab a ball from the basket. "He has been missing all his shots today."

"I understand he is excited, but…," from the corner of Shun's eyes, he caught the Uncrowned King of the opposite team, "we are up against them today."

* * *

"Oh! Looks like we made it!" the grin on the Tōō captain stretched as he walked into the stadium and looked over the court with players warming up. Looking over his shoulder, he chuckled at the sight of his teammates observing the ground themselves.

"We are here." Female hands undid the large purple fabric as it unfolded and revealed a grouchy ace.

The female manager chuckled under her breath as she saw the tan male scratching the back of his neck. "That was a dirty trick," he grunted.

"You are just too stupid, Aomine," smirked Imayoshi, seeing the glare appear on Aomine's eyes. "You can thank Hojo-kun for coming up with the plan."

"Nani!?" he exclaimed, turning his attention over to the timid brunette. "You were the one that put that magazine on the floor to catch my attention?!"

Momoi tapped her chin, remembering how easy it had been to trap the tall male with the simplicity of a magazine. "It was easier than catching a sparrow…"

Aomine quickly stood from his spot and faced Hojo, showing him the magazine that had trapped him in. "This isn't Horikita Mai-chan! It's Horiuchi Mako-chan! I like big tits!" he shouted.

"S-Sumimazen!" he apologized, bowing to ace. After Momoi and Imayoshi had caught him coming into the gym, they had brought him into the plan to come up with something to bring in the ace to Seirin's match against Kirisaki Dai Ichi. It was something they would benefit from watching, but knowing Aomine, he would end up saying it was a pain and a waste of time.

"So what?" Imayoshi's voice dropped. What was his problem with the other idol? It had caught his attention in the end, right? "They are both cute. Who cares?"

Aomine quickly threw the magazine down on the ground. Damn them for not knowing the difference! Grunting under his breath, the Tōō ace placed his hands inside his pockets before setting his eyes on a certain manager on the court. Raising a brow, he noticed Seirin's opponents. "Oh?"

Hearing the slight interest coming from her childhood friend, Momoi turned her head. "Nani? Nani?"

"I'm not interested in the game, but…," his eyes narrowed watching as Kagome's eyes seemed to roam in search of another player. But the inside of her eyes seemed more serious than most eyes. Almost as if she was on guard, "they seem awfully bloodthirsty today."

* * *

"Come on, hurry up," smiled the blonde, looking over his shoulder to see his teammates following him into the stadium.

"Don't rush." Looking out the rim of the balcony of the seats, the Kaijo captain sighed, watching both Seirin and Kirisaki Dai Ichi practice their shots. "They are still warming up."

"Anyway, Kasamatsu…where are the hot girls?!" exclaimed Moriyama looking left and right in search for a girlfriend.

Kasamatsu's vein throb on his forehead. How did he end up with such weird teammates that always gave him such a hard time to push them into concentration? "That is not what we are here for!"

"Ah!" Kise's arm extended upwards in wave as his eyes caught sight of the miko observing the clipboard in her hand. "Oi! Kagomecchi!"

"You shut up too!" Kasamatsu's leg gave him a kick, shutting him from disturbing the audience around. Did these guys never get the hint they were in public? It was like taking care of little kids! He did not sign up for this! He was the captain for Kami's sake!

* * *

"Looks like they are warming up, Koga," smirked the kitsune, watching as the Seirin captain once again failed again in making his shot. "Ouch…looks like he is tense today."

"Maybe a little too much," sighed the wolf youkai. Coming to sit on his seat, Koga crossed his arms. He knew the tension was rising the higher Seirin rose in the tournament bracket. Just from his spot, he could see Hyuga's shoulder stiff. "This might be the toughest game yet for them."

Shippo rested his hands behind his head as he kept the lollipop between his lips. "I am sure they will pull through. With Kagome on their side, they won't give up easily."

A snicker was set free from Koga's person. "I spoke to Sesshomaru on the phone yesterday night about your idea of having Seirin face Tōō if they advance to the Winter Cup."

"Oh?" Shippo raised a brow, as he observed the demon beside him. "Did he agree? If he did…that is a miracle. It is tough to convince him."

With a smirk curving up his lips, Koga set his eyes once again on the miko. "Don't worry. Once I explained what had happened with Seirin and Tōō on their last match…he seemed interested himself. In fact, he may come and see the game himself since he has to show himself for the Winter Cup opening."

The kitsune's eyes shined with interest: "You think he will let us in with him in the suite!? He has to!"

Koga's eyebrow rose as he turned his head to face the over excited kitsune. "Oi, didn't you already ask him for something?"

"Oh, yeah," he chuckled. It had been a challenge to convince the cold youkai, but when he promised he would be careful with showing his true identity, it was easier for the inu youkai to agree. "I told him if it was okay to buy something for okaa-san…so I did. You told him about what happened when I saw okaa-san, huh?"

"Had to. You know he is always on edge because of you and how you act." Shaking his head, Koga uncrossed his arms. "What did you buy anyways?" he questioned.

"You will see," Shippo winked, ending the topic.

* * *

"Here."

"Thanks," grabbing the ball from the miko's hands, Kagami turned back to practice his shots from a far. Not only was he worried, but he knew that Kuroko and Kagome were at the edge of cliff; tense of the being in the presence of Hanamiya.

The miko sighed, seeing all the auras of her team waver with nerves. What could she do to calm them? A bit of her miko-ki could do the trick, but she felt annoyed on how limited she was in being human. She was used to using so much in the feudal era. _'Times have definitely changed…I just wish I could tell them. The true me.' _

From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a basketball rolling past her. "I got it!" she smiled, hearing the thanks from Fukuda as he followed it with an apology. Chuckling under her breath, her steps and laughs stopped the moment the ball touched a pair of feet on the other half of the court. Kagome blinked, following the dark colored sweatpants upwards until she met a familiar dark gaze and smirk.

"Here you go."

Seeing the ball in his pale hand, Kagome nodded her thanks and slowly reached for the ball. What was she afraid of? He was just another player. Nothing that she had to worry about. "Arigatou." The moment her hands clamped around the orange ball, she felt a cold hand grab her left. Her cerulean orbs met a cold pair of grey.

"You're welcome. Kagome, right?" the corner of his lips curved. "I know I didn't introduce myself the last time we saw each other. Hanamiya Makoto."

"Yeah…I have heard of you," she replied.

"Oh?" chuckled Hanamiya, raising a brow. "Is that so? I feel honored that my name has come to your knowledge." His eyes scanned the area, landing over at his target. "He seems to be feeling well."

Following his line of sight, Kagome looked over her shoulder to see Kiyoshi shooting the ball. Narrowing her eyes, she returned back to stare at the cold stoned eyes. "Yeah, thanks to you."

"Really?" he snickered. "Well, I can see that you have become an important piece to the team from what I observed."

Observed? This guy had been observing the team? For how long?

Hanamiya leaned close to the miko, letting his smirk widen as she leaned away from his person. "I can only imagine how they would react if something were to happen to you, Ka-go-me-chan."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **and that is the end of this chapter! Next chapter will hold the big game against Kirisaki Dai Ichi and a lot more things will happen between Hanamiya (the bastard we all love) and Kagome! Also, if you know what happens after the game...you are in for a treat! Thank you for reading and for the support! It really helps! I will try to write two chapters next week so that I can update during my vacation, but we will see. Also, I am having a 'Sleepover Saturday' today on Tumblr. So basically check my profile and look for the post on what you can send me (anything really) or if you have questions or just want to talk!

I hope you enjoyed! Don't worry, Shippo will give his surprise in the next chapter and let's just say some people will be getting pissed over Hanamiya's actions!

Again, thank you!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	21. Protecting and Forgiving

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Longest chapter - yet. So the plan was changed. I could not write two chapters in a span of one week because other things came, so I decided to give you all a much longer chapter than usual. Since I will be going on vacation with my family next week, updates will not comeback until the week after. Sorry if I made you angry, but this will also help me clear my mind as I have had some personal issues to sort through on my own. I feel bad leaving you all after all the support you have given.

But with this chapter, we have the Seirin versus Kirisaki Dai Ichi match and a little more afterwards. Big surprises will be coming next chapter as well! We are getting closer to the Winter Cup! Some romantic things will start in the next chapter as well so...get your hearts ready! We get a protective -cough- possessive -cough- Aomine. Angry Seirin team, Kise and Kasamatsu, and add in Shippo and Koga. So much anger. We all need Kuroko to calm us down...

I hope all of you enjoy this extra long chapter. It really took me a long time to write. And I hope I haven't made some of you angry over the vacation thing.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 21: **Protecting and Forgiving

* * *

"Is that a threat?"

The miko's eyes threatened back as she caught his words. Was he implying he would try to hurt her? Taking a step forward, Kagome lowered the ball down to her hip before meeting his cold gaze. "I would like to see you try, Hanamiya-san. But don't think for a second that you will win with your tactics." She would not let him win with words and nonetheless with actions. The aura he gave off was anything but good. Hanamiya had his eyes set on Kiyoshi and she would not let him do what he would like.

"Oh?" smirked Hanamiya, seeing the fire in the blue orbs of the miko. "What tactics are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I am talking about," she replied, tightening her hold against the ball. "I am sure you haven't forgotten what you did last year."

"Oi, oi, don't be so mean, Kagome-chan. I haven't done anything."

The miko clenched her teeth together, ready to spew anything that could tell him off until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Following the trail of the arm, she blinked at the sight of Hyuga sending a glare of his own to Hanamiya. "Hyuga-senpai…"

"He hasn't forgotten, Kagome-chan," he spoke, keeping his sights on the smirk stretching on Hanamiya's lips.

"You still think I did something?" he questioned with a raised brow. "I don't know what you are talking about. He just hurt himself. But do take care of your team. We wouldn't want them getting hurt neither, right? Especially your kawaii manager." With a snap of his fingers, he chuckled at the sight of Hyuga's and Kagome's eyes widening.

"Teme!" Hyuga took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to pulverize the guy for not only feigning what he had done to Kiyoshi, but he was now giving a new threat. A heavier hand quickly landed on his shoulder, stopping him from moving forward.

Kagome's hand shook as she heard Hanamiya's words, but the shaking quickly stopped the moment she felt hand come and grasp her wrist. Sailing her anger away from her body, both Hyuga and Kagome looked to their sides to see Kagami and Kuroko looking at their threat.

"Kagami-kun. Kuroko-kun," blinked the miko, seeing their eyebrows furrow.

"He is even shittier in person," glared the tiger. "We heard you. Loud and clear. No matter what you pull…"

"…we won't lose," finished the phantom player. He felt his rage beginning to boil inside. He had not missed the threat not only on Kiyoshi, but on Kagome as well. He was not sure how sadistic Hanamiya was, but he felt that Hanamiya would hurt someone outside the court if it guaranteed him a win.

Kagami's eyes tightened in anger, feeling his fist ready to push through. "We can take it, but don't you dare drag someone else who is not on the court. If you want to, you need to crush us first."

Hanamiya chuckled under his breath, seeing the over-protective duo on the miko. "Oh, you two are certainly assertive. I have heard about your first year duo. You two should be careful. I just hope nothing happens, that is all," he shrugged his shoulders before giving them his back and walking towards his team.

Curling her fingers into her palm, Kagome refrained herself from fighting or even talking back. With so many eyes around, she had to bite her tongue. _'Lucky bastard. If this was another era, I could easily purify you.' _

"Kagome-chan, let's go to the bench. Coach wants to talk about the plan." With Kuroko's voice breaking her out of her inner rage, she sighed and nodded.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" questioned Shippo, gripping the arm rest beside him. His green orbs solely focused on the Kirisaki Dai Ichi captain. His ears twitched one last time, remembering the threat that lingered within the court.

Releasing a scoff, Koga crossed his arms. "The bastard is lucky I am all the way up here and laws are protecting him from my claws. I may be disguised as a human, but my senses are still highly effective. He actually dared to threaten my woman? A high school kid?" With his sights narrowing down on the target, he raised his head slightly. "He better hope that I don't see him in public."

"Don't worry," chuckled the kitsune, watching as Kagome set the basketball inside the baskets. "I am sure okaa-san will set him straight. She was never one to keep quiet."

"You're right about that." Koga could remember the old memories like if they happened the day before. Even as a human and surrounded by demons, the miko never knew when to stay quiet and swallow her words. _'But that is one of your charms.'_

* * *

Riko exhaled as she lowered the clipboard from her eyes and watched the tall brunette begin to tape his injured knee. With eyes dropping and filling with worry, the female coach looked over at his stats. They were lower than usual, but mainly because he was straining himself since the game against Shutoku. And what worried her more was the fact that their next opponent was Hanamiya Makoto.

'_Hanamiya-kun has his eyes on Teppei still,' _she told herself, crossing her arms. _'Teppei and everyone else needs to be careful.' _

"Kiyoshi-senpai!"

Hearing his name being called, the brunette's eyes rose to meet the other three first-years looking down at him with a roll of brown tape in their hands. He blinked, seeing Fukuda take a step forward as he spoke once more. "We will take your legs for you!"

"Let us do it, Kiyoshi-senpai!" exclaimed Furihata, seeing the baffled look on Kiyoshi.

"Eh? O-Okay…," he replied, unsure how to answer to their offer.

Kawahara gripped the tape in his hands. "There is not much we can do, but…please win!"

"Huh?" Kiyoshi's eyebrows narrowed, seeing it a bit fishy on their actions. Did they know something? Turning his head over to the captain, he watched him as he began to stretch his arms. "Hyuga, did you tell them?"

"I told Kuroko, Kagami, and Kagome-chan after the Shutoku game. The others must have told them." He spoke, coming to stretch his left arm across his chest. "It's nothing to hide."

"Finished!" exclaimed Furihata, as the others retreated their hands away from their twenty layered tape around Kiyoshi's knee.

Riko quickly hit the back of their heads, seeing Kiyoshi's leg fully wrapped in thick bandages. Did they not know how to bandage? "It's not finished at all! What is he, a mummy!?" With a heavy exhale, Riko looked to her left, seeing the miko check on her own clipboard. "Kagome-chan. Can you wrap Teppei's knee?"

Blinking to the question, Kagome nodded before setting down her clipboard and walking over to Kiyoshi. The miko took the roll of tape into her hand, smiling as she heard the female coach murmur about how her players needed to learn proper first-aid. Kagome knelt down in front of the brunette, slowly taking off the thick layers the first-years left on him.

"Wari."

The miko raised her head to meet Kiyoshi's eyes. She could not help but blink and be taken back at the slight worry painted over his expression. "Why are you apologizing?"

"It looks like Hanamiya threatened you, didn't he?" he questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

The scoff held in her throat was released, surprising the center sitting in front of her. "He doesn't intimidate me, Kiyoshi-senpai. If you are worried about me, you shouldn't be." Just how many times had she gotten threatened in the feudal era? And it was literally death threats. "He is despicable in thinking that he can win with the way he does things."

"But that doesn't mean you should underestimate him, Kagome-chan."

"I am not underestimating him," she answered, coming to wrap his knee with the new skin colored tape, "I simply am not afraid of him." Sending the tall center a smile, she patted his knee lightly. "It's finished."

Returning the gesture on his lips, Kiyoshi stood on his feet, moving his knee slightly to see that the tape was working to subdue the pain. "Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

"Don't push yourself too hard," cut in Riko, seeing the brunette turn to face her. "If you think you are in trouble, we will switch you out immediately."

"Got it," he nodded. Coming to pat the first-years heads, he thanked them before sending the miko a nod in appreciation.

"Alright!" shouted Hyuga, coming to huddle the team together in circle. "Let's win! Seirin, fight!"

Kagome sighed softly under her breath as she watched Hyuga's and Kiyoshi's auras drop slightly with worry. It was definitely starting to make her feel tense. Although Hanamiya did not scare her, she was scare for her team. They were the ones on the front lines against a ruthless and rough team.

* * *

"They are so annoying, they are making me dizzy." Blowing a bubble with the blue gum in his mouth, the male let it pop over his chin as he heard the cheer on Seirin's bench. A smirk shaped behind the gum substance as the greyish-purplish wavy haired male peeled it off.

"The game is starting!" shouted another towards the sleeping player wearing a sleeping mask as he kicked the leg of the bench. "Wake up, Seto!"

"Yamazaki, he is not a starter," chuckled Hara, looking over his shoulder, despite the wavy locks curtaining over his eyes.

The light steps beside them caught their attention, seeing the dead fish eyes on one of the Kirisaki Dai Ichi player. "Leave him alone," he spoke with monotone, seeing that the male was deep asleep. "It's sad, isn't it?" He questioned, turning his head over to their captain. "The harder they try, the more brutal the outcome."

Nothing but a grin and chuckle escaped from the lips of the pale skin male as he watched the miko talk with the first-year duo. "Let the fun begin."

* * *

"The game between Seirin High and Kirisaki Dai Ichi High will now begin!" announced the referee as he held the ball on his palm. "Bow!"

"Thanks for the game!" both teams shouted in unison as they stood in line facing each other. The irony of the 'thanks' really stung both teams. Seirin wanted nothing more than to avoid this game, but at the same time, they wanted to show their opponents that they could win with whatever obstacle they threw at them.

* * *

"It's starting…," whispered Hojo, as he and Momoi watched both teams take their positions.

With the grin stretching on his lips, Imayoshi chuckled under his breath. "The winner advances to the Winter Cup. It's a decisive game."

* * *

The ball was quickly thrown into the air with Kiyoshi tipping it to their side. Catching it into his hands, Shun made his way through the court.

"Okay!" exclaimed Riko, biting her lower lip. The first step in the game plan was complete. She had two things in mind: not let Kirisaki Dai Ichi score nor let any of her players get hurt. "Go!" she shouted, watching as Shun passed the ball over to Hyuga.

The miko smiled at the shock on Hanamiya's face the moment Hyuga threw the ball over to Kuroko's hands, knowing very well what was next. _'Don't underestimate us, Hanamiya-san!' _

Yamazaki scoffed at the pose Kuroko took as he slowly moved the ball into his firm grip. He had seen it occur against Shutoku and he was not going to be fooled. _'A person can't just disappear. There must be some trick to it!' _ Taking a step forward, he charged towards the phantom player in attempt to stop him. "You are not going anywhere, brat!"

"I'm not," in a blink of an eye, Kuroko disappeared from Yamazaki's eyes and appeared behind him with the ball in hand, "a brat." Kuroko rapidly threw the ball into the air near the hoop and smiled the moment Kiyoshi dunked it in.

* * *

"They scored first!" exclaimed Wakamatsu. "That was an alley-oop!"

"And not a bad one," Imayoshi rested his cheek on his knuckles, seeing the tall center run back with the phantom player to their defense.

Having caught Kuroko's new move, Aomine leaned away from his seat slightly. He was sure he had seen Kuroko disappear for a second in front of the opponent. He was sure he did not even blink at that moment. Kuroko had actually kept the ball in his hands. "So this is Tetsu's new technique Satsuki mentioned." The smirk on his lips appeared, feeling excitement beginning to run through his veins. "Interesting."

The Tōō captain laughed, catching his teammate's attention. "Seirin's games are never boring."

"Their coordination was impressive, too," cut in Momoi, surprised how well the combination with Kuroko's Vanishing Drive worked with Kiyoshi's dunk.

"They are in top gear out of the gate," Imayoshi nodded to Momoi's statement. "They are one of the most aggressive teams in Tokyo, took. How will Kirisaki Dai Ichi handle this?"

* * *

"Damn it," cursed Yamazaki, seeing Seirin take their defense. "Seirin is pretty strong. Kiyoshi the Iron Heart and the rookie duo Kagami and Kuroko. Hyuga the clutch shooter and Izuki the control tower. They are individually strong across the board."

Hearing the sadistic chuckle behind him, the orange haired male looked over his shoulder to see Hanamiya with the same glued on smirk. "So what?" he asked; sarcastically. "I always tell you the same thing. I don't care if they are geniuses or prodigies. Break them, and they are all just trash." With the ball in his hands, Hanamiya dribbled forward, coming to meet Shun.

'_We are up against an Uncrowned King,' _Shun's focus tightened, careful not to miss a single step Hanamiya took. _'I don't know how much I can do. Last year he intentionally injured Kiyoshi's leg. No one knows what he will do. I refuse to lose to him!' _

Hyuga quickly came to help Shun, only to meet the dead fish-eyed male in front of him, blocking his path. "Huh?" Furuhashi raised a brow, seeing the anger clearly polished on Hyuga's face. "You look awfully aggressive. The game has only just started. Relax."

'_What is up with this guy? He has the eyes of a dead fish. He wasn't on the team last year,' _glared the Seirin captain. Was this guy trying to help in calming him down or sink him deeper into the pit of anger he was already in? Seeing him move to the right, Hyuga followed after him only for his head to be blocked with Hara's shoulders in a rough push. Grinding his teeth together from the pain, he cursed under his breath. _'Wasn't that a foul!? That was a rough screen!' _

The miko's eyes widened slightly as she caught the hit in Hyuga's forehead against Hara's shoulder. That was definitely done on purpose and the evidence was all on the smirk glued on Hara's lips before he made his way over under the net. _'Those bastards!' _Her sights were caught on the ball in Furuhashi's hands before he made a shot.

"Oh?" he blinked. "Maybe I relaxed too much." He sighed the moment the orange ball hit the rim of the hoop.

"All right!" exclaimed Kagami, ready to jump to get the rebound. He felt his foot being weighed down by something else, making him look down to see Hara's foot pressing down on his. "D-Damn it…"

Cursing under her breath, Kagome gripped the clipboard in her hand. "What the heck is the referee doing?!"

"It's in the referee's blind spot," glared Riko, annoyed as much as her players. She was used to seeing Kirisaki Dai Ichi's tactics, but she could easily see that their rough play was getting worse. Both hers and Kagome's eyes widened the moment Hara caught the ball into his hands and divided his elbow back to hit the tiger's face.

"Kagami-kun!" shouted the miko, quickly making him react to the call and pull his head back.

'_That was close!' _his teeth clenched in anger, feeling the merciless action on Hara's move. _'He spun towards me with his elbow out!' _

Hara threw the ball back into the backboard of the basket, making their first two-points. He blew another bubble out of his lips as he walked past the tiger's angry breathing. "Gomen, gomen," he chuckled.

"That bastard!" Kagami turned his head over his shoulder. That apology held nothing but mock underneath.

"Calm down, Kagami!" exclaimed Shun, knowing that the tiger was the first to react towards his rage. If anything, they needed their ace to calm down. "Don't get too worked up."

'_Kagami is not the only one who is angry,' _grunted Hyuga, having not missed Hara's attempt to injure the tiger. _'They are being this obvious in their attacks?' _

"Kagome-chan."

Hearing her name, the miko looked to her right, noticing the clipboard being handed to her by Riko. Blinking at the statistics in front, Kagome took it into her hands and laid it over her own clipboard. Her eyes scanned the data, seeing that it was over Kirisaki Dai Ichi High's data on their past matches. "Is this…data for real?" She could not help but feel her stomach drop at the sight of the numbers being shown.

Koganei looked over her shoulder, seeing the numbers himself. "Every team that has played Kirisaki Dai Ichi has had injuries. Their aces and star players are always taken out."

"They were just another strong school until last year," added Riko, crossing her arms as she herself had taken out the data to know if Kirisaki Dai Ichi were a team that acted out on rough play. "Since Hanamiya-kun and the other second-years became their leading force, there has been an obvious increase. What he did to Teppei last year…Hanamiya Makoto couldn't be more disingenuous."

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she heard Riko's words. _'And it looks like they are worse this year.' _Her sights traveled to the court, seeing the ball hit the rim of Seirin's hoop.

"Rebound!" shouted Kiyoshi, before feeling Matsumoto's foot on his, stopping him from jumping up. His attention was drawn to Furuhashi's hands catching the ball and slowly making his elbow aim towards Hyuga who stood behind him.

"Oi! He is using his elbow again!" shouted Kagome, standing from her seat.

Hyuga quickly closed his eyes, ready for the hit, only to feel nothing on his person. He opened his sight, seeing Kiyoshi having blocked Furuhashi's elbow with his forearm. "Kiyoshi!"

"We are on the court," glared the brunette. "Beat us at basketball."

"That is what I am doing," Furuhashi gave his reply, unchanging his expression. Furuhashi quickly threw the ball over to the other side, seeing Hanamiya running back. Catching the ball in his hands, Hanamiya smirked as he passed Shun's defense and made the shot with ease into their hoop.

The Kirisaki captain made his way past Kiyoshi as he stood in the middle of the court. Stopping only a few feet away from him, he could not help but release a chuckle. "That was close. We almost crushed four-eyes. Stay out of our way."

Kiyoshi's fingers curled into his palm as he heard the steps fading away from his presence. He always thought there was good in people, but hearing that people intentionally placed pain on others made him boil with anger. "I don't care if I am the only one who get hurt, but I can't stand you injuring my teammates!" The brunette looked over his shoulder, seeing his opponent walk past the miko.

"Looks like I made him angry," Hanamiya's eyes glided to the corner. His insides shining at seeing the rage inside the miko's orbs. "And it looks like I made you angry as well."

The miko's fists shook as the other hand held the clipboard to her side. She had heard everything. Completely everything. She had seen the whole thing. Watching him walk away, Kagome took a step forward, surprising not only her team, but the people at her bench as well. "Hanamiya-san!"

Hanamiya looked over his shoulder, holding the smirk strongly.

"No matter what you do, Seirin will defeat you!" she exclaimed.

* * *

"See, what did I tell you?" Shippo raised his arms and placed them behind his head. He could not help but snicker at the sight of his adoptive mother going against another. It had been so long since he had seen that fire in her and he definitely missed it. "But I have to say that the way they are playing is truly disgusting."

"I will agree," sighed Koga, contracting his eyes as the players returned to their places. "But when they use their rough play, it is in the referee's blind spots."

"That must be one stupid referee," sighed Shippo as he spoke through the lollipop between his lips.

The wolf youkai shrugged his shoulders. He had done research the night before on Kirisaki Dai Ichi and even he had come across their data. It was no coincidence that each team they went against got injuries. But of course, if it was not caught during the game, it could not be called out. "Or maybe they are a smart team."

* * *

"What is the referee doing!?" exclaimed Kise, seeing the ball bounce off the basket once again and Kiyoshi's knee getting hit by Furuhashi's own. The blonde cursed under his breath, noticing Kiyoshi flinching and watching as Kagami tried taking the ball away from Matsumoto's grasp. "He must be blind!"

"They are doing it so he can't see," sighed Kasamatsu, crossing his arms. "In some ways, it is an impressive skill." He hated to admit it, but it was a skill. No doubt that they were experts.

Hayakawa quickly spoke as his eyebrows furrowed to match his glare. "They should practice normally instead of improving that skill!"

"He is right!" shouted Kise. "Not that I can tell what he is saying!"

"We would be fine," Kasamatsu continued, setting his focus on the court, "but this is tough for a team like Seirin that has barely enough players."

Moriyama shook his head, flinching himself at the hits Kiyoshi was taking. "Either way, it's not a game that makes you feel good to watch."

The Kaijo ace exhaled, not liking the game at all, but there was not much he could do. "But it looks like even Kagomecchi won't be standing still with this."

"Does it look like she will?" replied Kasamatsu.

* * *

Kagami smirked as he watched the ball thrown by Yamazaki missing and hitting the rim. Aiming for another rebound, the corner of his eyes caught Hara's foot coming to step on his once again. _'I won't fall for that again!' _

Seeing the tiger move his foot away, Hara's foot stomped the wooden court, making him chuckle. "Well, boo. I guess I will just screen you out, then." Without hesitation, Hara moved his elbow back, jabbing it through Kagami's chest.

"Kagami-kun!" shouted Kagome, seeing the air almost being forced out from the tiger.

Hara grabbed the ball into his palm before flicking it inwards to make it into the basket.

The miko took a step forward, watching as Kagami's aura began to flare out. Shaking her head slowly, she could already see what was coming next. She knew she could stop the tiger, but she could not step into the court. Cursing once again in her mind, she looked for the phantom player. "Kuroko-kun!"

His name rung in his ears before turning his head to the side and seeing the miko pointing at the tiger. Kuroko's eyes widened slightly upon noticing Kagami's fist coming towards Hara with no sense in his head.

"Kagami-kun! Stop it!" shouted Kagome, seeing Hara's smirk appear behind his bubble. This was all planned! This is what they wanted!

Kuroko quickly grabbed the tiger by his ankles, making him drop on his face at his height. The miko's shoulders slumped slightly, not expecting for that kind of action to happen.

"W-What just happened?" whispered Riko with an eyebrow twitch.

"That hurt, Kuroko!" shouted Kagami as he came back on his feet with his palm over half his face.

"What were you trying to do?" he questioned back, narrowing his eyes.

Kagami quickly turned towards the phantom player. Did he not just see what their opponents were doing to them? "What was I-!?"

"Are you trying to ruin everything with your anger?" he asked again. "I'm angry. Kagome-chan is angry. Everyone is just as angry. But hitting them isn't what we should be doing for the upperclassmen. We should be beating them at basketball."

Realizing he was right, Kagami lowered his eyes down to his feet as his fist relaxed. "You're right. Sorry." Hearing the steps of his teammates coming behind him, he quickly turned around and took a bow. "Sumimazen! Please hit me!"

"H-Huh?" blinked Shun.

"But I almost-"

"It's fine," sighed Hyuga.

"But I am not satisfied!" he shouted back.

The buzzer soon went off, calling the end of the first quarter. Before anyone could react, Kagami was met with a hit behind his head, making him flinch from the unknown attacker. "Oi!" he shouted, looking over his shoulder. His eyes widened, seeing the angry miko standing with her clipboard. Did she really just hit him with her clipboard!? "K-Kagome!?"

"What are you thinking, Bakagami!?" she exclaimed as she pushed the tiger to the bench with the rest of the team following behind. "With you out, we will lose things we could have won!"

"He is getting hit anyway…," whispered Koganei, passing the water bottles to his teammates.

Riko quickly made her way forward, punching the top of Kagami's head. "If you are going to do it, don't make it obvious!"

"Wait…is this what this is about!?" exclaimed Shun. The girls were hitting him because he had made it obvious?

"Ow…," Hyuga clamped his hand over the bruise on his forearm. Looking at Fukuda, he sighed. "Oi, give me something cold, please."

"Got it!" he nodded, running over to get an ice pack before the second quarter began.

Watching as Fukuda made his way in front of her, Kagome's eyes roamed over to Hyuga's bruise and to the rest of the team. Her expression dropped with concern, feeling useless that she was unable to do something to avoid Kirisaki's hits. But what could she do? She was at the sidelines! "Are you okay, Hyuga-senpai?" she questioned, coming to inspect the bruise.

"Hai…," he sighed again, watching as the miko's fingers lightly brushed over the purple mark.

"Kagami," spoke Kiyoshi, grabbing the attention of the red head beside him, "attack from the outside when we are on offense. You don't need to get rebounds on defense, either."

Hyuga quickly turned his head over to the brunette after hearing the game plan he spoke. "Huh?"

"I'll play the inside myself," he continued, dropping his eyes down to his feet. "You four cover the outside."

Shun's eyes widened slightly as he heard the plan. Was Kiyoshi being serious? "One in, four out?"

"What are you saying, Kiyoshi!?" exclaimed Hyuga, standing back up on his feet. "The rough play is the most brutal on the inside!" He was not going to let Kiyoshi – who was already injured – sacrifice himself even more!

Kagome walked over to the center player, seeing him being completely serious about his plan. "If you do that, they will focus all their attacks on you, Kiyoshi-senpai! We can't let you do that!"

"It's better than seeing my friends hurt," he replied, slowly raising his eyes to meet the cerulean orbs of the miko.

"C-Chotto-," Riko choked on her words, unsure what to tell Kiyoshi. What could she say? Even as a coach, she did not want to stop Kiyoshi playing, but as a friend, she wanted to sit him down. "Your leg is already injured. You can't do that. If anything, we should substitute you!"

"They are hurting you enough," cut in Kagome, tightening her fist beside her. "We can't let you be in the inside alone-!"

"No, I am doing it," he interrupted her, surprising the miko and Riko by his heavy tone.

Riko took another step forward, wanting to stop the stubborn center player. "But-!"

"This is what I came back for. If you switch me out now," his eyes rose to meet Riko's worried expression, "I will hate you for the rest of my life."

Kagome blinked, taken back by his choice of words. Looking to her side, she noticed Riko biting her lower lip. Even she could admit that Kiyoshi's word choice was a bit harsh, but it contained his feelings. He wanted to play in this match and not for him, but to protect his teammates. Even she could not say no to him.

The buzzer called them once again into the court; all becoming silent as they watched Kiyoshi stand on his feet first. "Now…let's have some fun," he smiled, making his way towards the court.

Kagome watched as each member made it back to the court, making her grip the side of her school skirt. What could she do? She wanted to help. At least ease their pain. _'There are too many eyes here…I can't even use my miko-ki to heal their bruises. If I don't heal them now, the healing process will take longer naturally.' _

"Kagome-chan." Looking to her side, the miko came to see Kuroko's own focus ahead, seeing the Kirisaki Dai Ichi members making their way forward. "Don't worry, we will be fine. Kiyoshi-senpai is strong."

"I know," she sighed, dropping her eyes down to the ground, "but I wish there was something I could do. Anything…"

"Your encouragement is enough, Kagome-chan. Just leave it to us," sending her smile, Kuroko took his steps forward, leaving the miko blinking at his back.

'_Kuroko-kun…'_

* * *

"Seriously?" spoke Kise, seeing the formation Seirin took as the game resumed. His pupils widened as he noticed Kiyoshi dead in the middle with Matsumoto guarding him while the other four Seirin members stood on the outside. "Only number seven is on the inside?"

"Everyone else is on the outside!" exclaimed Moriyama, shocked himself to see that they were taking this formation with such a merciless team.

Kasamatsu cursed under his breath, shaking his head as he watched Hyuga take the ball into his hands and prepare himself for a shot. "This formation is a risk…"

* * *

'_Damn it!' _Hyuga glared at the ball as it hit the edge of the basket once again. His eyes dropped to see Kiyoshi being pushed between Hara and Matsumoto, adding elbow jabs into his side and hits to his knees.

Hara chuckled under his breath, seeing the flinch in Kiyoshi's expression. "I don't know what you think you are doing, but you were stupid to do this."

With a yell coming from his lungs, Kiyoshi sprung up, catching the rebound into his hands before making the dunk back into the hoop.

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Hyuga, seeing the slight weak posture his teammate held.

"I'm fine," he smiled, assuring him of his condition. "That was nothing. Leave the area under the net to me."

Kagome sat at the bench; tense. She could not bare to see the continued jabs into Kiyoshi's person as the other Kirisaki players managed to score themselves. Back and forth, Kiyoshi, even with hits, would guard the net and tip the ball away from any offensive moves. It pained her to see how rough they were on him. Pulling on his jersey, kneeing his injury, an adding more hits on his arms and chest. This was not fair. Why could the referee not see this? She wanted to yell! And she knew more than anything, Riko wanted to pull Kiyoshi away from the game.

* * *

"Sugoi…," whispered Momoi, seeing how capable Kiyoshi was to take the rough play.

"Kiyoshi is holding down the inside by himself on offense and defense," added Imayoshi, he himself amazed by the skill.

Aomine's lips curved into a smirk, the excitement in his veins continuing to run. "Not bad."

* * *

"Damn it!" exclaimed Kagami, noticing the new forming bruises on Kiyoshi's arms. "Can we really keep doing this?"

The court remained silent as the atmosphere got heavier. What were they supposed to do when even the referee was not noticing the plays Kirisaki was making?

"Of course not!" shouted Hyuga, bringing the attention onto himself. "Give me the ball!"

* * *

"Oh? Looks like they are getting into it now," smirked Shippo, watching as Hyuga made his way forward. No doubt that everyone on Seirin were beginning to get fed up to see one of their teammate being abused. "Are they finally ready to try?"

Raising a brow, the wolf youkai's eyebrows were brought together. "I don't know about that." His eyes followed the path of the ball as Shun passed it over to Kuroko before it was passed to the Seirin captain. Seeing Kiyoshi being guarded by Furuhashi and Hara, he could Matsumoto coming behind to block the referee's point of view. "One of them blocks the referee's vision, leaving the other two free," his focus narrowed, watching both Furuhashi and Hara begin to elbow and hit the brunette, "to do whatever they want."

"So basically they need to get at least one guy off Kiyoshi, huh?" questioned Shippo, seeing the tense pose Hyuga was in as he took his aim. "But the only way to do that is to score more from the outside."

Koga and Shippo followed the ball at the arc once Hyuga set it free, not surprised to see the orange ball hit the rim once again. Matsumoto quickly caught the rebound, making Koga sigh as he heard Shun tell Hyuga to calm down.

"Things don't seem to be going well for Seirin," spoke Shippo, taking the lollipop out of his mouth.

"I understand they are upset their friend is being hurt, but…," Koga's eyes tightened, "Hyuga is getting too excited and angry."

* * *

As Yamazaki dribbled the ball in place, it was quickly tipped off from under his hand as Kuroko came from behind. "What the-!?"

Kagami quickly caught the ball into his hands before rushing through the court as he dribbled the ball. _'I can't put any more pressure on Kiyoshi-senpai! I have to make the shots!' _

"No, you don't," smirked Hara, coming in front of the tiger to block his path.

""You're in the way!" he shouted back. "Move!" His body collided into Hara's making the Kirisaki member fall back onto the ground. His eyes widened as the echo of the referee's whistle blew into the court.

"Charging! White, number ten!"

"That baka," Kagome groaned, shaking her head to Kagami's reckless behavior.

Kagami glared at the ground, knowing well that Hara had made that move on purpose. The tiger soon felt the weight of a hand on top of his head, making him look up to the smiling center. "Pay more attention to your surroundings," smiled Kiyoshi. "Izuki was open." Relaxing his eyes, Kiyoshi exhaled. "We should play our own way."

Hearing the words of the brunette, Hyuga clenched his teeth before turning to his members. "Alright! We are on defense! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

Hanamiya smirked, watching as Kiyoshi came running towards him, knowing he would stop the moment he spoke. "You are the one to talk. You are on the verge of becoming trash." His eyes widened slightly as Kiyoshi ran past him; completely ignored.

The miko's eyes narrowed as she felt an aura rise with no good intention. With was almost black that sent shivers up and down her spine, looking for the owner, her eyes landed on Hanamiya, seeing his focus solely on Kiyoshi as he struggled between Furuhashi and Matsumoto. _'C-Chotto…,' _she noticed the glare on his eyes, but the smirk was completely gone. _'This is isn't good!' _Kagome stood from her seat, surprising the bench mates.

"Kagome-chan? What's wrong?" questioned Riko.

Holding his glare, Hanamiya clamped his teeth. "I'm so sick of this." Slowly raising his hand to his eyes, his fingers pressed together. The positivity Kiyoshi held was sickening and he wanted nothing more but to show him that he was literally at the edge of breaking. "If you want to die so badly, die."

Hearing the snap, both Hyuga and Kagome looked over to the Kirisaki captain with wide eyes. Kagome shook her head as she turned to face Kiyoshi. "Kiyoshi-senpai!" she shouted. Both Riko and Kagome gasped the moment Matsumoto swept his foot underneath Kiyoshi's making him fall back.

With the ball in Furuhashi's hands after having caught the rebound, all eyes widened the moment his elbow directly hit over Kiyoshi's eyes and head, knocking him out. Seirin stood frozen as the referee blew his whistle. "Referee time out!"

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Shun, running over to his teammate.

Following behind, Kagami ran over to the unconscious brunette. "Senpai!"

Riko and Kagome quickly made their way to the court and knelt down to check on Kiyoshi's condition. The female coach looked over at the miko, seeing her check his head. "Kagome-chan, how is he!?"

The miko's fingers extended to brush away the brown bangs off Kiyoshi's forehead. She stopped upon seeing a trickle of blood begin to flow down. _'T-This is not good!' _

* * *

"That is horrible!" exclaimed Shippo, shocked that the team had gone that far.

Koga cursed, not even bothering to hide the words from the neighbors beside him. "This is no joke. These bastards are true monsters."

* * *

"You can't be serious!" shouted Hyuga, turning to see a smiling Hanamiya. "You-!"

"What?" shrugged Hanamiya. "You are falsely accusing me again? I don't know what happened. Things got messy under the net. It was an accident."

Kagome's fingers slowly wrapped into her palm as she heard Hanamiya's feign reply. She did not care at this point. This was going too far now. If she needed to, she would show Hanamiya not to mess with her friends. Standing from her spot, she tightened her fists. "Don't give us that crap, Hanamiya-kun!" she shouted, surprising the court. Turning to face the Kirisaki captain, she took her steps towards him. "Say what you want, but we saw it. We have been seeing everything!"

"Kagome-chan, you can't accuse me of something when I was standing all the way out here-"

"Don't try to fool me," she glared, holding her stand strong even as tears threatened to escape her eyes. "If there is one thing I hate, is the corrupted people who try to corrupt others with their hate and jealousy. What you did went too far. I don't care if I am kicked out of this court, but I won't tolerate this!"

Raising an eyebrow, Hanamiya's eyes narrowed to the miko. "Oh really? A threat towards me, Kagome-chan, isn't taken lightly. I won't hesitate to hurt you."

"Do it," she pushed on.

"K-Kagome-chan!" exclaimed Riko, surprised by the miko's words. Where was this fire coming from? Sure she knew Kagome could defend herself fine, but this behavior was entirely new. Almost as if she had experienced in seeing friends getting hurt before.

Kuroko took a step forward, wanting nothing more than to pull the miko away from Hanamiya. He would not doubt that the Kirisaki captain could hurt Kagome.

"Is that so?" he smirked, taking a step forward. He quickly froze as he noticed someone coming to stand in front of the miko.

Kagome blinked as she was staring at the broad back with the number seven on the back of the jersey. Her eyes widened, seeing the body shake slightly in front of her as he struggled to stand on his feet.

"I already told you, hurt me all you want, but don't you dare hurt my teammates, that includes the coach and the manager, Hanamiya!" a glare tightened down on the brunette's eyes as he felt the blood run down his forehead. "Threaten me all you like, but don't you dare take a step closer to Kagome-chan. If they are ever about to break, I will be their splint. If they are even in danger, I will be their shield. I will always put myself on the line," he arms stretched out to the side, as both females and his teammate stood behind him, "to protect the members of Seirin! That is what I came back for!"

The buzzer echoed through, ending the second quarter. Hanamiya clenched his teeth tighter as he saw the Seirin team turn their backs away from him. Ignored and made a fool? He would not allow that. He watched as both Kagami and Hyuga helped Kiyoshi balance himself as they slowly made their way over to the bench.

"Hanamiya is in a foul mood," whispered Yamazaki, almost sensing the anger rise from his body.

"Well," sighed Furuhashi, "he does hate when things don't go his way, and that type of people."

With a low sigh, Kagome turned her around to leave Hanamiya's presence, but not before sending him one last glare. Meeting Kuroko in front of her, she gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Kuroko-kun."

Nodding to her words, Kuroko let her lead the way. His shoulder was bumped by Hanamiya's body, making him look at the Kirisaki captain.

"Move!" he shouted, as he shoved him away.

Focusing his eyes on Hanamiya, Kuroko raised his voice. "Wait."

"Huh?" Hanamiya looked over his shoulder, noticing that the phantom player was speaking to him.

"Why do you play in such an underhanded way?" questioned Kuroko, wanting to hear the answer from their attacker. "Do you really enjoy winning like that?"

Overhearing their talk, Kagome stopped in her steps and looked over her shoulder, noticing the wide eyed expression Hanamiya gave Kuroko. Something did not feel right. Something was making her feel uneasy.

* * *

Standing from his seat, Aomine released a yawn and made his way towards the exit.

"Oi! Where are you going!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu, suspecting their ace to leave them. After all the effort it took them to bring in the lazy bum.

"Bathroom," he replied with boredom, continuing his way through the front balcony of the seats. His eyes caught sight of Kuroko confronting Hanamiya on the court, peaking his interest. _'Hmm?'_

* * *

Coming to grasp the jersey on his chest, Hanamiya looked away from Kuroko's gaze. "Of course not." He dropped his voice to a softer tone, surprising both Kagome and Kuroko at the change. "But if I don't do it, how am I supposed to beat teams with members of the Generation of Miracles?! I made a promise. I will place first in the Winter Cup, and…," the laugh released from his person made everyone around drop their expressions, knowing they had been fooled. Hanamiya's laughed echoed throughout the court before turning towards Kuroko and sticking out his tongue. "I am kidding, baka~"

Kuroko's eyes widened, hearing the tone of mockery on Hanamiya.

"They say the misfortune of others tastes like honey. Don't get the wrong idea, goody two-shoes," chuckled the Kirisaki captain as he placed his hands on his hips. "I don't want to win. I want to see guys who have worked hard and devoted their youth to basketball grind their teeth as they lose." He took a step towards the phantom player as he leaned in to eye level. "Do I enjoy it? Yeah…I do. What I did to your seniors last year was a masterpiece."

"Teme!" shouted Kagami, hearing the conversation from the bench. Shun quickly placed his hand over his shoulder, stopping him from his reckless action.

"Kagami!" he shouted.

With another laugh, Hanamiya sent Kuroko a smirk. "I hope you don't think that is the end of it. You are only just starting to grind your teeth."

Kuroko slowly curled in his fingers into a fist beside him as he watched Hanamiya turn his back towards them. Kagome bit her tongue, holding back every word she wanted to release on the bastard. Hearing him confess to Kiyoshi's injury made her want to actually purify him. Releasing a heavy sigh from her person, she returned her attention back ahead. "Come on, Kuroko-kun. We don't have to deal with people like him."

"So that is why you do it?" glared Kuroko as Kagome came to his side. Both pairs of eyes remaining on Hanamiya's back.

"Hanamiya-kun," spoke Kagome, seeing the man in front tense at her voice, "I can't understand why you are doing this, but you won't get far."

"What would you know!?" shouted Hanamiya, swinging his arm to the side as he turned back to face the duo. His eyes widened the moment he felt the front of his hand smack against the miko's head.

Kuroko's eyes widened as he watched Kagome slowly drop to the floor. Catching her in his arms, he quickly dropped to his knees as he checked the miko's condition. "Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan!?"

The team quickly rushed over to the miko's aid, seeing no reaction from her. Riko knelt down on the other side of Kagome's side and swept her bangs away. A bruise was beginning to form beside her eye and no doubt the force of Hanamiya's knuckles was enough to make a concussion. "Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan, can you hear me?"

"Someone get her to the infirmary!" shouted Hyuga.

* * *

Koga and Shippo quickly stood on their feet the moment they watched the miko collapse in Kuroko's arms. Anger swelled within them. Shippo strained himself from jumping down the balcony, knowing he could easily survive the jump and run to Kagome's aid.

"That bastard!" growled Shippo. "How dare he-!"

"Let's go," glared Koga, turning away from the scene and making his way out of the audience.

Without any further questions, Shippo followed behind, knowing well where Koga was headed.

* * *

"Kagomecchi!" shouted Kise, leaning away from his chair. Clenching his teeth together, he tightened his grip on the arm rest beside him. "Did he really just-!?"

"That is low," glared Kasamatsu. Even he knew the swing of Hanamiya's hand was going towards the phantom player, but Kagome had appeared at the wrong time. The girl was obviously more fragile to hits. There was no way she would have survived that without going unconscious. Kuroko was barely able to stand when Kise had accidentally hit him during their practice match.

Moriyama shook his head: "That is not how you treat a girl."

Kise wanted nothing more to go down and help the miko. But he was not sure if his will power to hit Hanamiya was strong enough to control.

* * *

Seeing the unconscious miko on the floor made the tan male narrow his eyes. The sight of the girl he knew had a strong fire inside now being completely out cold made the blood boil inside of his veins. The only thing he could do was tighten his fists inside his pants pockets.

'_That Hanamiya bastard…,' _Aomine watched the moment Kagami had charged forward to return the favor on the miko's attacker, but was stopped by none other than Kuroko. If anything, he was sure he was seeing a new fire burn inside the phantom player's eyes. He was definitely angry.

Aomine raised an eyebrow the moment he noticed two figures running into the court. He was sure he had seen one of them somewhere. That black hair in a ponytail was pretty recognizable to any sport athlete. _'Isn't that…?'_

* * *

"Why you-!" Kagami turned his head towards Hanamiya, seeing him unchanged in his expression. His fist shook before taking a step forward. "You bastard!" Kuroko quickly placed his hand over Kagami's arm, stopping him from going any further. "Don't stop me, Kuroko!"

Kuroko shook his head, hating himself for staying so calm when Kagome was unconscious. Turning his attention over to Hanamiya, he kept himself composed. "We should worry about Kagome-chan first. She wouldn't want you to risk the game because you hit him. It was an _accident _after all."

The red head held a low growl as he heard Hanamiya scoff. He knew the smack was mainly targeting he phantom player, but the moment it hit the miko, the anger that was boiling inside of him had exploded. Not only had Kagome gotten hit, but she was unconscious. He wanted to return the favor with double the pain.

"We should get her into the infirmary," spoke Shun, as he met Riko down on the floor.

"We got it."

Seirin's eyes turned to the wolf youkai appearing before them as he adjusted the miko in his arms bridal style. They quickly noticed the orange head male from the day before beside him and looking at Kagome with great concern. Where had they come from?

"How did you guys get in here?" questioned Riko, standing up on her feet.

"Where is the infirmary?" questioned Koga, seeing the small trail of blood coming down the miko's head. Before he could get an answer, he felt a petite hand grasp his shirt from his chest, making him look down at the female in his arms.

Everyone froze as they watched the miko slowly and barely being able to open her eyes. "I-I'm fine," she managed to choke out, although she could feel her head begin to pound within. Her vision was anything but blurry at this point. "Just put me down."

With a tighter glare on his person, Koga knew that the miko was strong enough to take anything, even physical hits after everything she had endured in the feudal era, but how long had it been that she had received one. Her body was human after all. "Act tough all you want, Kagome, but we are taking you to the infirmary to get you checked."

"But-"

"Not buts, Kagome," cut in Shippo, catching the miko's blurry sight. Turning his attention to the Seirin team, he gave them a nod. "We will take her. You guys go get your rest in the locker room. Don't worry, she is in good hands."

Turning his back to the team, Koga looked over his shoulder. "Don't do anything hasty, but do take your revenge on them…since we can't do anything."

Seirin remained silent, watching as Koga and Shippo walked away with the medical team leading them the way. They looked over to their side, seeing Hanamiya's eyes on Koga and Shippo disappearing through the doors leading to the locker rooms. Kuroko and Kagami kept their glare, promising Koga that they would take their revenge.

* * *

Setting the miko down on the bed of the infirmary room, Koga blinked as he noticed the slight cut under her bands slowly heal on its own. _'Her miko-ki is still working inside of her. No surprise that it is beginning to heal her wound.' _His eyes roamed to the corner of the room, watching as one of the nurses began to take out the necessary equipment to take care of her. He shared a glance over to the kitsune, giving him a nod.

Shippo chuckled under his breath as he returned the gesture and walked over to the young nurse. "Excuse me, miss. You don't need to worry about that. We can take care of her," he smiled, using his charm to freeze the nurse from reaching the wipes. "We are professionals in taking care of the wounded."

The nurse's cheeks heated up as she was captivated by the kitsune's green orbs before feeling his hand grab her hand ever so gently. Without any words, she was led outside the room before Shippo fully closed the door on her. What had just happened?

"You just had to use your kitsune charm, didn't you?" Koga's eyes dropped, knowing well that the orange head youkai was blessed with the looks.

"Can you blame me that I was born as a kitsune? We are the most captivating youkai, you know?" chuckled Shippo.

Releasing a scoff, Koga returned his eyes on the miko, seeing her open her eyes once more. "Looks like the wound is closing up, but how is your head?"

"Still a bit dizzy," she whispered, feeling it pulse once again. "I guess my reflexes are rusting up. I should have seen that coming…"

Shippo released a sigh as he came beside the wolf youkai, seeing the miko slowly coming to sit up on the bed. "Want me to roast him with my fox fire? I can you know."

"You know we can't do that, baka," Koga's hand rose to smack the back of Shippo's head. "If it was, I would have jumped down and clawed his guts out by now."

The miko shook her head slowly as she rested her hand on the side of her head. "I felt…powerless as I watched them play. They are my…teammates and I couldn't do anything. It reminded me the times Inuyasha and the others would get hurt and some of us couldn't even move an inch to help." Gripping her hair gently on the side of her head, Kagome closed her eyes. "But what can I do when I am not even allowed to tell them about my past? I feel chained up."

Koga and Shippo shared a silent glance before turning back to see the tears clinging on the corners of the miko's eyes. Perhaps it was not time for her friends to know of the true nature of demons and Kagome's past, but…that did not mean she could not use her abilities secretly.

"Let's get you bandaged up first," sighed Koga, walking over to grab the roll of white tape. "We don't want people seeing that you are already healed."

"Although," spoke Shippo, leaning close to the miko, "it looks like that bruise on the corner of your eye will stay for a while."

"Great…," she sighed, feeling her shoulders slump.

* * *

Kicking the bench inside the locker room, Kagami's shouted in hopes to release his anger as the bench hit the lockers with a loud bang. "Damn it! Those bastards!" breathing heavily was enough of a sign to everybody that he was not taking it lightly on the events that just had occurred. "Not only are they targeting us, but they also hit Kagome!" With a quick hit on the back of his head, he turned towards Riko, seeing her hold her clipboard as her weapon. "O-Oi!"

"Jeez!" she exclaimed back. "Don't take your anger out on stuff. We are just as angry as you are!"

Shun sighed, seeing the female coach calm the tiger the best she could. Turning to the brunette sitting beside him, he noticed the visible new bruises on him. "Kiyoshi, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he smiled, coming to put an ice pack over his arm. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure you are okay?" questioned Furihata, not believing that his senpai was actually okay with all the bruises on his skin. Kirisaki's hits were truly brutal. He could only imagine the actual pain Kiyoshi had to put through.

Kiyoshi smiled before feeling Riko's eyes on him and scanning his injuries. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she saw bruises everywhere on his person and the fact that someone else on their team got hurt was making her angry. This was going too far now. At least Kagome had come back from her unconscious state, but who knew how her head was. _'Koga-san and her other friend were able to help her. Although Koga-san did say to take our revenge in the game, how can we concentrate like this?'_

"I am so angry!" exclaimed Kagami, sitting on the other bench beside the silent phantom player. "We can't even do anything to help this team!"

"You shouldn't break things," spoke Kuroko, catching the tiger's attention.

"Uruse! I know that!" he replied back, remembering the moment Kagome had gotten hit by Hanamiya. "Anyway, I am amazed you are so calm-" his eyes widened slightly the moment he caught sight of Kuroko's glare as his orbs flared with an anger he had never seen. Calm was an understatement for the whole team at this point.

* * *

"Seriously!?" exclaimed Yamazaki as he stared at Hara blowing the bubble with his gum inside the locker room.

"Yeah," he nodded, keeping the bubble between his lips, "I figured out the trick behind number elevens' drive." He chuckled the moment he popped the bubble, seeing he had the attention of the whole team. "Misdirection is a trick of misleading someone's line of sight, right? In other words, he is really good at detecting movements of the human eye. Meaning…," Hara's finger rose as he pointed under his bangs, "this is the answer."

"Huh!?" Yamazaki's eyebrow rose, unsure what the grey haired male was talking about. What was he point at with his hair covering his eyes? "Eyes!? Is it eyes!? I don't understand! Cut your damn hair!"

Furuhashi sighed under his breath as he lowered the water bottle from his lips. Having heard Hara's explanation, he turned his head towards him. "If he can shut down that obnoxious drive, I will leave him to it. Our web will be ready soon."

* * *

Hearing the footsteps echo through the bathroom, Hanamiya's eyes glided to the corner, seeing none other than the ace of the Generation of Miracles walking in. A smirk sprung onto his lips as he finished his business and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "Yo. I didn't think I would see you here, Ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki."

With a glare already glued on his eyes, Aomine raised a brow. "Oh, it's you."

"You're as rude as ever," chuckled Hanamiya as he washed his hands. "Be polite when you talk."

Stopping in his steps, Aomine kept his eyes ahead, knowing the Kirisaki captain kept watch through the mirror. "You are the one who is playing as dishonestly as ever."

"Dishonestly? Give me a break," he laughed back, shutting off the water. "That is just bait so we can trap them. Don't be ridiculous."

"Huh~ I don't know what you are talking about, but you are going to lose this game."

Hanamiya could not help but continue on his with his laugh as he heard Aomine's statement. "What? You really underestimate me. In fact, I wish you would tell me how I could lose."

"It's not about whether or not I am underestimating you. There is no reason. But…what you did to Kagome…not only made the team angry, but you also made Tetsu angry." Looking over his shoulder, he quickly grabbed Hanamiya by the collar of his shirt and pinned him to the wall with his glare. "But you also made me angry. You should feel grateful that you aren't going against me on that court."

"Really?" Hanamiya sent him a smirk. "Is that really how you should be treating your senpai?"

Aomine returned the gesture on his lips. "I pick the neko-chan over any senpai. I will only say this once. Don't you lay another finger on her, you hear?"

* * *

Returning back on the court, the five Seirin members turned their heads to the side, seeing Kirisaki moving forward with no expressions on their faces. Not having Kagome on their bench was definitely an empty feeling, but they had a promise to keep to Koga. One they did not even need to hear from him. They would return the favor. They would win against them.

With the blow of the referee's whistle, the ball was given on Seirin's part before it was quickly passed over to Kuroko's hands. Yamazaki's eyes narrowed, prepared as Kuroko charged forward.

"Change!" smirked Hara, pushing Yamazaki to the side as he confronted the phantom player head on. He chuckled under his breath as he chewed on his gum. Keeping a close concentration on Kuroko's eyes, he was prepared to stop his vanishing drive. _'It's about blinking, isn't it? He predicts a blink with his exceptional powers of observation. The moment his opponent's eyes close, he ducks in. That is how the Vanishing Drive works. Once you know the trick, stopping it is easy. Blink out of time intentionally.' _

Seeing Hara block Kuroko's path as he bounced the ball in place, Yamazaki smirked and came to the side to steal the ball. _'Even if he wanted to, he can't do his drive!' _He continued forward with his intention to grab the orange ball. "You're finished!"

Both Hara and Yamazaki froze the moment Kuroko disappeared from their sights and looked over behind to see Kuroko having passed them. "N-Nani!?" exclaimed Yamazaki.

"Kuroko!" shouted Kagami.

The phantom player quickly threw the ball behind his back in the air, seeing Matsumoto's eyes following the object before Kagami appeared and dunked the ball into the basket with the help of Kuroko being used as a leverage.

"Nice work, Kagami, Kuroko!" smiled Hyuga as they ran back to defense.

"Don't you think it is a bit much to jump over someone?" questioned Kuroko, catching the tiger's attention.

"You are the one who passed like that," glared Kagami.

Kuroko chuckled softly as he passed by Yamazaki's person.

"Don't you for the drive when your opponent blinks!?" exclaimed Yamazaki, turning to face the phantom player.

Hearing the words directed to him, Kuroko looked over his shoulder. "Huh? I do?"

"W-What!?" Yamazaki quickly turned towards Hara, seeing him turn away to avoid the angry glare. "Oi! This is different from what you told us!"

Hara scratched the back of his head, unsure where his conclusion had gone. "Looks like I was wrong. My bad."

Riko sighed as she walked over to the referee table and made the change in members. Hearing the buzzer to stop the game, she narrowed her eyes as Kuroko and Koganei changed places. _'Since Kuroko-kun can't use his skills for a long period of time, we need to do this change if we want to win and take our revenge against Kirisaki Dai Ichi for Teppei and Kagome-chan.' _

* * *

"There are saving their invisible boy for later," spoke Kasamatsu, watching as Kuroko made his way over to the bench.

Kise sighed as he crossed his arms. It was definitely a weird feeling to see no sign of the miko at the bench. Almost all the time, she would come and take care of Kuroko the times he was benched out. "You can't use Kurokocchi's misdirection all the time."

"He has been doing a lot since the beginning of the second half and the first half," added the Kaijo captain. "Seirin has complete control and they will definitely use the anger on their skills after what happened to Higurashi-san."

* * *

"Perfect…," smirked Hanamiya, seeing the member change. His eyes glued themselves on their bench, seeing the player on his team continue to sleep. "Kentaro, you're in!"

Hearing his name being called by his captain, the sleepy player slowly rose his head from his slumber before taking off his sleeping mask from his eyes.

Riko's eyes narrowed, as she watched Kentaro stand on his legs and take off his shirt. _'They are subbing someone in, too? He better not be even more violent than what we have seen so far. Besides, most people don't know this, but…Hanamiya-kun is their coach as well.' _

* * *

"Oh?" blinked Ryo, as he heard Hanamiya giving an order in changing member. "Hanamiya-san just gave an order. Kirisaki Dai Ichi's coach must really believe in him."

"Huh?" Imayoshi turned his attention over to the first year beside him. Did he really think Kirisaki Dai Ichi had a coach? "Oh no," he chuckled. "I don't know what happened, but their coach quit last year. Now he is the captain and the coach."

"Eh!?" exclaimed Hojo, surprised that someone could take both roles like that.

* * *

"All right!" exclaimed Kentaro as he pulled his messy hair back with gel. With a grin decorating over his lips, he took his steps towards the court. "I am awake."

Hara sighed, placing his hand over his hip as he watched Kentaro make his entrance. "I have always thought that hair was terrible."

"Uruse. I can't think if my forehead is covered," he stretched his arms upwards, keeping his focus on the Seirin players as they watched them carefully.

"Are you ready?" cut in Hanamiya, catching his team's attention back on him. "Let's go, Kentaro."

Kentaro gave his nod before the whistle from the referee was heard. Taking their positions, the ball was quickly given to Hara as he tried making a shot, only for it to hit the rim of the hoop. With Kiyoshi under the net, the brunette jumped upwards, catching the ball into his hands and seeing Kirisaki run back in defense.

'_What is going on?' _he questioned himself, seeing it extremely weird that the course of Kirisaki's actions had changed. His eyes landed over at the new member on the court, watching Kentaro as he ran back. _'This center isn't a power player. At the very least, the player before him was a lot stronger.' _Kiyoshi quickly passed the ball over to Shun before he took off.

Shun made his way forward as he dribbled the ball underneath his hand before he passed it towards Hyuga only to have Hanamiya cut in front of steal the ball. "Crap! H-He stole the ball!?"

* * *

Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed, watching the Kirisaki captain make the shot with ease after having stolen the ball from Shun's pass. "They scored off a fast break."

"I can't believe they stole such a fast pass…," added Kise, focusing on Hanamiya's movements.

* * *

"Oi! Where are you going!?" exclaimed Shippo, noticing the miko beginning to leave the bed. "You still can't even stand on your feet!"

"I have to go see how they are doing," she replied with a low voice. Balancing herself with her hand on the edge of the infirmary bed, her eyes closed. The pulsing was calming down, but she could not deny the pulses that she received were a bit painful. _'It is like a headache throbbing every two seconds.' _

Koga sighed, watching as Kagome tried to calm her pain away and ignore it. It was like her to think of others before herself. And right now, she was worried about her teammates. Extending his arm out, he offered his hand to the miko. "Come on. We are not letting you go alone."

Kagome blinked at the sight of his offering hand. Her eyes blinked at as she saw Shippo smiling down at her with the same grin on his face. "You know we can't let you go like this, okaa-san. Besides, we need you with us too in case we feel like punching the hell out of Hanamiya."

The miko could not help but release a chuckle. With a nod, the corners of Kagome's lips lifted. "Hai. Hai."

* * *

Riko's eyes narrowed as she watched the ball being passed over to Shun once again. She was afraid, but she knew that getting the ball stolen from the eagle eye player was not possible a second time. So why was she feel uneasy about this?

Shun scanned the court as he dribbled the ball in place, getting a sense on everyone's location. Seeing Kentaro move out of the way, Shun quickly threw the ball over to Koganei only for Hanamiya to intercept and steal it again.

'_Izuki-kun had the ball stolen twice?' _Riko's eyes widened, not believing that Hanamiya had done it again. _'That is impossible.'_

Hyuga cursed under his breath, watching as Yamazaki was given the ball before making the shot. What was going on? Something was off on the court, but what was it?

"Sorry, but you are not scoring again."

Hearing Furuhashi's voice behind him, Hyuga turned his head over his shoulder. "Nani?" he glared.

"You are caught in the spider's web," he replied with a small smirk. "Now you will die a slow death."

* * *

Ryo blinked as he had seen Hanamiya steal yet another one of Shun's passes. "Since number five came on the court, Hanamiya-san has been stealing more balls."

"Well," sighed Imayoshi, watching as the Kirisaki captain coordinated with Kentaro, "he is a genius."

"Of course," cut in Wakamatsu, turning his head to face the serious expression Imayoshi held. "He is an Uncrowned King…"

Imayoshi shook his head as he pointed at his head with his index finger. "No, not like that. I'm talking about his brains. He is really smart. We attended middle school together. He always did well on exams without studying."

"He is that smart!?" Wakamatsu exclaimed. What kind of human could do that?

"After seeing a game once, Hanamiya can perfectly recall that game. Based on that, he analyzes the movements of an opposing team. Seirin's style is team basketball based on passing. It's pretty high-level, too. Everyone constantly observes the floor balance and makes the most effective choice. But that is the trap."

* * *

The miko's eyes widened as she stood at the door frame leading to the court. The moment Hanamiya had stolen Shun's pass, even she was shocked to see that their game strategy had been read. "What is going on?"

Koga sighed, having caught sight of Kentaro coming behind his captain. "It looks like those two are working together on the second half."

"You know about them?" questioned Kagome, turning to face the wolf youkai beside her.

"I made some research last night," he replied. "Hanamiya Makoto happens to be a genius, actually. Hanamiya reads all of his opponents' attack patterns and steals the ball. I read his stats and I was surprised really." Koga crossed his arms, setting his sight on Shun. "Seirin's number five is perfect as prey for Hanamiya. He really is a good point guard, I will give him that much. His Eagle Eye affords him composed judgment and accurate passes."

"Izuki-kun…," Kagome watched as Shun had the ball under his hand once more.

"He doesn't stand out," shrugged Koga, "but he supports Seirin from the shadows."

Shippo held the miko her shoulders as his focus was on the game. "However, that precision makes him the ideal prey for Hanamiya's skill.

Kagome's eyes widened once more the moment Shun tried making another pass. Hanamiya quickly cut in and caught the ball into his palm with his smirk. Back and forth, every time Shun came to make a pass, Hanamiya could intervene and make a shot for his team. Just what was going on? The accuracy to steal the ball was just too great. She quickly caught sight of the new player on the court. _'Huh? Who is that?' _

"Seto Kentaro," spoke Koga, narrowing his focus on the male. "He is also a genius from what I read. In fact, reading about their past games, it looks like Seto links with Hanamiya and reduces potential pass courses. With Hanamiya alone, even if he can predict a pass, he can't always get it. But using Seto," he watched as Shun made a pass towards the tiger, "he can steal one hundred percent of the passes."

The ball was quickly given to Hara before it was thrown into the hoop. Kagome curled her fingers in, seeing they were trapped. "So you are telling me the first half's rough play was just preparation for this?"

Koga nodded to the miko's words. "Obviously if they can crush them with rough play, it goes within their favor. But really even if they can't, their opponents become angry."

"It is just like any other normal fight. Their attacks become simpler and easier to predict," cut in Shippo, watching as Hanamiya continued on with his strategy. "It is a nasty scenario, if you ask me."

"The more you struggle against them, the deeper they fall into their trap," sighed Koga. "Seirin is in trouble. They are like prey caught in the spider's web."

"Spider, huh?" chuckled Shippo. "Sure gives you memories of Naraku, doesn't he?"

Hearing the buzzer for the end of the third quarter, Kagome's eyes tightened in a glare as she saw Hanamiya's grin widen. "If they are following a pattern, our only option is to cut that patter ourselves. We have gone against a spider before…Hanamiya-kun is nothing but a baby spider to me when compared to someone like Naraku."

Koga and Shippo chuckled under their breaths as they heard the miko's words. They definitely agreed with her statement.

* * *

"Damn it!" shouted Shun as he slammed his hands on the bench. The rest of his teammates flinched slightly, as it was the first time they had seen Shun so angry. But they could not blame him when Hanamiya kept stealing the balls from him.

Koganei came forth as he placed his hand over the eagle eye user's shoulder. "Izuki…"

Sighing under his breath, Kiyoshi took a glance at the rest of his teammates, hearing nothing but dead silence from them. _'This isn't good. It's a vicious circle. The angrier everyone gets, the deeper we fall into Hanamiya's plan.' _

Riko rested her fingers under her chin as she got into her mind. Replaying the last quarter in her mind, her eyes focused on her players. _'I didn't expect Hanamiya-kun to make so many steals. We should still be able to score from the outside, though.' _Her sight landed on the silent captain, watching as Hyuga's eyes were on the empty court. _'We made one other miscalculation in this game. Hyuga-kun hasn't made a single shot today. And with Kagome-chan out, the rest of the team is letting their anger get the best of them.'_

"Dammit! What do we do!?" exclaimed Kagami, gripping his fits as the towel over his head lowered down to his neck. "We can't make any moves!"

The team remained silent, unsure what course of action to take against Hanamiya's strategy. It was definitely one where they were stuck.

"There may be a way."

Hearing the familiar voice behind them, heads quickly turned with shock as they saw the miko standing with Shippo supporting her and Koga on her other side. Kagami quickly got on his feet, seeing she was back from the infirmary with the bandage over her head. "K-Kagome!"

Kiyoshi blinked, surprised himself to see that the girl was back on her feet. The will power in her was definitely surprising. "Kagome-chan, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled. "Nothing to worry about. Just a small concussion and a small bruise."

"Small or big, bruises are bruises, Kagome-chan," cut in Riko, watching as the miko made her way to her side as she left Shippo and Koga to stand behind the bench. "You shouldn't be walking around."

The miko sighed under her breath as she caught the scoreboard. Seirin was not too far behind, but with the fourth quarter coming in, they could not afford to stay behind now. "I'm fine, miina. But right now, I think we have bigger things to worry about."

Shun raised his head, curious to hear Kagome's idea. "What were you thinking?"

"It may be possible to stop Hanamiya from stealing the passes if…," her eyes landed on Kuroko, making him blink, "Kuroko-kun stops playing with the team."

"Oi, what do you mean, Kagome?" questioned Kagami, seeing that Kagome was playing no jokes with this strategy.

"You four keep playing as you have been," she replied, as she continued to stare at the phantom player.

Kuroko nodded, realizing where she was going with the strategy. "I see." So he would think on his own without the rest of his teammates knowing.

"It's a gamble," sighed Riko. It was good strategy, but a risky one.

"A gamble is something you win or lose," cut in Kiyoshi, catching his team's attention. "This isn't a gamble. This team can do it." He smiled, surprising every one of his positive outlook.

Koga chuckled under his breath, having heads turn his direction. "Just like he said. It isn't a gamble. This is a game. Play with your instincts and trust it. You may be caught on Hanamiya's web, but it isn't inescapable. We all have had our own webs that we have been stuck on."

"Just trust each other," smiled Kagome. She was nervous herself over the idea, but she was sure Kuroko could pull it off.

* * *

As the buzzer to call the players back in was set off, Kise blinked as he saw Kuroko coming back onto the court. The look in Seirin's eyes was definitely different compared to the third quarter.

"He is coming in," whispered Kasamatsu, seeing Kuroko adjust his wrist bands.

"They are breaking out the trump card," added Kise before his eyes were set on the miko. "Looks like Seirin's spirits have been lifted after seeing Kagomecchi."

"She pulled through. I am quite surprised she is back with that hit she received." The Kaijo captain was sure the miko would have been fully unconscious for the rest of the game. He blinked as he noticed the two figures standing behind the bench. "Chotto, is that Ichiro Koga?"

"Oh yeah," chuckled Kise. "Apparently, Kagomecchi and he are good friends."

"Friends!?" exclaimed Moriyama. "She knows Koga-san!?"

Kise sighed with a smile on his lips as he relaxed back on his chair. "Yup. Apparently there is more to Kagomecchi than meets the eye."

* * *

Seeing Shun with the ball under his hand as he bounced it in place, Hanamiya's smirk split on his face. _'I already know everything, baka.' _He charged forward, seeing the corner of Shun's eyes quickly see Kiyoshi free for the pass. _'You are going to pass to Kiyoshi next.' _The moment he had seen Kagome come back onto the game, he was slightly surprised that she seemed okay. But he was not going to let that get in the middle of his plan. He would continue on and win. No matter what the miko would say to them, it would not be enough for Seirin's victory. Making his way through the middle of the path, his eyes widened the moment Kuroko appeared before him and passed the ball quickly over to Kagami's way.

Kagami abruptly and barely caught the ball in his hand before making his way forward and dunking the ball in.

'_W-What!?' _exclaimed Hanamiya.

The miko's eyes widened as her smile stretched. _'He…made it!' _

Riko released a sigh of relief, seeing that the risk was worth taking. Chucking under her breath, her ears filled with the bench players cheering for the dunk.

"Well you look at that," smirked Koga, crossing his arms, "he actually made it."

Shippo nodded with a smile, quite surprised himself that the miko's plan had actually worked. "I am definitely awed by Kuroko's moves now."

"Nice!" Hyuga quickly patted the phantom player's shoulder before making his way over to the defense position.

Catching his breath, Kentaro's dead eyes looked over to his captain, seeing him completely silent. _'Did Hanamiya read the situation wrong? No, his prediction was correct. It should have been the best route. Seirin's reactions were strange, too. _

Setting his glare further down, Hanamiya set his eyes on the phantom player. _'Both number five who passed and number ten who received the ball were caught off guard.' _His eyes quickly widened as realization hit.

* * *

"I don't believe it," chuckled Imayoshi, seeing the shock fill in Hanamiya's eyes. "That attack…Kuroko's intermediate passes have always been team plays until now. Even if they seem like unexpected trick plays to their opponents, they are well established attack patterns to his team. But that pass wasn't built into an attack pattern. His teammates didn't know about that pass. In other words, Kuroko changed the pass course on his own. Not even Hanamiya can predict a pass his teammates aren't expecting."

"But…," spoke Ryo, turning back to see the court, "how did he catch that pass?"

With no answer from his captain, Ryo heard the voice from behind. "He just did." Aomine placed his cheek over his knuckles, keeping the same bored expression. "When you practice with him every day, you start to understand how Tetsu thinks. What you need isn't logic…," his eyes trailed the path of the ball as Kuroko passed the ball unexpectedly to Kiyoshi, "it's trust."

Aomine's eyes narrowed as they landed over to the miko. _'But Tetsu has his full trust not only on his teammates. It looks like neko-chan has gained everyone's trust.'_

* * *

With Shun passing the ball over to Hyuga, Kuroko cut in once more and passed it over to the back board of the hoop only for Kiyoshi to come through and dunk it in. The miko smiled as she came to sit on the bench, seeing Kuroko come over and over again through the passes. The surprise on Hanamiya's eyes was enough to tell her that they had escaped his trap.

"We are slowly closing the gap," she whispered to Riko, seeing the scoreboard reading them five points behind.

"But we are still not strong enough," Riko added, dropping her eyebrows in worry. "We need one more push."

"Push?" blinked Kagome.

The female coach nodded as she saw the ball landing in Hyuga's hands. "Hyuga has been missing his shots."

Kagome's eyes traveled to the ball being released by the captain. She quickly heard the groan from the benched players the moment the ball hit the rim of the basket. Seeing the rebound, Kagome abruptly stood from her seat as she watched both Furuhashi and Kentaro push their elbows into Kiyoshi's person, making him unable to get the ball.

Watching him try run back to defense was unbearable. He could barely move as he clutched at his side. The bruises were getting worse. This was enough. Kagome quickly looked over her shoulder, seeing Riko close her eyes. "Riko-senpai…?"

"I know," she whispered before standing up and walking over to the referee table.

'_So annoying, so annoying…,' _grunted Hanamiya as he ran behind Furuhashi. He was getting fed up with Seirin's way of playing. The moment Kagome was brought back in, everything was turning in Seirin's favor. He could not have that. _'I don't care about protection or trust. It's annoying as hell. I won't be satisfied until I break them all.' _

"Seirin, time out!" shouted the referee, catching the attention of all the players on the court.

* * *

Kagome moved to the side as each member came to sit in front of Riko. No doubt what was running inside her mind. If it pained anyone, it pained Riko the most to see Kiyoshi in that condition. As a coach, she just could not allow that. Wanting to let Kiyoshi continue on because of his request was too selfish on his part.

"There are a few things I want to say, but…," Riko took a deep breath in, unsure where this would go, but it was better than seeing her dear friend continue on like this. "First, you are at your limit. You are out, Teppei."

Kiyoshi quickly get off his seat and stood in front of the coach. "What? Chotto matte! Just a little more! If you take me out now-"

"No," glared Riko, holding back the drop of liquid at the corner of her eyes. "If it means repeating what happened last year, I would rather have you hate me!"

Kiyoshi blinked, taken back by her statement. He was sure he saw her tears threatening to slide down any second. "Riko…"

"I have to agree with her."

His eyes landed to the miko, seeing her stand a few feet behind Riko. "Kagome-chan…"

"Enough is enough. I know you want to play for us, but let us do this for you," her eyes dropped down to the floor, unable to look at his injuries. "We can't have you protecting us like this when we can do something about it."

Kuroko blinked as he parted his lips to speak. "Kagome-chan is right. I don't have an older brother, but when you said you would protect us, you seemed like one. It made me happy. I want you to keep protecting us, but I don't want you to push yourself any harder in this game."

The brunette looked away, unsure what to say back. He wanted to continue. He could not just back away now. He was their support. Their shield.

He wanted to be there for them.

"I'm sick of this!" shouted Hyuga. He quickly came face to face with the tall center - surprising him. "We are telling you to leave the rest to us! Shut up and sit down! You think we would break our promise?"

Their attentions were drawn over to Mitobe coming forth and extending his hand out for a hand shake. Kiyoshi blinked as he saw the silent nod from him. Scanning each face on his team along with their smiles made him look down at his own palm. With a gentle sigh, he nodded himself. "You're right. The rest…is up to you." Smacking his hand against Mitobe's the team quickly stood and headed forward as the buzzer called them back.

"Of course it is, moron!" shouted Hyuga. "Stay there and wait like a good little boy! We will bring you back a ticket to the Winter Cup!"

* * *

Kasamatsu blinked as he watched Kiyoshi place his white t-shirt over his jersey before taking a seat next to the coach. "They took out number seven?"

"He has been the focus of the rough play," sighed Kise, seeing the miko coming to sit beside the brunette along with Koga and Shippo. "It looked like his teammates had to convince him."

"They must have taken him out before it became fatal," added the Kaijo captain as he crossed his arms.

Kise's eyes narrowed, unsure how the team would do without him with the last five minutes in the fourth quarter. "Is this going to break Seirin?"

"No. It might be the reason they won't break," Kasamatsu exhaled, watching as Shun passed Hanamiya and threw the ball over to the tiger before Kuroko intervened. "A lot has happened to them with this match alone. They are going for the victory."

* * *

Hyuga blinked as the ball landed unexpectedly the moment Kuroko had passed it through. He eyes the hoop before taking his aim and released it into the air. A curse quickly passed through his lips the moment the ball bounced away. Having no time to ponder on his miss, he quickly ran with his team back to defend.

The miko's shoulder slumped down, seeing the overly tense aura surrounding the Seirin captain. The pressure and anger were too much on him and he needed to release that. _'Now that Kuroko-kun's acting on his own, our passes are making it through. But without Hyuga-senpai's threes, we can't make it.' _

* * *

"Hyuga is not making his shots today," sighed Wakamatsu, his eyes glued on Hyuga's back. It was quite surprising that every shot he had tried making ended up in a miss. "He really needs to make them now, too." Turning his attention to Ryo, he blinked. "What do you think, Sakurai?"

Ryo took a second to observe the Seirin captain before giving his answer. "His shoulders are tenser than usual. It's like he is overexcited."

* * *

"What do you think, Koga?" whispered Kagome, seeing the wolf youkai's attention on Hyuga. No doubt he had caught notice on his misses. "I can read his aura, but I can't know exactly what he is thinking."

"Well," he crossed his legs, narrowing his focus to see Hyuga's position as he took his aim once again, "three-pointers that require a delicate touch are a matter of chance. No matter how good the shot, sometimes they just don't go in. However, once you make on, it doesn't stop. I can tell that Hyuga is especially like that."

"Riko. Kagome-chan." Hearing the heavy voice beside them, both girls looked at Kiyoshi as he lowered his eyes to the ground. "Sorry…for talking to you like I did, Riko. And sorry I wasn't able to protect you against Hanamiya, Kagome-chan."

With a gentle smile slowly rising onto her lips, Riko shook her head. "I understand how you feel. The reason the damage to the rest of the team has been so light against such a violent team is because you protected them, Teppei."

The miko nodded as she heard Riko's words, seeing the slight pain in Kiyoshi's expression. "You did everything you could and you definitely protected us all. Hyuga-senpai and the others will handle the rest. It is our turn to protect you, Kiyoshi-senpai."

* * *

Hanamiya snickered as he crossed in front of Hyuga. Setting his smirk to stretch, his eyes narrowed on the ball underneath Hyuga's hand. "You think you can do anything without Kiyoshi? Who is next after that piece of junk? That little manager of yours survived this time, but she will break again."

"I'm going to get you, Hanamiya," glared Hyuga, hearing the threat covered in nothing but poison that stung his anger. His veins were boiling to get him back. One thing was Kiyoshi getting hurt, but he would not let anyone else get Hanamiya's treatment. Not under his watch. "I promise you won't get away with this!"

Hyuga quickly ran to the left, only for the Kirisaki captain to tip the ball away from his grasp. The referee quickly blew his whistle the moment the ball bounced off the court. "Out of bounds! White ball!"

Hanamiya and Hyuga stopped in their steps the moment the ball rolled to the tip of Kagome's shoes, making them blink as she picked it up into her hands. Setting her eyes on Hanamiya, she lowered them into a glare before seeing him walk away with a scoff.

"Kagome-chan…," whispered Hyuga, catching the miko's attention.

Kagome sent him a smile as she stared at the ball. "I don't know what to say right now or how to explain it, Hyuga-senpai, but…your aura is really stressing me out."

Hyuga blinked, taken back her words. His aura? What did she mean by that? "What are you talking about?"

"I wish I could help, but I know you feel tense, pressured, and most of all like you have to avenge Kiyoshi-senpai for what Hanamiya-san did, but…," looking over her shoulder, she noticed the brunette giving a nod to the captain, "don't fill your mind with revenge and beating Hanamiya-san. Do it for yourself and for the team's win. Nothing else. Our goal is not to beat Hanamiya-san, but to become the best in Japan." Catching Shun coming over to grab the ball, she handed it over and sent one last smile over to Hyuga.

The captain took a deep breath before setting his eyes once more on Kiyoshi's small smile. _'Until now, my mind has been full of thoughts of beating Hanamiya, but…,' _exhaling the nervous oxygen inside of him, the corner of his lips curved upwards, _'that is not the promise we made.' _Hyuga patted the miko's head before running back into the court. "Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

The miko nodded back without a word before walking back to the bench. She released a gentle sigh as Shun prepared his mark to pass the ball into the court.

"You haven't changed, Kagome," whispered Koga, his eyes on the court. "Whenever someone is being troubled, you always have to go and help."

"Is that a bad thing?" she chuckled, watching as Furuhashi blocked Hyuga's path. "Besides, Hyuga-senpai looks like the type of person who doesn't concern others with his feelings nor he will talk about them. I just reassured him that we are okay."

Hearing a soft laugh beside the miko, eyes were drawn over to Kiyoshi. The miko could not be more spot on Hyuga's personality. If anything, Hyuga was truly the stubborn type who covered his feelings with harsher words. "Couldn't agree with you more, Kagome-chan."

As the crowd cheered, their attention was pulled to see Furuhashi being screened by Mitobe before the ball was passed over to Hyuga. The smile on Kagome's expression widened slightly as she saw the calm aura surrounding the captain. _'He is okay now. He will make this shot.'_

Hyuga narrowed his eyes on the basket before setting the ball free into the air. _'Once we win this game…I will give Kiyoshi a high-five for the first time. After everything he has done, I should start there to appreciate his work.' _

* * *

"This...," whispered Ryo, pupils widening as he watched the ball arc over the players on the court.

"What?" questioned Wakamatsu, rolling his eyes. "Another miss?" It was already predicted that he would miss. Throughout the whole game, Hyuga had not even made one shot. The pressure was surely weighing him down.

Shaking his head, Ryo's shoulders relaxed. "Just the opposite. It's perfect. It can't miss."

* * *

Eyes widened as the ball was made into the basket, making the boys on the Seirin bench yell with excitement at the first three in the game. "All right!" shouted Koganei, pumping his fist in the air. "He made a three!"

Chuckling under his breath, Koga's head turned to take a look at the scoreboard. With only four minutes left in the game, he was impressed that Seirin was now only five points behind. If Hyuga could keep it up, they could easily surpass Kirisaki Dai Ichi's score.

"Yeah!" shouted Hyuga, lifting his fist in the air in victory. His mind had been clear. Clear of the goal he was after.

"You words really worked, Kagome-chan," chuckled Riko, coming to cross her arms. "Hyuga-kun can be stubborn, but sometimes he needs someone else to smack him with the right words."

The miko nodded, watching as Kuroko quickly tipped the ball away from Hanamiya as Shun blocked his path. "I think everyone is aware what the true goal is. We can't let our anger get the best of us. It is best to forgive and move on."

With Hyuga catching the pass, he headed back to the hoop, much to Hanamiya's surprise of their sudden change in spirit. He was sure Hyuga was crumbling, but what had changed? What!? His eyes widened as Hyuga made a fake on Furuhashi and made the pass underneath to Shun's person. _'Nani!? They scored from the inside?!'_

* * *

"They are doing it now," whispered Kise, focusing his eyes on the court. Now that Hyuga was making his threes, no doubt Kirisaki was starting to feel the anger swell inside of them.

"Now that the outside is scoring," sighed the Kaijo captain, "the inside is coming to life."

* * *

"Hanamiya's spider web…," Koga whispered, catching the attention of the miko and kitsune, "Kuroko broke the strands, and Hyuga's three freed the team. Stopping Seirin now will be difficult." He chuckled crossing his arms as he watched the team continue to stop Hanamiya's tactics in stealing the ball.

Shippo raised a brow the moment Kentaro made a shot. "But looks like Kirisaki is not ready to lose this. They are pushing it too."

"Come on!" shouted Hyuga. "Let's get it back!"

Furuhashi narrowed his eyes as he stared at Hyuga's back. He was sure that the captain had been broken since the beginning of the game. There was no way he was pulled out of his anger that easily. _'Number four's three is a problem, but he and the manager are the one who changed the flow of the game,' _his eyes changed over to the phantom player before seeing the miko holding her smirk. Hearing nothing from the captain, he turned his head over his shoulder. "Hanamiya?"

The miko's pupils quickly expanded at the sight of Hanamiya's aura rising. It was definitely not a pleasant one and one she feared. Shaking her head slowly, her eyes followed his movements as he ran towards Kuroko and blocked his path before Furuhashi passed him the ball. _'N-No…Kuroko-kun!' _Kagome bit her lower lip as her eyes followed Hanamiya's arms as the ball was held over his head. Hanamiya's aura was – _'black!'_

"This is ridiculous," whispered Hanamiya under his breath, taking a glance at the phantom player from the corner of his eyes. "It's all…it's all your fault!"

Eyes were filled with shock on Seirin's part, realizing what Hanamiya had planned as he yelled his words. Kagami's teeth clenched: _'That bastard!'_

"Kuroko!" both Hyuga and Kagami quickly shouted, seeing the intentions being read in Hanamiya's eyes as his elbows descended down towards the phantom player's face.

"Gomen, Koga. Shippo. But I can't stand watching this any longer," Kagome whispered under her breath, knowing the two youkai had heard her perfectly. Closing her eyes, she quickly placed her hands close to her chest in a praying position as she made sure to use Koga's and and Kiyoshi's built to hide her from any eyes roaming around. _'Come on!' _She was afraid that her barrier would not work to protect Kuroko, but even if it was minimal; she had to stop Hanamiya. _'Please, Kami-sama!'_

With wide eyes, Kuroko blinked the moment a faint pink screen appeared in front of his face. He quickly took a step back, making it in time to see Hanamiya's elbow and the ball hit the see-through screen before it completely disappeared in a blink of an eye. Had he seen right? He was sure there was something pink in front of him.

Koga turned his head to the side, realizing what the miko had done. Did she really just activate her barrier to protect Kuroko? What was she thinking?! There were way too many witness! "Oi! Kagome!" he exclaimed under a whisper. "What are you thinking?!"

"I had to do it," she lowered her glare, seeing the shock fill Hanamiya and Kuroko. "I am not going to let someone else get hurt when I can protect them."

"Not like that," he growled. What if Sesshomaru found out?! He still had not even given his permission for Kagome to tell her friends about her true identity!

"Calm down, wolf."

Hearing Shippo's low voice, both Kagome and Koga looked to their side, seeing the smirk rise on his lips. "You could barely see the barrier. If anything, it happened in a blink of an eye." The kitsune turned his head towards the miko, giving her a reassuring smile. "You did what you had to do, okaa-san," he whispered.

The miko slowly drew her attention back on the court, seeing the frozen states everyone was in. It looked like no one had caught sight of her barrier, but Kuroko was another thing. He was right in front of it. Had he seen it? _'It was faint, but he could have noticed it.' _She only prayed that Kuroko would not question later on. Focusing back on the game, she caught sight of Hanamiya growling under his breath.

"Piece of shit!" he shouted. "If only you weren't here…," Hanamiya was at the edge of his frustration. Not only had Kiyoshi gone under his skin, but Kuroko and Kagome were beginning to irritate him. What made them special? What made them think they could win against him?! Clamping his teeth down, he watched as Kuroko quickly raised his guard up. With a low chuckle, he raised his head with a smirk. "Just kidding, baka!"

Hanamiya caught the phantom player off guard, passing his defense and heading towards the hoop. Eyes followed his quick movements before he jumped back in the air before Hyuga and Mitobe could come forth.

'_He jumped so early! Is it a layup?' _Hyuga jumped up with his arm extended to tip the ball away, only to catch Hanamiya's wrist flicking the ball away. _'A teardrop!?' _

The ball smoothly came down into the basket, freezing everyone for a second. Hanamiya still had a hidden skill under his sleeve?

"This could be a problem," whispered Koga, not even expecting the bad boy to break something out towards the end of the game. With Seirin one point behind, even he could not guess where the game could go as only less than fifty seconds remained in the game. "He had another trick up his sleeve, eh~."

"You thought all I could do was play aggressively and steal the ball?" chuckled Hanamiya, catching Seirin's attention on the court. "Of course not, baka. Even without tricks, I can score whenever I want." Hanamiya stuck out his tongue, narrowing his eyes on his prey. "Honestly, I am disappointed I couldn't crush that sixth man of your or the girl, but whatever. If I win, either way, it's gave over for your dreams. It will be the end of your disgusting little game of friendship, too."

Kagome gripped her knees as Hanamiya's words flowed into her ears. It was disgusting her how he spoke like their dreams were nothing but trash. Demon or human, dark hearts in individuals made her want to slap some reality back. Leaning forward, she stopped herself from standing as she heard Kuroko's voice going against Hanamiya's.

"Don't be ridiculous!" he exclaimed back, catching Hanamiya's attention. He could hurt him and he knew his teammates felt the same that Hanamiya could do all the harm he wanted on them, but they would not allow him to place any pain on the girls of their team. They would protect each other no matter what. Getting into his stance, Kuroko took a step back as the ball slowly dropped in front of him. "I chose to fight because I thought the Generation of Miracles' basketball was wrong. But," he narrowed his eyes into a tight glare, "they would never do anything underhanded like you! With your style, don't get in the way of our, of the senpais, of everyone's dreams!" He quickly pushed the ball with his palm with all his strength across the court, catching Hanamiya by surprise as the ball passed and brushed his hair slightly.

Kagami caught the ball into his hand, setting everyone on the bench on their feet. Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he shouted: "Jam it in, Kagami!"

The tiger dunked it in with full force, making the comeback they needed as only less than twenty seconds remained. "We are not done yet!" yelled Hyuga, turning back to his team. "Don't let up until it's over!"

"Yeah!" the nodded in unison.

The miko was awed by Seirin's performance as they made shot after shot. Time ticked, but to her, it was the longest twenty seconds. The shift in their auras was something she never thought she would see. Never in her life had she caught auras changing so quickly all at once. _'They…are pulling through!' _

As Hyuga held the ball in his hands, he released the ball into the hoop before the buzzer echoed through the court. Players stilled at the sound of the ball bouncing down onto the wooden floor before the crowd exploded in cheer.

Kagome remained in her seat, unable to process the victory even as all the Seirin members rushed onto the court. The glow of their happiness shined through their faces. The longest match in her life had ended and the smiles on their faces was well worth the pain she went through.

"We are going to the Winter Cup!" exclaimed Kagami as he high-fived Shun.

Hyuga turned his head over his shoulder with a scowl as he saw the smile still glued on Kiyoshi's face. With slow steps, Hyuga made his way towards him before raising his hand and giving Kiyoshi a high-five – for the first time.

"They did it," chuckled Shippo. "I didn't doubt them, but I am definitely surprised they were able to survive all of that." From the corner of his eyes, he could see the frozen smile on the miko. "Don't be hard on her, Koga. She is doing this for her friends. Accept that she has other people to protect now."

The wolf youkai sighed as he gently pushed the miko forward to stand on her feet. "Go." Seeing her blink with confusion quickly made him wave his hand up and down. "Don't worry, I am not mad. If it were you…I would have done the same in protecting you. Now go and be with them. You are part of the team, right?"

Kagome pressed her lips into a thin smile before giving them a nod in thanks and rushing over to the circle of the cheer.

Standing up, Koga placed his hands inside his pockets. "She wouldn't have listened even if we tried stopping her from creating her barrier."

"You should know that by now, Koga." Shippo took out another lollipop from his pocket as he quickly removed the wrapper. "Besides, like I said, it wasn't even noticeable. Not even in my eyes and that is saying a lot coming from a demon, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah," a small smile appeared on his lips as he watched the miko being brought into a tight hug by Riko. "The miko we know is back." His chuckle returned the moment he saw Kiyoshi's hand landing on the miko's head as he ruffled her hair. "And she is in good hands."

Kagome's laugh joined with the others as they surrounded each other in their excitement. It felt so surreal and the events of before had seemed like a nightmare, but a well worth one take as they were now closer to their dream.

"We did it, Kagome!" shouted Kagami, coming to place his hand over the miko's shoulder.

Kuroko blinked with a smile as he appeared before her, taking a small glance at her bruise beside her eye. Even though he felt guilty for not moving her out of the way when he could have, he was surprised on how strong she held herself. Something he was beginning to admire. His eyes caught sight of Hanamiya standing behind the miko. With his guard coming up, Seirin followed suit as both Hyuga and Kiyoshi came to the miko's side.

Kagome slowly turned around, seeing the Kirisaki captain with his head hung down with his eyes hidden underneath his black bangs. Was he mad? She could see his aura slowly swirling with anger and frustration, but it also felt like he was exhausted. Either way, she narrowed her eyes, keeping her focus tight in case he tried anything.

"I lost, Seirin," he spoke in a low voice. "And Kiyoshi. Kagome-chan. I am sorry…for everything."

Taken back by his apology, both Kiyoshi and Kagome shared a glance before hearing a chuckle coming from the male in front of them.

"Like I would ever say that, bakas!" he shouted. "You are the first ones to ruin my plans this badly. I will make you regret it for the rest of your lives. Next time, I will crush you!"

"Remind you a certain, spider, doesn't he?" whispered Shippo as he crossed his arms.

With a raised brow, Koga scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, but spiders are nothing to us anymore. If Kagome has gone against the big ones, she can take on the small ones with no problem." The smirk on his lips stretched as he saw the miko send a smile towards Hanamiya.

"We forgive you."

The words coming from the miko made everyone blink in silence. Had she just forgiven him? After everything he had done?

She didn't feel pity for him, but she was experienced in knowing how the heart could be easily consumed by hate and jealousy. She had felt it herself once and it was not a path she wanted anyone to follow. Even she was not sure where the forgiveness was coming from exactly, but why continue on with the hate. She was content with knowing she was able to protect her friends and she could continue to stand beside them. "It was a small scratch on me anyways. No big deal."

"No big deal?" whispered Kagami, feeling his eyebrow twitch. This girl was knocked down unconscious!

"Hanamiya…," Kiyoshi came forth as he placed his hand over the miko's shoulder, "that last shot you made…I thought it was amazing." The brunette chuckled as he matched his smile with closed eyes. "Let's play again."

The Kirisaki captain bit his lip – hard. Why was he getting this pity? Why were they forgiving him? Why were they okay with this? They should not be smiling! "Don't be ridiculous. Damn it. Damn it!"

* * *

Standing from his seat, Aomine made his way out before being stopped by Momoi's hand on his jacket. "Oi! Where are you going? Midorin's game isn't over yet, Dai-chan."

"I'm leaving," he replied with a bored tone. As he placed his hands inside his pockets, he closed his eyes with a yawn. Did Momoi seriously think he was going to stay to watch Midorima's match when it was already decided who would come victorious? "He is not going to lose. They are all taking their time." The grin on his lips lifted. "I am sick of waiting."

His eyes slowly glided over to see Koga and Shippo standing beside the bench. _'And it looks like neko-chan knows some interesting people. Don't disappoint me, neko-chan.'_

* * *

As they watched Kirisaki Dai Ichi leave the court with their bags packed, Koga sighed, catching Seirin's attention on his person. "Well he certainly was not expecting the positive words, but at least he knows all of you were not affected by them."

"What a drama queen," spoke Shippo as he took out the lollipop between his lips. "Can't believe you actually forgave him, okaa-san."

The miko jolted at his words, knowing that Seirin had caught them. Her head slowly turned with a lip twitch as she saw Seirin's questioning looks.

"Baka! I told you to watch what you say!" Koga smacked the back of Shippo's head, making him flinch and freeze.

"Okay! Out with it, Kagome-chan!" exclaimed Riko, pointing her finger towards the miko. "I know it really shouldn't be our business to know…but him calling you, you know, um…"

"Okaa-san," cut in Koganei.

"Yes that! It is too strange! Who is he?!"

Eyes glued onto the orange head male, seeing him rub the back of his head as he held the candy between his lips. Kagome sighed before zipping her bag. "This is Shippo. An old…friend of mine. Um, I guess you could say Koga, Shippo, and I have been through thick and thin."

Kagami's eye twitched as pointed over at the kitsune. "But why does he call you 'okaa-san'? Isn't that a little too weird?"

How was she supposed to explain that now? Shippo no doubt was now older than her. And by older – hundreds of years old.

"When we were younger, I used to be the shorter one," smiled Shippo, cutting into the explanation. "I would get picked a lot and okaa-san- I mean, Kagome, was always there to defend me. I don't know. I saw her as a mother figure." The kitsune placed his arm around Kagome's shoulders before giving them a grin. "But I guess it is a lot weirder now that I am taller, huh, Kagome?"

'_And for other reasons, Shippo!' _she sighed.

"Shippo…san, was it?" questioned Hyuga, taking a step forward. "What do you do?"

"Me?" he pointed at himself with his lollipop. With a light chuckle, he gave them a smirk. "I guess you could say I am an assistant to a CEO."

"CEO!?" exclaimed Koganei. "Like from a top business CEO!?"

"Ah! Which reminds me," Shippo dug his hand inside his pocket before bringing out what looked like ticket slips, "these are for you."

Blinking at the tickets, Kagome took them in her hands and counted them. There was exactly eight of them. Eight? The miko looked back at the kitsune, seeing the grin still glued on his features. "What are these?" she questioned.

"Passes for all you to enjoy a day at the hot springs hotel that is near a gym. Since Seirin has taken good care of Kagome for us, I should thank you guys," he chuckled.

"Seriously!?" exclaimed Koganei, quickly coming in front of the group.

"Woah! I never have been to a hot springs here before," Kagami scratched the back of his head. Kagome's friends were actually giving them this?

"And since the gym is near, you guys could use it to practice before the Winter Cup arrives," Shippo snapped his fingers before coming to point at the wolf youkai beside the miko. "And this guy can train you guys."

"Huh!? When did I agree to that!?"

Shippo sent him a glare: "You owe okaa-san."

With a sigh, Koga shook his head before placing his hand over his hip. "Fine. I guess I can cancel some stuff." Raising a brow, he took a glance at the name of the hot springs on the tickets. With his eyebrow twitching, he quickly turned towards the orange head. "Oi. This is Sesshomaru's hot spring that is located on his Western Lands," he whispered the moment Kagome walked over to her team. "How did you convince him to have her friends over?"

"You do know it is open to the public, right?" Shippo slipped the lollipop back into his mouth, giving the wolf youkai a mild glare. "The hot springs is for tourists and athletes. I simply told him that Seirin needed training and of course I told him that he owes okaa-san for saving his lands from Naraku."

"You actually…blackmailed him!?" exclaimed Koga. Where this kitsune got his courage was beyond him! And how he made it alive was a pure miracle! But he guessed that it had to do with Sesshomaru and all of them feeling in debt to the miko after having defeated Naraku with her final arrow. She was the one who saved the feudal era. "Can't believe you actually did that, you damn kitsune."

Both their eyes landed on Kagome, seeing her stand before them as the rest of the team were thrilled with the tickets. "You two don't have to do that for us."

"Of course we didn't have to," smiled Shippo. "We wanted to, okaa-san. Besides," his eyes glided ahead, watching as Kuroko was patted on his head by Kiyoshi's much larger hand, "I mean what I said. They have been taking care of you, so this is my way of thanking them."

Kagome's lips curved into a small smile. It was almost surreal to know that this grown adult had been the small kitsune she was taking care of five hundred years ago. "Arigatou." She quickly wrapped her arms around their necks, bringing them close into a hug. Although she was surrounded by new friends and new people, she definitely missed her old ones. Having them as enough to set her heart calm. "For everything."

Koga and Shippo shared a glance before smiling at each other. And they still owed Kagome so much more for everything she had done and sacrificed. So much more.

* * *

"No one is forgetting anything, right?" questioned Riko, watching as the boys quickly packed their things into their bags inside the locker room. Scanning the area, she blinked, already feeling something – or more like someone – missing. After Koga and Shippo had left, Kagome had handed her the tickets, but after that, she had lost sight of them. "Huh? Where are Kuroko-kun, Kagome-chan, and Kagami-kun?"

Fukuda turned his head over his shoulder after he zipped his bag closed. "Ah, Kagami went to go look for them."

Releasing a sigh of exhaustion, Riko shook her head. "Seriously, they are always wandering around somewhere."

"Well," spoke Kiyoshi, catching their attentions, "I can understand how they feel at the moment - especially Kuroko. In any case, things are finally starting now."

"Starting?" questioned Koganei, turning to face the tall center. "You mean the Winter Cup?"

Kiyoshi nodded back in response before closing his bag. "Yeah, but…that's not all. This will probably be the only year they have a special bracket. I heard one of the biggest influential people in Japan is the sponsoring the Winter Cup this year for its anniversary. Every one of Teiko's prodigies, including the phantom sixth man, is participating."

The locker room swirled with silence before Furihata stood from his seat. "But this year we have ourselves Kagami and Kagome-chan! No doubt the Generation of Miracles see them and us like rivals, right?"

The brunette chuckled under his breath as he heard the excitement in Furihata's voice. Koganei quickly placed his foot on the bench as his arm extended upwards. "And we got Koga-san to train us!"

Hyuga sighed as he heard the rest of the team talk about their enthusiasm in Koga's upcoming training. Did they not realize it may be worse than Riko's? "But at least we get a day off at the hot springs, thanks to Kagome-chan's friend."

"She sure knows some interesting people," snickered Kiyoshi, coming to stand on his feet. "Looks like we got ourselves a very intriguing manager this year."

* * *

"There you are."

The miko sighed as she watched Kuroko stop bouncing the basketball in place on the outside court as she came down the cement stairs. After Riko had told them to get their things packed inside the locker room, she had quickly noticed the phantom player's disappearance. _'I should have realized it sooner. For sure Riko-senpai will get angry.'_

"What are you doing out here?" she questioned.

Kuroko held the ball between his hands before lowering his eyes on the object. "I couldn't sit still and I was just thinking about the game."

Kagome blinked before coming to stand before him. "What about it?"

The phantom player looked over at the hoop as the light from the outside court barely shinned over it. "I don't know if it was me getting exhausted or everything happened so fast, but I was sure I saw something appear before me when Hanamiya-san tried to hit me."

A nervous gulp dropped inside the miko's throat. Did Kuroko see her barrier? She was sure she had made it faint enough not even for her eyes to see it. Even Shippo said it was barely noticeable to him. "W-What did you see?"

"Something pink…although it was very minimal, I was sure I saw something," the phantom player's eyes landed on the miko's cerulean orbs. "I felt calm when I saw it. Almost as if it appeared to protect me."

'_Kuroko-kun…,' _Kagome quickly caught the ball in her hands the moment Kuroko gently threw it to her person. Staring at the ball, a gentle sigh passed her lips. As much as she wanted to tell him it was her who protected him, she knew she could release that information – just yet.

"Oi! Everyone is leaving, you bakas!"

Both Kuroko and Kagome jumped slightly at the voice behind them. Turning towards the stairs, they blinked at the sight of the tiger sitting on the stairs as he narrowed his eyes. Since when did he arrive? Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she watched him stand on his feet. _'It is almost like he is learning Kuroko-kun's trick to appear out of the blue.'_

"Don't scare us like that," blinked Kuroko. "You will make me angry."

"That is how I feel all the time!" the angry tick throbbed on Kagami's forehead. Was Kuroko seriously lecturing him not to appear out of nowhere? Coming down the steps, Kagami placed his sports bag down on the side of the court. "Jeez…what are you two doing here anyways? You the coach is going to kill us right?" Raising his hand up, he signaled the miko to pass him the ball. "Are you two trembling with excitement?"

Kuroko blinked as he saw the tiger spin the ball on top of his index finger. "I don't know. We were talking about other stuff before you interrupted."

"Oi!"

The miko chuckled under her breath as she saw the tiger's tick coming up once again. Kuroko definitely had a sense of humor that most people just did not get.

"But…since we won and advanced to the Winter Cup, I'm so excited, I can't stop shaking," Kuroko stared his hand as he saw his fingers tremble slightly.

"That's what you call trembling with excitement," smirked the red head. He gently threw the ball over to Kuroko's head, hitting him slightly before it bounced into the miko's hands.

"Itai…"

Kagome threw it back onto the tiger's head as she sent him a glare. "Oi! What was that for?"

"And what was that for!?" he exclaimed back, rubbing the top of his head.

With a sigh, Kagome placed her hand over her hip. Even she was shaking with excitement and nervousness now that they had secured their spot in the Winter Cup tournament. Things were definitely beginning and it only made her more nervous to not know of the upcoming opponents. _'The Winter Cup will be all-out war with the Generation of Miracles.' _Kagome made her way towards the ball before beginning to bounce it in place. "Well, then that makes it three. Can't deny that I am excited too."

Kagami snickered behind his smirk as he came over and stole the ball from the miko's hand. "Good! We need that excitement."

"Oi!" shouted Kagome. Did he really just steal the ball from her!?

He quickly took his aim and shot the ball into the hoop. "Yes! I feel awesome!"

"Don't give me that!" Hyuga came flying through as he kicked the tiger down onto the ground. "Not only are you playing basketball with them, but you are taking advantage of their low skills, baka!"

'_Low skills?' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched again as she heard the captain's words. They weren't that low. She had never even tried making a shot in her life.

"Well it's better than being scared."

The three quickly looked over their shoulders to see their team gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Kiyoshi gave them a smile as he took a step forward. "That excitement will definitely help us with motivation."

"Miina…," Kagome turned to face her teammates before sending them a smile.

Adjusting the strap over his shoulder, Hyuga turned towards his team. "Alright! Let's go! The Winter Cup is next! Let's beat them all and become the best in Japan!"

* * *

Blinking at the sight, the miko could not believe the huge structure of the hot springs hotel in front of her. She had followed the directions after taking the bus and she just could not believe Shippo had booked them this…luxury. _'Is Sesshomaru really this…rich!?' _Kagome sighed before checking the time on her phone. Her body was extremely exhausted after the Kirisaki Dai Ichi game and she had to pack another bag for the trip and training camp with only a few hours of sleep. _'Shippo booked the hotel the day after the game. He didn't even tell us! We found that out on our way back yesterday on the bus!' _

Kagome looked around her surroundings, seeing now sign of the team. She was sure she had texted them all about meeting in front of the hot springs hotel. _'Hmm…maybe they over slept?' _Her eyes landed back down her phone screen, seeing the time hitting noon. _'I hope they find this place.' _

"Looks like we are the first ones here."

Hearing the male voice behind her, Kagome turned around to see Koga standing with a bag over his shoulder. "Koga? What are you doing here?" Was he also staying here?

"Well, since that kitsune signed me up to train Seirin for the days that we are here, I decided to tag along and enjoy the hot springs myself. I deserve a vacation too," he smirked. His eyes roamed around the area before raising a brow. "Seirin is certainly late. Did you give them the right address?"

With a nod, Kagome closed her flip phone and heard footsteps coming the other way. The miko turned to see Seirin walking as fast they could towards her.

"Gomen, Kagome-chan!" Riko placed her hand over her chest as she tried catching her breath. "Kagami-kun was the last one to arrive at the bus stop because the baka overslept!"

Hyuga quickly placed his hand behind the tiger's head as he brought him down into a bow. "Baka! Didn't you hear your alarm!?"

"S-Sumimazen!"

"I hope we didn't make you wait long, Kagome-chan," cut in Kuroko as he held Nigou in his arms.

Kagome shook her head before setting her eyes on the mascot. "Oh! You brought Nigou?"

"Hai. I heard this place allows dogs, so I brought him with us to enjoy the hot springs," Kuroko scratched the top of Nigou's head before hearing Kagami's voice.

"You better keep away from me, though!"

Riko blinked as she realized Koga had been standing behind the miko the whole time. "Ah, Koga-san, konnichiwa. Sumimazen for making you wait as well."

With a wave of his hand going up and down, the wolf youkai chuckled under his breath. "Nah, don't worry about it. It gave me some alone time with my woman-" he flinched at the pain on his side, seeing Kagome's hand having jabbed his ribs harshly.

The males shook slightly upon seeing the innocent smile on the miko's face. "Shall we go in and enjoy the hot springs?"

* * *

"Nani!?"

Riko's voice echoed throughout the halls as she stared at the one room that had been reserved for them. It was big enough, but they were really thinking they would share a room with the boys!?

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she felt the vein in her forehead throb at the same time. Shippo did not even think about the room situation? Was this on purpose or actually something that did not cross his mind? Either way…they were stuck with the boys!

"Eh~ you guys get to sleep in the same room with Kagome?" spoke Koga from the back as he stood beside Kiyoshi. "I should probably tell the front desk to cancel mine so I can join-"

"Get out!" shouted Kagome, throwing a pillow from one of the nearby futons on his face. "If you have your own room, go!"

Kagami blinked at the sight of the room, unsure what the big fuss was about. It was pretty big for everyone to fit, so what was the problem? "I don't see anything wrong with it-"

"The fact that you don't know what the problem is, is what makes you a baka!" shouted Riko as she slapped the back of his head.

"Hmm…I guess Riko and Kagome-chan can sleep together, but it looks like all the futons were placed close together to accommodate our group," Kiyoshi scratched the back of his head, seeing the futons only being an inch apart from each other. "The girls can take the far corner."

"But then that leaves the other side free…," whispered Koganei, seeing that if Riko slept at the very corner, Kagome would be in the middle with her left side open to another. "I can take it!"

Hyuga quickly grabbed the back of Koganei's head as his fingers kept a tight grip. "No you don't!"

With a soft laugh, Kiyoshi placed his bag down on the corner of the room before turning towards his teammates. "Mah, mah, we can worry about this after we enjoy the hot springs. Let's go."

The miko sighed under her breath with a shake of her head. _'I am going to lecture Shippo later for this.'_

* * *

Closing his eyes, Kuroko relaxed under the warmth of the water from the hot springs as he leaned back onto the rocks that decorated around the water. The fresh scent of the trees around truly helped him ease his worries for the upcoming events. Perhaps this is what the team needed. Just some relaxation before they would continue on practices. Kuroko opened his eyes as he heard the ripples of the water beside him.

"Kagami-kun, you shouldn't let your towel touch the water," he blinked, noticing the tiger's towel around his shoulders coming to touch the water.

"What?" blinked Kagami, sinking lower into the depth of relaxation. "Really?"

"Ah, viva-non," Koganei sighed contently as he sunk half of his face into the water, making sure to balance the towel that was folded on his head. How long had it been since he had gone to a hot springs like this? And this one looked extremely expensive!

Kiyoshi turned his head to the side as he heard Koganei's words. "What's viva-non?"

"Who cares? Bakas," Hyuga leaned into the rocks, quite irritated that the idiots around him were not shutting up and relaxing. This was a one in a lifetime thing for them.

Shun chuckled under his breath, looking at the captain completely lose himself in the water's warmth. "Your remarks are lacking bite, Hyuga."

"Of course they are," cut in Koga as he came to sit at the edge. "After all, we are all at the hot springs. It is a time to relax and enjoy, boys." Although it was a bit strange for him to be around high school teens, he did enjoy their company. Besides, he was enjoying himself. Sesshomaru rarely gave them any time off. _'Shippo can be smart sometimes.'_

"Giving us those hot spring tickets really helped refresh ourselves," sighed Kiyoshi as he rubbed his face. His muscles were definitely untangling the soreness he held.

Releasing a laugh, Koga crossed his arms across his chest. "Don't relax too much! I am training all of you into hell tomorrow. Don't lose focus." He smirked at the sight of their frightened faces. If only they knew what was coming.

"R-Right…," whispered Hyuga with a lip twitch. "Tomorrow we are going right back to practice."

"Look!" shouted Koganei. He quickly swam on his stomach as he began to move his arms and legs with splashes accompanying him. "I'm doing the butterfly!"

"Oi! Don't go splashing around!" shouted Koga.

The captain's ears twitched as he heard the first years talk about getting in the water, only to see them wear the white towels that they were provided with around their hips. He quickly rose from the water and pointed his finger towards them. "Oi! Don't tastelessly wear your towels around your waists. Look at Kagami!" Eyes were moved over to the tiger as he came out of the water before placing his own towel over his shoulder with his back towards them. "His towel casually slung over his shoulder. His dashing standing figure. His swim trunks…," he blinked behind his fogged glasses. "Swim trunks!?"

"Huh?" blinked Kagami, having overheard Hyuga's question. Lowering his eyes down to his blue swim trunks, he scratched the back of his head. "Oh, I have never been to a hot springs before."

"Eh~ seriously?" chuckled Koga as he raised his elbows to rest against the rocks behind him. "So you are a newbie?"

"Is from America," cut in Koganei.

The wolf youkai shook his head. "Ah, that explains a lot. People from abroad…they never know what to do in a hot springs."

"I can teach them," spoke Hyuga. Making his way over to the small wooden chair near the wash area, he took his seat before pointing over his back with his thumb. "Fine. Kouhai wash their senpais' backs." His eyes landed on the tiger, seeing him blink with confusion. He would teach him the ways of Japanese here at a hot springs.

Shun blinked, dropping his eyebrows. "You just want to make him do it," he whispered.

"Like this?" questioned Kagami as he grabbed a brush and brought it straight down the captain's back.

Hyuga quickly dropped to the ground as he felt the harsh scrub. What the hell scratched him? Nails!?

"Hyuga!" shouted Shun, seeing him slightly unconscious on the ground.

"Huh? How did that happen?" Kagami's eyes dropped to the brush on his hand. He was sure he was gentle. He did say scrub.

Shun's eyebrow twitched upon noticing the object in Kagami's hands. He was killing his captain with that! "What is wrong with you!? That brush is for cleaning!"

With barely any straight in his back, Hyuga slowly came to sit on the ground. The color in his face completely pale from the pain and shock he had taken. _'I-I thought he was going to kill me.' _Sighing under his breath, making sure he was alive, he turned his head to the side upon hearing a soft whine. His eyes widened at the sight of Kuroko washing up Nigou in a small wooden bucket as bubbles piled over them in a cloud. "Oi! You are turning into cotton candy! I don't know where to start!"

"They said we could wash Nigou," smiled Kiyoshi, coming to sit on top of the rocks to let some of the cool air hit his shoulders.

"In the bath?" glared Koga, eying the dog carefully in the mountain of bubbles. "Tch, I never did well with mutts."

Hyuga quickly fainted back onto the ground as he felt another sharp scrub behind his back. His world had turned black without any warning. He was sure his back was free now!

"Hyuga, why!?" shouted Shun, seeing his captain down with the red marks on his back. Where had that come from!? His eyes quickly darted out to the red head, seeing a completely different object in his hand. What the heck was that!?

"I thought I would try again."

"With a scrubbing brush!?" he exclaimed.

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he saw the boys interact before hearing the soft laughter from the other side of the bamboo fence. Turning his head over his shoulder, a smile tugged on his lips. "Things are pretty lively next door."

"Well, now that you mention it," blinked Shun, coming back into the water, "there was a group of college girls at the front desk."

"Nani?!" exclaimed Koganei. He quickly ran over to the tall bamboo fence before making a few jumps to see if he could get a glimpse. "Oh! Kagami, come here!" he whispered, chuckling as Kagami stopped in his actions of washing his back. In a matter of seconds, Kagami lifted him up by his shoulders as he heard Koganei point his finger forward. "Forward march!"

"Oi! Where are you going!?" exclaimed Shun.

The seriousness in Koganei hardened as he looked over his shoulder and gave the eagle eye user a thumbs up. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Don't say that with a straight face!"

"Baka!" Hyuga shouted in mid whisper.

Shun could not believe what he was seeing. Hyuga was actually using Mitobe the same way!? What happened to his captain dignity and morals!? "Hyuga, why are you going with them!?"

"Oi! You are lucky you have your Eagle Eye!" he shouted back.

"It doesn't work like that!"

With a gentle sigh, Kiyoshi sunk back into the hot springs, letting his muscles relax once more underneath the warmth. Although he was curious himself, he knew better than to try anything risky. "Riko would kill you if she were here."

"Kiyoshi, shut-," Shun blinked, realizing that the brunette was actually trying to stop the situation. "You're right!" His ears quickly caught the sound of a bark, making him look over to the phantom player flushed underneath the water. "Kuroko!"

"S-Sumimazen," he whispered, his eyes dropping tiredly as he felt his head beginning to cloud and he was sure it was not the steam of the water which he was seeing. "I feel a little dizzy."

Shun released a sigh as he closed his eyes. "Get out of the bath, then. Kagami, go with him."

"Eh?" he blinked, lowering Koganei back down on his feet. Walking over to the phantom player, he helped him before exiting the hot springs.

"What should we go?" Koganei's eyes narrowed, as he whispered over to his captain.

"This isn't good…," Hyuga's eyes dropped, knowing that their plan had been ruined with the tall tiger gone. And now that Kuroko was gone – "our peeping specialist disappeared."

Shun's vein throbbed on his forehead one last time. What the heck were they thinking on accomplishing!? "His misdirection doesn't work like that, either!"

"Is that one of Kuroko's nicknames?" cut in Kiyoshi. Why had he not know about this?

Groaning, Shun mentally and physically gave up on stopping them. If they got in trouble, it would be on them! He quickly heard a chuckle along with the ripples of the water, making him look to his side. "K-Koga-san?" his eyes blinked as he watched the wolf youkai walk over to the peeping toms. _'Is he going to stop them?'_ He was an adult after all.

"Boys. Stop what you are doing," Koga closed his eyes as he crossed his arm, ignoring the shiver that escaped from the boys trying to take a peek.

'_Arigatou, Koga-san!' _Shun's released a sigh of relief.

The wolf youkai uncrossed his arms as he pointed at the boys with his eyes coming to a mid-glare. "That is not how you peek at girls! You are being too loud! Allow me to demonstrate!"

"Chotto matte!" shouted Shun. Why was he being the straight guy at this moment?! Now he had to control an adult?!

Koga patted his thighs before coming to grab on the bamboo. With ease, he quickly took a climb up, making everyone awe at his skill to climb. Was it not hard to grab onto the smooth surface? Chuckling mentally, Koga's eyes narrowed with pride. _'Watch and learn boys. Back in the feudal era, it was much easier to peek at the girls.' _He looked over his shoulder with an arched brow. "Come on. It is much easier this way."

"Sugoi…," whispered Hyuga before setting his eyes on the fence. "Yosh! Here I go!" Trying his best to reach and grab onto anything on the bamboo fence, Koganei's eyebrow furrowed as he struggled. "A little more…I can't…"

"There must be another way!" Koganei watched as Koga took another climb up with ease. This guy seriously had some muscle!

"Ah!"

"W-What is it, Fukuda?!" exclaimed Furihata, seeing his friend kneeling down to the opening in the bamboo fence.

"A hole!" he replied. "I found a hole!"

"Nani!?" Koga turned his head downwards, seeing his students coming down towards the hole. "Why didn't you say so before, baka! Good work! Makes this much easier!"

Shun internally gave up, seeing the actual grown man coming down from his climb and trying to peek through the hole. "This team is hopeless…"

"Damn it," cursed Koga, trying to get a good angle to peek through. "The hedge is in the way. Oh! I hear them coming! Move the bucket!"

"You seem to be having fun."

"Why don't you let us join you?"

The boys quickly froze in place at the sound of two familiar feminine voices behind them. Hearing knuckles cracking, the wolf youkai was the first to slowly look over his shoulder and noticed the dark anger rising over the miko's and the coach's eyes. Koga gulped: "K-Kagome…what are you doing here? This is only for men."

"And I had a feeling you would try something," she glared, cracking her last knuckle on her hand. "You really haven't changed, K-o-g-a."

"C-Chotto! We were just-!" Koga was quickly met with a punch, sending him into the water.

Hyuga and the rest of the boys scooted back, hoping they could blend into the bamboo fence for protection as they saw the female coach taking slow steps towards them as she wore her smile. "What are you boys doing?" she questioned – _sweetly. _

"C-C-Coach…," Hyuga raised his hands up to his chest defensively, hoping to get out of the situation alive.

"I thought you were making a lot of noise and good thing Kagome-chan had the gut feeling all of you would be up to something. All of you," she smiled, "clench your teeth. Care to join me, Kagome-chan?"

"Gladly," she smiled back coming to join the coach.

* * *

"Seriously! The nerve of those guys!" Riko groaned loudly under her breath as sat at the edge of the hot springs, splashing some water onto her shoulders. She had no taken Kagome seriously at first the moment they walked past the men's bath and had heard the whole commotion, but when Kagome said that she wanted to check, she followed behind. Something about not trusting Koga and she could have not been more right. The famous Ichiro Koga was peeping through a hole! She was not surprised though that her team was actually trying to peek to the other side, but they had to get the consequences! "They need to learn to respect a girl's privacy! Unbelievable…"

Tying her hair up into a messy bun, Kagome relaxed her head back against the rock behind her. She had trusted the boys, but Koga was another thing. The first thing that had crossed her mind was his perverted ways. There were times he would try to take a peek in the feudal era when I got into the hot springs. _'The baka.' _Kagome closed her eyes, letting her tension leave her body. _'The Winter Cup is in less than a month…the pressure will definitely go higher as we get closer.'_

"I can't believe Koga actually tried teaching them how be a pervert," the miko shook her head, sinking a bit lower into the water. The night was starting to get heavier and she knew her body was starting to become even more tired. _'I guess I should get out soon before my skin gets too wrinkly.' _

"I am going to make them run for their lives tomorrow," Riko crossed her arms, letting the steam of the water calm her down from her high. Opening her eyes, she noticed Kagome's cheeks beginning to color in with heat. "Are you feeling okay, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah," she replied with a smile. "It must be the water. I haven't been in a hot springs in a while." Kagome dropped her eyes back down onto the water, seeing her fogged up reflection. She certainly missed her days with Sango. Her small girl talks and simply being basked in the fresh nature of Japan.

"You should go get some sleep, Kagome-chan. You are still a little light headed, right?" blinked the female coach, noticing the miko's bruise still visible beside her right eye. "I will catch up in a few minutes."

"You're right." Although she could usually stay longer, she guessed Hanamiya's hit was still making her a bit wobbly – despite her miko-ki trying to heal her from the inside. And she had only gotten a few hours of sleep before coming here. She was definitely lacking some sleep. Rising up from the water, she sighed as she felt the thin streams of liquid slowly crawl down her body before making her way over to grab her towel. "I will see you in the room, Riko-senpai?"

"Hai," she nodded. That girl deserved a good rest after everything she was put through. Hopefully she would be fully refreshed the next day.

* * *

"Huh?" The miko blinked as she moved her eyes left and right. _'Where did I put it? I was sure I put bra somewhere here…,' _she continued to look through her shorts and shirt before releasing a groan. Sitting on the nearby chair, Kagome stared at her shirt in her hands. "Looks like I will have to go out of here without a bra…"

Her only worry was someone catching her. Hopefully not. It was late anyways, most people would be asleep and the boys were still inside the hot springs. She could make it inside their room and take one out before anyone witnessed it.

Without any more second thoughts, the miko quickly put on her shirt and shorts, already feeling a bit exposed even if her shirt was doing a decent job in hiding her breasts. _'Okay…now to get to the room.' _

Sliding the door open, Kagome stuck out her head and searched her surroundings. "Looks like no one is around." As quickly as her legs could take her out to hide her embarrassment, she hugged the towel close to her chest. Going down the hall, she saw the corner to her room and turned to her right before coming to bump into something hard, taking her down on her behind.

"Itai…what was that? Steel?" the miko rubbed the tip of her nose, still feeling the pain. It stung like heck. She was surprised her nose was still intact.

"Oh? I will take that as a compliment, neko-chan."

Kagome's eyes quickly snapped open as she heard the nickname. _'That voice!' _Neko-chan? Neko-chan!? Her head rose to meet a pair of blue eyes and tan skin. With her pupils going wide, her body froze as she saw the smirk on the male's lips stretch.

"Eh~ now this is a sight."

"A-Aomine-kun…"

What the heck was Aomine doing here!?

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Long chapter. That is all I have to say about this one.

Next chapter, guess what! Kagome shows her archery skills and Koga begins to train them he-he! And Aomine WILL see Kagome's scar! A lot of stuff happens in this trip, people! Although I won't be updating next week (which I am really sorry -bows-) I do hope you don't leave me or give up on me! I will come back! Also if you check my Tumblr, I will post an important note that could interest you!

P.S. If you read Pure Rukh, I posted sketches I drew he-he.

Also, did I mention Sesshomaru and Akashi are appearing soon?

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed! (Please don't be mad for me leaving for a week!)

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	22. Challenge Accepted

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well getting back to writing after a long vacation week was much harder than I expected. I kept getting distracted and simply procrastinated, but I was able to finish this chapter in time! It was quite difficult to put Koga in the mix and have him interact with Kagetora and also having Sesshomaru appear...not really sure how people will take it, so don't get your hopes up.

Also, I want to thank you all for all the support and reviews you have sent through here and on my Tumblr. That really helped me stay motivated to finish! And I also noticed we were almost close to a 1,000 reviews!

I truly hope all of you enjoy this chapter, because I did struggle with it. Also...the fluff might ruin it.

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 22: Challenge Accepted **

* * *

Releasing an exhale, the Seirin coach closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of the water slowly release the tight knots in her muscles. She could feel her own skin begin to flush under the steam as she slapped her shoulders lightly with water. "Those bakas. If it weren't for Kagome-chan's instinct to check on them, they would have gotten a peak." Riko lowered herself a little bit deeper into the hot springs. "Their training will not be easy tomorrow."

With the sound of the running water and silence of the nature around, Riko was not even startled by the female voice above her as she was too lost in her relaxation.

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

"Go ahead," she sighed softly before returning back to her empty mind.

"Domo."

Hearing the exhale of the female beside her, Riko slowly opened her eyes and blinked upon noticing the familiar pink hair being held up into a messy bun. She blinked twice with her pupils coming to expand. "Y-You…"

* * *

"We shouldn't have peeped," Hyuga spoke under the water with only his eyes being out of the water. The sting on his cheek remained and even the hot water was not helping ease the pain of Riko's slap.

Shun scoffed under his breath before placing his hand over his right cheek. "Of course not. Why did I even get hit? I was the one trying to stop all of you." The fact that he tried to reason with the coach before he got the hit was beyond him. He was the one in the water along with Kiyoshi. Speaking of which – "Oi, Kiyoshi, why didn't you get slapped?"

The tall center chuckled under his breath as he scratched the back of his neck. How was he supposed to explain he had actually backed away from the fury of both girls? The mere sight of the two girls had him slowly retreating further into the water before he was found.

"Coach definitely hits hard," sighed Fukuda, coming to flinch the moment his fingers touched his swollen cheek.

"Like you should talk."

The Seirin teams changed their sight direction over to the wolf youkai, seeing him sitting on top of a boulder as he rubbed his much more redden cheek. Not only was it swollen, but it looked extremely painful to even look at. Their manager had definitely done a number on him. To think Kagome had no fear to raise her hand towards such a famous person with a high status. Looked like the coach was not the only person to fear now.

"Kagome has not changed one bit," Koga closed his eyes, flinching at the sting on his red print.

Koganei blinked as he tilted his head to the side. "Has Kagome-chan always been like that?"

"Huh?" Koga's attention was brought up to the team. He blinked; confused. Had they never seen Kagome mad before? "Are you telling me all of you have never witnessed Kagome like that before?"

They all shook their heads in unison and in silence.

"Consider yourselves lucky then," sighed the wolf youkai. The image of an angry miko had been stitched in his mind since he had kidnapped her the first time. He never wanted to cross her like that again, but it seemed like her erupted anger would always be a surprise to him. Koga slowly rose to his feet before coming to wrap a towel around his hips. "Well, I should head to my room now."

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga, raising his head to see the older male walking around the hot spring. "It is still early, Koga-san."

"Bakas, did you forget who is training you tomorrow?" Koga's eyebrow rose as he looked over his shoulder. The grin on his lips slowly stretched at the corners as the thought of his upcoming training came into his mind. "Make sure you get lots of rest. You will need it." With a final laugh echoing throughout the hot springs, Koga made his way into men's change room, leaving the Seirin team gulping.

Koganei made his way to the middle of the water before sinking down up to his nose. "Something tells me he is not going easy on us."

"Neither will the coach…," whispered Hyuga.

"You're as lively as ever."

Hearing an echoing chuckle tag with the voice, the Seirin members in the water looked over to the far corner of the hot springs. As the steam of the water slowly unveiled the people behind, Hyuga quickly rose from the water with wide eyes.

* * *

"W-What are you doing here?" the miko's eyes narrowed slightly as she caught the smirk glued on Aomine's lips. This was supposed to be a training spot for them and yet he was here at the hot springs? Was he alone? Or was – "Is Tōō here as well?"

The tan male raised a brow as he scanned the miko's body. A chuckle was pressed against his lips, only letting the muffle sound of his laugh being heard. "I have to say, I thought you were flat chested all this time, but you definitely have a body to show. Guess it was hidden under all of that clothing-" Aomine was quickly met with Kagome's slipper, shutting his lips from saying anything further.

"Oi! I give you a compliment and you throw a freaking slipper at me!" he shouted, rubbing his cheek.

"Didn't ask for it!" she argued back, coming to stand on her feet as her arms came to wrap around her chest. The one time she forgets her bra and this is the person she had to run into. _'Miroku would have been a better choice at this point!' _

Kagome's eyes narrowed while seeing his mild glare on his own expression. "You didn't answer my question. Is Tōō here around this area as well?"

The Tōō ace grunted under his breath before coming to lower his hand from his cheek. "They dragged me here for a training session and although I was hating it, I think I don't regret coming along. I got a good view of Seirin's manager."

"Save it, hentai."

"Huh?" Aomine blinked with his glare still glued on his features as he heard the word coming from her lips. Had she just called him a 'hentai'? He knew his liking of idols and breasts were something abnormal, but he was a man and a man liked what he saw. That did not make him a hentai! "What did you just call me, neko-chan?"

"Stop calling me that!" she exclaimed, coming eye-to-eye with the Tōō ace. Grabbing the towel abandoned on the ground, she wrapped it around herself as she ignored Aomine's questioning looks. "Well, it doesn't matter. I have no business with you." The miko turned her body away and took a step the opposite direction, but quickly stopped the moment she felt her body being lifted up and being placed over a shoulder.

Kagome quickly looked over her own shoulder and came to stare at Aomine's back head. With wide eyes, her eyebrows furrowed. "W-What the heck do you think you are doing, Aomine-kun!?"

"Everyone is out at the hot springs and I have nothing better to do."

'_Hot springs!?' _the miko blinked as the words registered into her mind. Did that mean Tōō was truly here?

A chuckle escaped Aomine's lips as he began to make his way forward with the miko held over his shoulder like a sack of hay. "Well, at least I found my favorite neko-chan to keep me company."

"O-Oi! Chotto! I am not going to keep you company!" she shouted. She did not even care who heard her. This guy was beginning to press her buttons to the point she was about to burst. "Let me go!" Oh how much she wanted to kick him and run away. Who the hell did he think he was?

"I am not asking for much, neko-chan. Just keep me company," Aomine smirked as he made his way down the hall, ignoring the miko's light kicks to his chest and her punches to his back. The only time he had ever got to see the miko was before his matches and now was the perfect time to have some alone time with the one girl that had actually caught his attention. And more with the body she had been hiding behind the Seirin uniform.

* * *

"Sheesh…," the tiger exhaled as he stared at the phantom player laying down over a bench inside the hot spring hotel as he stood in front of a vending machine. If Kuroko could not take the heat of the water, why did he not say anything sooner? Now he was stuck babysitting the boy even after both of them had gone back to change into their basketball shorts and their jackets.

He being used to the American weather, the winter in Japan was surely something new to him. Kagami shook his head, seeing the small blue hand towel over Kuroko's eyes before coming to stare at the drinks in the vending machine. "Want something to drink?"

"A sports drink," he whispered back, resting his hands over his stomach.

Kagami blinked, noticing the water drinks being completely out as the red light blinked over the button. "Huh? They are sold out. Fine, then." Turning his head to the resting phantom player, he sighed. "I'll go buy some outside."

"Sumimazen," Kuroko lifted the towel slightly over his eyes as he came to stare at the white ceiling. The Winter Cup was nearing in less than a month and he had a feeling Koga would not go easy on them in this upcoming training. Lowering the towel once more onto his eyes, he sighed.

He only hoped he could keep up.

* * *

"You…," Hyuga took a step back as the saw the familiar grin on the captain from the other side as his eyes came to scan the rest of the three members resting on the rocks and water. "T- Tōō Academy!? Why…?"

"Why not?" chuckled Imayoshi, quite enthusiastic to see the surprised looks on Seirin's expressions. With a shrug, he let his lips stretch. "We just happen to be practicing in the area. We happen to decide to relax in the hot springs. And you just happen to be here. Don't be so tense. We are both representing Tokyo. Let's at least get along while we bathe."

* * *

"Let me go!"

"Stop being so fucking loud."

"You are asking for it, baka!"

Hearing the voices coming closer to his person, Kuroko could not help but become curious as he heard the familiar female voice coming even closer. _'Kagome-chan?' _Lifting the towel over his eyes once more, he caught the sight of a male passing by the bench he laid on as the girl over his shoulder struggled to have her freedom.

Kuroko quickly sat up on the bench as he saw Kagome glaring at the back of Aomine's head. "Aomine-kun."

Stopping in his tracks, the Tōō ace looked over his free shoulder upon hearing his name. With narrowed eyes, he caught the owner of the voice.

Kagome blinked as she saw the phantom player sitting on the bench near the vending machine. Was he laying there the whole time? "K-Kuroko-kun?"

"It's been awhile, Tetsu," glared Aomine, seeing the same tightened expression Kuroko held against him.

Kuroko's eyes glided over to the miko being held over Aomine's shoulder in a tight hold. Without any fear in his words, he parted his lips. "Put Kagome-chan down, Aomine-kun."

"Eh~?" Aomine raised a brow. Was the phantom player getting angry that his manager was caught by him? He might have been oblivious to some things, but he recognized jealousy well in the eyes of other people.

The miko groaned under her breath before coming to kick the Tōō ace on his ribcage. Hearing his grunt of pain and his grip loosen around her waist. Coming down on her feet, Kagome quickly took her steps back before tan male could react. "You should have listened the first time."

Aomine released a light snicker before straightening himself up. "Looks like neko-chan has some fire in her."

"Call me that again and I promise you there will be more than just a kick to the ribs," glared Kagome.

"Right~'," the smirk on Aomine's lips appeared as he held the towel in his hand. The shock in the miko's eyes filled him with excitement seeing he had a full show in front of him now.

"Hentai!" Kagome reached for the towel, only for the Tōō ace to raise it higher into the air. The pink hue on her cheeks began to appear as she covered her chest with her arm before coming to retreat herself away from Aomine's person. "Bastard…"

Before the miko could fling another insult, she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders. Looked to her side, Kagome blinked at the sight of Kuroko avoiding her eyes as he turned his head. Seeing the baby blue jacket over her shoulder quickly made her forget the rage she had inside from being kidnapped. With a light sigh, she brought Kuroko's jacket closer to her chest to cover what she had been trying to hide. "Arigatou, Kuroko-kun."

Kuroko nodded back, keeping his gaze away. He had not missed the sight of Kagome being without a bra. Although the shirt did not show a lot, it definitely left a lot to the imagination.

The blush was easily caught by the Tōō ace on the phantom player's face. No doubt that he had caught a glimpse of what he had seen as well. Did Kuroko like the neko-chan? Raising a brow, his eyes narrowed to the silence being shared between the two. Almost like they had shoved him to a forgotten corner. Since he was already here, he might as well have the attention of the two.

"I see there is no sign of your new light," spoke the Tōō ace, catching their eyes onto him. "I saw your game." The memories of Kuroko's new move replayed in his mind. "Was that the new move Satsuki mentioned, Tetsu?"

Keeping his eyes on Aomine's tight gaze, Kuroko gave his simple reply. "Hai. I developed it to use against you."

"Sorry," snickered the ace, "but it won't work."

"What makes you so confident about that?" the miko raised an eyebrow herself before coming to meet Aomine eye-to-eye once again as he bent to her height.

"Because, neko-chan," he smirked as his hand reached to cup her cheek, "the one that will win the Winter Cup-" his words were cut short the moment his hand was smacked away from touching the miko's cheek and another was wrapped around his shoulders.

"-is us!"

Kagome blinked as she took a step back and came to see Kagami's eyes narrow as they meet Aomine's dark blue orbs. "Kagami-kun?"

Letting his thin eyebrows meet his glare, Aomine could not help but feel a small flame of anger flicker inside the moment the tiger had slapped his hand away from touching the miko. Not only did it look like Kuroko was becoming protective of the manager, but it seemed like a tiger was protecting his tamer. "Don't put your arm around my shoulder." Shoving the red head's arm away from his shoulder, he watched as Kagami handed Kuroko his drink.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, coming to stand on the other side of the miko. "I don't remember you being invited here nor coming to annoy Kagome."

Aomine chuckled under his breath. "You're going to win, huh?" His eyes lowered to the miko, seeing her strong determined gaze. "It's not enough. More. It seems you really did open the door," his eyes shifted over to the tiger, "but you're just standing in the entrance. You're not even close to the Generation of Miracles. You're not even entertainment yet."

"What are you talking about?" glared Kagami, obvious to the tan male's insult.

In a blink of an eye, the miko was pulled by her wrist and brought to Aomine's side. His chuckle was heard once again as he saw the wide eyed expression on Kagami and Kuroko faces. "But you are lucky that your manager has caught my attention. Lucky for her."

"Lucky?!" she glared, tilting her head upwards to get a look at the blue haired ace. "Aomine-kun, let me go."

"I'm sorry, neko-chan, but I think we should have some alone time to get to know each other. These two have you for too long."

"I will have to stop all of you here, but I think I deserve some alone time with Kagome."

All eyes traveled to the male pulling the miko to his side before noticing the toothy grin on the black haired male. Kagome blinked as she saw the wolf youkai fully dressed in his sweatpants and a regular black t-shirt. "K-Koga?"

"Besides, she is my woman-" Koga bent down from his stomach after feeling the elbow jab from the female. "K-Kagome…"

Turning his eyes into slits, Aomine kept his orbs on the older male that had suddenly pulled the miko away from his grasp. Just how many times did he have to try to get the girl before she was stolen from him? "So I guess Satsuki was right about you knowing Ichiro Koga."

"Ah, so you have heard of me," smirked the wolf youkai. "I feel honored that the famous ace of the Generation of Miracles knows about me."

"I think it should be the other way around, baka," Kagome sighed.

Turning his body to face the wolf youkai, Aomine kept his tight gaze on the two. "So you are dating him, neko-chan?"

"Eh?! You let him call you by a nickname!? We have known each other longer, Kagome-!" he was met with her elbow once more before she could release a heavy sigh.

"All of you need to calm down. I can't even get out of the hot springs in peace." Rubbing her temple, the miko closed her eyes. What did she have to do to get some relaxation or even some quiet time? She was going to have it until Aomine showed up and decided to kidnap her and manhandle her.

Koga cleared his throat as he could smell the worry and stress on the miko's scent. He could only imagine that the whole team was beginning to worry yet begin to feel excited over the fact they were in the Winter Cup. "Well, looks like all of you have to go and rest. Kagami, Kuroko, you two should have a long day tomorrow and as for you Aomine, I suggest that you join your team for practice."

"What are you talking about?" glared the Tōō ace. Him practice? That must have been a joke for him. He did not need to practice to beat these weaklings.

"Oh? Did you not hear?" Koga's lips stretched onto a smirk.

Confused themselves, the three Seirin members looked over at the wolf youkai, noticing the grin that continued to be glued on his face. Hear what? Was there something they needed to know?

"Maybe it is best you see it for yourselves. This was released last night and I was able to get my hands on it," Koga dug his hand behind his pants' pocket before pulling out a folded piece of paper. Handing it over to the miko's hands, he waited as he slowly unfolded the contents.

Kagome's eyes went wide with shock as she read what looked like the tournament bracket for the Winter Cup. Coming to read Seirin's name on the paper, she trailed the line to their first opponents and slowly rose her eyes back to the tan male. "W-What…?"

"What's going on?" Kagami's eyebrows furrowed before taking the paper himself into his hands and seeing the same thing as the miko. "C-Chotto…"

Taking a peak himself, Kuroko's pupils stretched wide before coming to stare at Aomine's confused expression.

"This can't be…," whispered the miko.

* * *

"Tōō Academy?" blinked Riko, seeing the smile on the pink haired female.

"This feels so good!" Momoi leaned further into the rocks as she let the warmth of the water envelope her into a deep unconscious state of relaxation. "My shoulders have been so stiff lately." Closing her eyes to match her smile, Momoi turned her attention over to the brunette coach beside her. "You don't seem like you would have that problem. I'm jealous."

Riko's vein on her forehead quickly popped at the hidden insult. "Uruse!" Furrowing her eyebrows, Riko kept her guard up as she observed the manager. _'What is she doing here? But actually…,' _her eyes scanned down the girl's bust, seeing the stats herself. _'She is so huge!' _The anger returned back into her head as she grumbled underneath with only her eyes above the water. If she was here to insult her, then she was ready to leave. Before the female coach could question her sudden appearance, she blinked the moment Momoi parted her lips to speak.

"Oh, right. There is something I wanted to tell you."

"Something you wanted to tell me?"

Momoi gave her a nod before coming to stare up at the dark sky. "I got my hands on the Winter Cup tournament bracket and seems like there was a change."

"A…change?" Riko slowly raised her head from the water, seeing the serious expression on Momoi's expression. "What kind of change?"

* * *

"It's hot!" Eyes followed the Tōō center as he made his way out of the sauna with only his white towel around his waist. "I can't take it anymore!" he shouted before both Tōō and Seirin heard the splash of the cool water bath that laid beside the sauna structure.

"W-Wakamatsu-san!" exclaimed Hojo, seeing his senpai running away from the challenge.

Imayoshi's eyebrows furrowed worriedly as the door to the sauna came to a close. He was really hoping Wakamatsu was strong in handling the heat, but disappointment truly hurt. "Eh~ but it hasn't even been five minutes. Come on. We bet drinks on this." He chuckled under his breath as he heard the slight groans of determination from the Seirin team as they sat in the sauna themselves. Of course, he had set up the challenge knowing that Seirin – especially Hyuga – would not let it go so easily.

Kiyoshi blinked as he noticed Ryo beginning to move side to side as he paled. "Are you okay?" he questioned worriedly.

"H-Hai! I'm fine!" he exclaimed, embarrassment covering him at having one of his opponents seeing him in such a state. "Sumimazen!"

"Ah, you don't need to apologize," Kiyoshi leaned an inch back, not quite sure why the first year brunette was apologizing to him.

"I'm back!" shouted Wakamatsu as he opened the door with full force and pumped his fists into the air.

Imayoshi sighed, quite irritated at his yell and volume. "You are already out." With a shake of his head, he rested his leg over on the seat horizontally as he came back to see the silent Seirin team in their drops of sweats and determination to stay. "By the way, we saw your game the other day. Congratulations on making it to the Winter Cup."

"Domo," replied Hyuga, not even bothering to look at the grinning captain on the other side.

"You seem to have improved dramatically since this summer," snickered the Tōō captain. "I didn't recognize you."

Finally turning his head to face the grinning male, Hyuga's eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses. "That is not what you came to talk about." No doubt that Tōō was here for some specific business or even to tell them some information. Whatever it was, he would not let Seirin be ridiculed by Tōō. "It's too much of a coincidence for us to run into each other here. What are you up to?"

"It's true that we were practicing around here, but it's not a coincidence, either," spoke Imayoshi in response to Hyuga's suspicion. "We knew you were here and dropped in to say hi." Signaling Hojo with a tilt of his head, he smirked as the first-year manager assistant took out a sheet of paper and handed it over to the Seirin captain.

"What is this?" blinked Hyuga.

Hojo gulped his nerves before giving out his reply. "Momoi-san was able to get the Winter Cup match ups that were decided last night."

"Eh?" questioned Shun, coming to take a glance at the tournament bracket.

"The official announcement isn't until later," added Imayoshi, seeing their eyes scan the teams.

Hyuga's eyes expanded before coming to turn his attention back on the grinning captain on the other side. "Chotto matte! Schools from the same prefecture shouldn't play each other in the first round."

"Normally, they don't," Imayoshi gave a shrug. "But schools from the special bracket are an exception. And rumors have it that this certain match was selected by the CEO of the top company in Japan personally due to a request. Which means," the smirk on Imayoshi's lips stretched, "I look forward to playing you. Your first opponent in the Winter Cup is us."

* * *

"What did you say?!" exclaimed Riko as she heard the news from Momoi herself.

With the smile still on Momoi's lips, she closed her eyes. "I like Tetsu-kun, and that is why I won't hold back this time." The pink haired female rose from the water before resting her hands on her knees and coming to look down on the coach. "It's too bad you will be out after the first day, though. Let's have a good game."

No doubt that Tōō Academy were beginning to look down on them even after coming this far. Riko's eyes narrowed into a thin and strong glare even if she could tell that Momoi was sugarcoating her words. "You're acting pretty superior, aren't you!?" Riko stood up and met her chest-to-chest and eye-to-eye. She would not let her team be belittled by them. They worked too hard to be stepped on so easily. "Don't underestimate us! My team isn't that weak!"

* * *

"You just wait!" shouted Hyuga, standing from his seat. "We will show you!" Hearing the echo of Imayoshi's laugh, he could not help but grip the paper into his palm.

"Such courage. I'm not impressed, though. You sound like you think you have gotten stronger and closed the gap between us, but aren't you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting something?" whispered Koganei, seeing no worry nor fear in Tōō's eyes. Were they that confident in this match already?

Imayoshi raised a brow as he straightened himself on his seat. The fact that everyone seemed confused and angry only brought the snickers in. "By the way, we played against Josei at our practice game today."

Shun blinked, remembering their match against the team not too long ago. The fact that they had struggled at first only made him worry on what Tōō would say. _'Josei. We played them in the preliminaries. The score was one hundred and eight to sixty-one.' _

"We beat them soundly one hundred and seventy to thirty-nine." Imayoshi's eyes slowly opened, seeing the pupils of each Seirin member stretch. "It's so simple, a child would understand. It's been six months since the Inter-High. Everyone's practiced and become stronger during that time. It's another national tournament, but every team will be several degrees stronger at the Winter Cup. Don't think we haven't changed since last time."

* * *

Kagome's orbs shook in disbelief at having read the bracket for the Winter Cup. Even she had read the rules and teams from the same region were not supposed to go against each other in the first round. Suspicion filled her mind before coming to turn her head to face the wolf youkai beside her. "The official announcement isn't supposed to be out until tomorrow. How did you get your hands on this?"

"Oh?" blinked Koga, seeing the mild glare from the miko. "I have a good friend who was in charge of this."

"A friend?" she repeated. She knew better and she knew when Koga was up to something. He definitely had something to do with this match up for the Winter Cup. "I will talk to you later," she whispered, knowing he had heard her perfectly. The fact that Seirin had to go against Tōō in the first round of the Winter Cup had already tensed her shoulders. She was not expecting this re-match so quickly.

Everyone present soon heard a faint chuckle within the group. Turning their heads to the source, the blinked in unison upon seeing the smile on Kuroko's lips. The miko tilted her head to the side, confused why he was suddenly chuckling to the news. Was he happy about it?

"Sumimazen, Kagami-kun. Kagome-chan. I," his eyes moved over to the tan male as he kept the smile glued on, "actually celebrated internally just now."

'_He is excited?' _Kagome blinked before hearing the scoff from the tiger.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Kagami with a smirk. "Everyone is thinking that, right, Kagome?"

Having the attention on her person, Kagome could not help but release a held sigh and cross her arms. Although she was slightly worried over their reactions, seeing their excitement had set those worries to the side. A smile graced her lips as she gave her reply. "No one thinks winning will be easy. If we win enough games, we are bound to face them sooner or later. Besides," her view switched over to stare at the Tōō ace, "nothing beats repaying a debt quickly."

Aomine could not help but smirk back as he saw the fire in the miko's eyes along with both Kagami's and Kuroko's. He had pictured them sweat in their worries, but it looked like he was going to get a good match after all. "Fine. Bring it on, neko-chan."

Keeping her gaze on his, she was sure there was a lust for power in his eyes and a hunger to feed on his opponents' defeat.

"Well, if this little confrontation is over, let us all head to our rooms," Koga placed his hands on the miko's shoulders before sending a playful glare towards the Tōō ace. "Our precious Kagome is still a little weak after getting hit by that Hanamiya bastard, so she needs her sleep."

"H-Huh?" blinked Kagome, turning her head over her shoulder.

"And these two Seirin players need their rest for their upcoming training." The wolf youkai's smile stretched. "They are getting trained by me personally." Seeing the slight scowl on Aomine's expression only made him chuckle under his breath before turning the miko away and pushing her away from the confrontation. "Let's go Seirin. I don't want anyone late tomorrow because you overslept."

Kagami took one last glance over at the tan male and held his glare. "Don't underestimate us, Aomine. And next time, don't go carrying Kagome like that, you hear?"

The Tōō ace raised a brow as he saw his three opponents walk away through the opposite hall. So the tiger had seen him kidnap the girl, huh? A toothy smirk stretched onto his lips as he watched the miko moving Koga's hands away from her shoulders. _'This should be interesting.'_

* * *

Koga blinked as saw not only the males of the Seirin team sheathed in anger, but the female coach herself was fuming. What had happened to them? They did not try to peak again, did they?

"What happened to all of you?" questioned Kagome with a nervous tone. She could feel their auras easily rising in rage and from what was the true question. As they stood in front of the shoji doors leading to their room, Kagome gulped upon seeing the tick on Riko's forehead throb almost painfully. "Did something happen?"

"More like someone made something happen," grunted Hyuga. "Looks like Tōō is practicing near here."

The tiger blinked as he noticed the sheet of paper gripped tightly in their captain's hand. Had they seen the tournament bracket as well? Then they had come across the Tōō players no doubt. "We are going against Tōō in the first round."

Kiyoshi tilted his head to the right as he heard Kagami's statement. How did he know about that? "Ah, Kagami, did you see the bracket as well?"

"Koga-san brought it to us and Aomine-kun," replied Kuroko as he quickly received wide eyes from the team.

"You three saw Aomine-kun!?" exclaimed Riko.

"Unfortunately…," whispered the miko, gliding her eyes to the corner with a scowl. And here she was still with Kuroko's jacket zipped up to cover herself due to Aomine's perverted mind.

Hearing the sound of crumpling paper, eyes moved over to the captain, seeing the glare forming behind his eyes. "No doubt they are underestimating us, but we will show them how strong we have become. Individually and as a team. We were bound to face them sooner or later and I would rather take off that smug look on their faces sooner and show them what we are made of."

"Yosh!" Riko matched her mild glare with her smirk as her fingers curled into a fist. "Then tomorrow, we will begin our training!"

"That's the spirit!" chuckled Koga as he walked in between the Seirin boys and made his way down the hall. "Now go get some rest. I will be waiting for all of you at seven in the morning. Not a minute later, you understand?" he looked over his shoulder, before seeing the gulp of nerves sink down their throats. "Good."

The miko narrowed her sights on Koga's back. No doubt that he was hiding something about the tournament matches. He had gotten his hands on it earlier than she could. _'Why do I get the feeling it was his doing? But he did say a friend of his helped, but the question is…who?'_

* * *

"Ano…," Koganei blinked as he saw their one room that they had left without a decision lay with their belongings. The fact that they only had one room to share with two girls gave him no doubt that it was Riko who was the most irritated about the idea. "So, what is the sleeping arrangement?"

Crossing her arms, Riko walked over to the far end of the room and stomped her foot. "Kagome-chan and I will sleep next to each other, but since there is no room for gaps for our futons, then someone will have to sleep on Kagome-chan's or my side."

The miko looked left and right to see the accommodations. It did not bother her if she had to sleep next to one of the boys. Countless times she had to sleep either next to Miroku or Inuyasha during their travels when there was not enough room in caves and rooms villagers would share with them. It made no difference to her. "Riko-senpai, I don't mind being next to you and someone else."

"B-But…," Riko's eyes landed on the genuine smile Kagome held before watching her walk over to futon and begin to unfold it. "Are you sure, Kagome-chan?"

"Hai," she nodded in response. "Besides, if Kagetora-san finds out that you slept next to one of them, no doubt he will be after their heads." Kagome knew about Riko's father being overly protective of the coach and if he did find out about Riko sleeping next to one of them, he would not be a happy father in the end.

With a sigh, Riko rested her hands on her hips before coming to see the boys gathering their things and taking a step forward to claim the spot beside the miko. "Hold it. What do you think you are all doing?" she questioned with a raised brow. She was not stupid. These guys wanted to get close to the manager. "I get to decide who can be next to Kagome-chan."

Hyuga cleared his throat as his fist came in front of his lips. "The coach is right and as the captain of this team, I think it is best that both the coach and captain sleep on either side of Kagome-chan."

"Hold it," Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he held Hyuga from the back of his shirt. "I think Kagome-chan should choose herself, don't you think."

Riko came to stand in front of the males and held her finger up to their attention. "There should be rules as well."

"Really that isn't necessary," Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she continued to hear their small talk. Was the spot beside her really that big of a deal? Scratching the back of her head, the miko blinked as she watched the group begin their game of rock-paper-scissors. _'S-Seriously?'_ Blinking once more, she caught sight of the ghostly colored hair coming to set the futon beside hers.

"Oi!" shouted Kagami, catching everyone's attention as he pointed over to the spot next to the miko. "Kuroko! What are you doing?!"

The phantom player blinked as he raised his eyes to meet the questioning gazes of his teammates. As he sat on his futon already placed neatly beside Kagome's, he felt Nigou jumping onto his lap. "I think we should all rest up for the night before it gets too late, Kagami-kun."

"That is not what I mean! Why are you already set up next to Kagome!?" his eyebrow twitched. He was definitely using his lack of presence of having sneaked up on them to set up his futon.

Seeing the veins of annoyance throb on each of the male members' foreheads, Kagome could not help but chuckle nervously as she held her hands defensively in front of her. "Miina, it's okay. I don't really mind who it is. But Kuroko-kun is right. We should get some rest before starting training tomorrow. As far as I know, Koga is an early riser." He was a demon and a wolf nonetheless. Waking up early just came into their nature.

With a low grunt, Kagami sets his bag beside Kuroko's futon as everyone else chose their spots. The tiger's eyes met the phantom player's innocent gaze before seeing him smile. _'Teme!' _Kagami's lip twitched as he held the words he wanted to release. Kuroko had won this round. With another heavier grunt, Kagami grabbed his futon and began to stretch it out onto the floor.

The miko smiled as she watched everyone gather their things and put them in their place as they spoke to each other. With reading their auras, she could tell they were not as nervous as she thought they would be, but she knew starting tomorrow, those worries would mix with their determination to beat Tōō in the upcoming match. A gentle sigh escaped her lips before coming to see the phantom player already fast asleep with Nigou beside his head.

Kagome released a low chuckle before hearing the tiger's voice. "Get some sleep, Kagome."

She blinked upwards, watching as Kagami slowly lowered himself onto his futon. "I should be telling you that."

Meeting her cerulean orbs, Kagami scoffed with a small smile. "You think I will be able to sleep with this excitement?"

"Try to," Kagome replied back with a raised brow. "I know you are excited to go against Aomine-kun once again, but we need you in full strength. You are our ace."

Upon hearing her words, Kagami returned to stare at the miko. He blinked watching her turn her back to him and lay on her futon. With a blush threatening to rise, the tiger quickly turned away only to meet Koganei's eyes as he inched closer. "S-Senpai!?"

"Are you blushing?" blinked Koganei, seeing the slight rose color on the tiger's cheeks. Turning his head over his shoulder, he looked at Mitobe staring at him as well. "What do you think Mitobe? Did Kagome-chan just make him blush?"

With a simple nod from the silent player, Kagami's eyebrow twitched before pushing himself down on the futon. "U-Uruse!" Hearing the light snicker from Koganei, Kagami could not help but scowl under his sheets. _'Like I would blush!'_

* * *

Hearing the faint sounds of shuffling clothes and light footsteps on the tatami mat of their room, the miko could not help but slowly pry her eyes open to see Riko facing her as she slept soundly. The awakening aura in the aura made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. _'Who is awake at this hour? It is past midnight.' _Kagome slowly sat up before turning her head to the left and seeing the male figure squatting down in search of something.

"Where are my shoes?"

Kagome blinked way the blurry vision curtained in front of her eyes. Was that- "Kagami-kun?"

At the sound of his name, the red headed tiger turned his head over his shoulder and blinked at the sight of the bed-headed miko. "K-Kagome?"

"What are you doing awake?" she questioned, before coming to slip her legs out of her sheets.

Unsure how to answer her question, Kagami scratched the back of his neck as he returned his eyes back on his packed bag. "I was looking for my basketball shoes."

Coming to stand on her feet, Kagome made her way over to the tiger, careful to not bump or step on any of the other sleeping members. What was Kagami doing in such an hour? Was he not tired or something? Tilting her head to the side to get a glimpse of his bag, she blinked at his neatly packed bag. "Where are you going, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami released a gentle sigh as he grabbed his red basketball shoes and came to a straight stand. With his back facing the miko, he adjusted the strap of his bag over his shoulder. "I am heading to America."

'_America?' _she blinked; taken back. Why was he heading to America now? Looking at his attire, Kagome realized he was fully dressed to go out. He was not kidding. Coming back to stare at the back of his head, the miko's shoulders slumped. Was he not going to stay to train with everyone? Had something happened at home? "Is everything okay?" she questioned again. "Is your family okay, Kagami-kun?"

"Huh?" Kagami quickly turned around, seeing the worry in her expression. Raising his hand up to his chest, he moved them side to side. "N-No! It isn't like that!" His eyes quickly took a glance to his teammates, seeing them sound asleep. "Can we talk outside?"

The miko looked over her shoulder to check on the team before giving him a nod and zipping the zipper to Kuroko's jacket.

* * *

"I am heading to America for training."

"Training?" repeated the miko as she stood outside with the tiger in front of the hot springs hotel.

Kagami nodded to her question as he held the strap to his sports bag and gave another sigh. "I have a master who taught me basketball back in America. So I decided to go before the Winter Cup begins."

Raising a brow, Kagome crossed her arms as she read his facial expression. Something told her this thought had come last minute to him. Could it have been because of – "does this have to do with Aomine-kun having appearing today?"

No response.

The miko exhaled softly before coming to wrap her arms around herself. Of course everyone wanted to get stronger and now the determination and push to get to that strength was even more pressuring after hearing the news of their upcoming match. "Kagami-kun, I know you feel pressured as our ace the moment we confront Aomine-kun, but don't push yourself too much-"

"It isn't just for the match against Tōō."

"Huh?" blinked Kagome. "What do you mean?"

Red orbs slowly moved to stare at the bruise resting near the corner of Kagome's eye. Scrunching his eyes in a mild glare, the grip around the strap of his bag tightened. "Seirin nor I could protect each other during Kirisaki Dai Ichi's match. In the end, both Kiyoshi-senpai and you got injured."

Kagome caught his line of sight on her bruise, making her fingers to raise and lightly brush against the purple mark. A smile replaced the worry in her expression the moment she glued her eyes on his. "Kagami-kun, this was no one's fault. I don't even blame Hanamiya-san for it. Some people just get caught in their desires that they don't really know the pain they are inflicting on others. If anything, I was there at the wrong time and place." The miko released a light chuckle as she lowered her fingers from the small bruise. "Don't worry about this. It should be gone in the next two days."

Before she could say anymore or even hear a reply from Kagami, she was slightly startled the moment she felt calloused fingers coming to touch the same purple spot blended into her skin. The miko slowly rose her eyes to meet the soft gaze of none of other than the tiger's.

She was speechless. Never had she thought of seeing such a soft expression on his face. And she was sure she was not the only one who thought that. Did he blame himself for what had happened? Even she understood that there was nothing that could have been done to stop Kirisaki's tactics in the last match. Kagami, Kuroko, nor anyone else should feel blamed.

They had won in the end with their determination.

Each and every one of them had held each other in support.

"Kagami-kun…?"

The voice belonging to the miko entered his ears, making him blink and retreat his fingers back from her eye. He knew the blush that he had tried so hard to hold back was now stronger than his will. Kagami coughed out the lump in his throat as he avoided her questioning gaze. "S-Sumimazen…I didn't mean to touch you like that – I mean, ugh! I didn't mean it like that! Just that-"

His ears were filled with a chuckle from the miko, making him blink back with slight shock. She was not mad?

"It's okay, Kagami-kun," she spoke, lowering her eyes to the ground. "I understand that you are blaming yourself for not being stronger, but I assure you that we believe in you and know you try your best in every game." Tilting her head to the side with a small smile, she continued her speech. "So if you feel like you need to go to America, then go. We will understand. Just make sure you here before the Winter Cup starts," she chuckled receiving a smile from the tiger.

"Arigatou, Kagome." Correcting the strap over his shoulder once more, he turned away and gave her a wave before making his way down the path of the side walk leading to the bus stop.

Kagome released a low sigh as her hands fell back to her side. _'I just hope Riko-senpai takes it well…'_

* * *

"Hmm, is this even the correct length for her?" scanning the bow in his hands, Koga's eyebrow rose as he continued to look at the weapon from each end. Standing in the middle of the gym, his ears twitched at the sound of the door being opened slowly. Light from the morning sun was let in gracefully before the appearance of the miko was made. He blinked, noticing her yawn. "Ohayo, Kagome."

The miko looked ahead, noticing the wolf youkai standing with a smirk. "Ohayo, Koga. You definitely got here early."

"I am an early riser," he chuckled, noticing her yawn once more. "Don't tell me you stayed up last night."

"Well, more or less," she sighed, coming to scratch the back of her head. Even after Kagami had left, her mind had been coming up with ways to tell the team of his departure. She was more worried about Riko's reaction and if she would keep her head. "Looks like we are going to be one player short during this training session."

Koga raised a brow as her words were registered in his head. One player short? "What do you mean?"

Kagome's shoulder slumped back down as she adjusted the zipper on her own jacket. "Kagami-kun left for America last night."

"America? Oh, I did hear from the boys he was from there." The wolf youkai rested his fingers under his chin. "So why did he leave in such short notice?"

"Looks like he is going to his master."

Oh? Master? Koga chuckled under his breath. He was not that disappointed that he would not be able to train the jumping ace, but if he had a master himself, then he was surely interested on the upcoming results. "Do the rest of the members know?"

"Um…," Kagome scratched her cheek as she chuckled nervously.

Koga rested his hand over his hip as he saw the avoiding eyes of the miko. "You know the coach won't be taking that very well."

"I know," she sighed back in defeat, already picturing the rage that would explode from Riko. Shaking the thoughts away, Kagome blinked at the sight of the bow resting within Koga's palm. "Is that bow?"

Blinking at her line of sight, the wolf youkai raised the bow to show her the full weapon. "Ah, yes. I brought this for you."

The miko raised a brow in question. Why would Koga bring her a bow all of a sudden? As Koga handed her the bow into her hands, she scanned the weapon up and down before coming back to stare at the wolf youkai. "Why did you bring a bow for me?"

"And arrows," he smirked, revealing the quiver of arrows. "Well I think it could work in my upcoming training regimen I have planned and…," he eyes softened as he watched the miko's expression glued on the bow, "I had a feeling you would miss your old hobby."

Her hobby…

A small smile raised onto her lips before tightening her fingers around the wooden bow. "I do miss it." Raising her head, her eyebrows met questioningly as she saw the blinks from Koga. "Hold on a minute. Don't think you are still out of the talk. About yesterday's bracket of the tournament. How on earth did you get that?"

"Me?" he blinked again, pointing at himself. "Easy really. I was the one who requested for these changes."

The miko's hands dropped to her side as her pupils increased in size. Had she just heard right? The hold on her bow tightened around the wood as she took a step forward. "You mean to say that it was you who had Seirin go against Tōō in the first round!?"

"C-Calm down, Kagome," Koga held his hands up defensively in front of his chest as he saw the rage reflect in her cerulean orbs. "I simply made the request to Sesshomaru to make the change and he did it."

"Wait, what?" blinked the miko, taking a step back. "Sesshomaru made the change?"

Nodding to her question, Koga sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I know Seirin is still in the process of improving before facing Tōō Academy, but I think this is the best way to help them move forward. Their minds are still set in their defeat from the Inter High." His eyes narrowed, revealing a more serious expression. "Kagome, the Winter Cup is not an easy tournament, I can assure you that. There are much stronger teams and Tōō. If Seirin cannot defeat them in the first round, they wouldn't stand a chance against the rest."

As she heard his words, Kagome could not help but agree with his statement. Lowering her eyes to the floor, the miko sighed under her breath. He was right. Even Tōō had been defeated against Rakuzan during the Inter-High. There were stronger teams and no doubt that their old opponents would get stronger.

The vein on her forehead quickly popped out and throbbed as she grabbed an arrow from the quiver he held and placed it over the bow. But something did not sit well with her.

Koga gulped as he faced the pointy edge of the arrow and blinked at the sight of the miko taking her signature pose before release. "K-Kagome?"

"And you kept this a secret from me, Koga?" she glared.

"I didn't want to worry you that much!" he exclaimed, taking a step back as she took another one closer. He knew her skills had sharpened since the day he met her and after seeing her defeat Naraku in the final battle, no doubt he feared of her purify skills.

At the sound of the door opening once more, both Koga and Kagome looked over to see not only the female coach walking in, but an older brunette male following behind.

"Huh? Kagome-chan? Koga-san? You two are here already?"

"Riko-senpai…," whispered Kagome before coming to stare at the older male.

Riko blinked, noticing the bow and arrow close to Koga's person as Kagome held her stance. Tilting her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowed. "Ano, what are you doing with that, Kagome-chan?"

The miko's attention was drawn to the bow before quickly lowering the weapon to her side along with the arrow into one hand. Kagome scratched her cheek as she released a nervous chuckle. "Um, Koga brought it for me."

"A bow?" she questioned.

"Well, well, it is good to see you again, Koga-kun."

The wolf youkai chuckled under his breath as heard his name from the older male. With a toothy grin, Koga's hand met the brunette's in a hand shake before the older male's arm came to wrap around Koga's shoulder.

"When I heard from Riko that you had decided to train Seirin, I decided to tag along, Koga-kun."

"I told you to stop calling me that, Kagetora-san," Koga sighed as he felt a heavy pat from Riko's father on his back.

Kagetora blinked as he noticed the miko standing silently beside his daughter. Getting a closer glimpse, he raised a brow. "Ah, you are Seirin's manager, right? I met you at my home the other time. Kagome-chan, correct?"

"Hai," she bowed her head slightly. "Ohayo, Kagetora-san."

"Please, you can call me father if you like-"

"Like hell she would!" shouted Riko as she gave her father an upper cut with her fist onto his chin. With a heavy sigh, Riko cleaned her hands together before shaking her head. "Baka."

The miko scratched her cheek as the nervous laughter from her throat escaped softly. Who knew Kagetora had taken a liking to her? Coming back to reality, the miko faced the coach upon remembering the important detail she had yet to tell. "Um, Riko-senpai, I am afraid that Kagami-kun won't be with us for the remained of the month."

Riko's ears twitched as she caught the information. Her head slowly turned towards the miko as she held her _innocent _smile. "What did you say?"

Kagome gulped, unsure if she should repeated what she had said. "Kagami-kun left for…America."

"Nani!?"

* * *

"Yosh, everyone is here."

Hyuga scanned the team as he observed their attire for the upcoming training. Hearing the light bark below his feet, he blinked at the sight of Nigou wagging his tail. "Oh? Are you coming too, Nigou?" With a nod of his head, Hyuga placed his hands on his hips. "The coach and Kagome-chan must already be at the gym waiting for us."

"We should get there before Koga-san gets angry if get late," sighed Shun, coming to scratch the back of his head.

"Ano…Kagami-kun has been missing since this morning."

The team turned their heads over their shoulders before jumping a step back from Kuroko's sudden appearance along with his bed exploding to different direction.

"Oi! Your bed head is ridiculous!" exclaimed Hyuga, seeing that Kuroko had no self conscious of showing himself in this state.

Tsuchida's shoulders relaxed, having not missed Kuroko's information. Furrowing his eyebrows together, Tsuchida scratched his cheek. "Kagami is missing?"

As Hyuga lead the team towards the gym, he groaned under his breath. "That baka better be in the gym before us because if he is missing, the coach will kill all of us."

"Mah, mah, let's think positive and have fun," chuckled Kiyoshi, coming to push the doors open. Before anyone else could utter a word, they blinked the moment they saw not only Kagome with Riko and Koga, but also Riko's father. What was Kagetora doing there?

"Oh? Are all the kids here?" questioned Kagetora as he lifted an eyebrow.

"The coach's otou-san!?" exclaimed Koganei, watching him take his steps towards them.

Kagetora's eyes narrowed at the name. "Don't call me 'otou-san'. The only one I gave permission for that is Kagome-chan over here. Call me 'Kagetora-san'."

'_Chotto matte. When did I agree to call him that?' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she heard Kagetora's introduction. She was not going to call him that! With a sigh, she shook her head while holding onto her bow. _'This training will definitely be harsh on them now that Koga and Kagetora-san are training them.'_

"Kagetora-san, what are you doing here?" Furihata questioned, seeing everyone else had the same question in their heads.

"Well, my lovely daughter asked me to come and after I heard that Koga-kun was going to be here as well, I agreed. I came to help you get stronger. But first, I have a question for you," the team jumped slightly at the sight of the gun appearing from behind the older male as he pulled the hammer from weapon. "Step forward if you saw Riko naked yesterday."

"He's got a gun!?" they males exclaimed together upon seeing the angry glare on Kagetora's face.

Pointing the gun towards the players, Kagome blinked as she watched Hyuga and the others coward together in fear. Surely they had not peeped on them, but did Kagetora need to know that they were trying to?

"Come forward now and I will kill you painlessly with a single headshot!" he shouted. "Listen up! I am the only one who can see Riko naked!"

Koga nodded as he took a step forward with crossed arms and closed his eyes. "He is right, boys! You guys should not try to peep at his daughter nor at my woman!"

"The hell you can!" Riko and Kagome shouted together before throwing a basketball over to the males' heads – stopping them from saying anything further.

Turning his attention over to his daughter, Kagetora's eyes widened to see Riko fighting back to his statement. "W-What!? Riko-tan, you said you would marry Papa when you were little-" another punch came his way as Riko ended his words.

"Just get started already!"

"But you said you would marry me…"

"Shut up about that!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed towards the wolf youkai as she saw him rub his head. "Don't forget I can aim one of these to you, Koga!"

Koganei inched close to Shun as he had taken a glance at the bow in Kagome's hand. What was she doing with that? "Oi…why does Kagome-chan have a bow? Is she going to use that on us!?" he whispered.

"Hai, hai!" Koga sighed, looking away from her threatening glare. No doubt she truly meant on her words. He was only trying to protect her.

Hearing an exhale from Kagetora, eyes glided over to his person. "Fine, fine. Do you want to start, Koga-kun? Or should I?"

Coming to scan the team, Koga placed his hands on his hips. "I think it is best you see them for yourself, don't you think? You know, before we give them our training from hell."

"True," chuckled Kagetora, coming back to turn towards the Seirin team. "Okay. Start by taking your shirts off."

'_This seems familiar,' _the team's eyes dropped upon remembering a memory at the beginning of the year. They guessed Riko truly was the daughter of Kagetora.

* * *

Kagome blinked as she watched Riko's father walk back and forth as he inspected the team as they displayed themselves with only their basketball shorts on. Could Kagetora do the same thing as Riko? Well he was a professional in this area as well – or at least that is what she heard from her team.

"What is he exactly observing?" whispered Kagome, leaning towards the wolf youkai.

"Probably seeing their stats since the last time he saw them. If anything, he wants to see if they have improved physically," he replied, crossing his arms.

The only sound inside the gym came from Kagetora's steps as he continued to move his eyes over the player's muscles. Finally stopping in the middle, he rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Hmm, well, you're not bad. You seem to have been keeping up with Riko's training since this summer. Your stamina and muscles show balanced improvement." Sticking his hands into his pockets, Kagetora looked over his shoulder and tilted is head towards Koga. "What do you think, Koga-kun?"

"Hmm, well, seeing their physical appearance, I can tell they have muscles, but it looks like they definitely do need my training," he replied, raising a brow.

"Your training?" blinked Kagome. What kind of training did this youkai have in mind?

"Would you like me to take over from here, Kagetora-san? Or do you want to train them now?" questioned Koga as a smirk graced his lips.

"I believe your training can help them now especially after seeing their muscle condition," Kagetora's eyes returned back to the questioning blinks of the team. Surely they were all confused on their small talk.

The snicker escaped between Koga's lips before snapping his fingers together to gain Seirin's attention. "Very well. Split into two groups."

"Two groups?" blinked Hyuga.

Koga gave him a nod as he made his way over to the doors and lead everyone outside. His eyes glued themselves at the mountains ahead and he could not help the smirk that stretched on his lips. "Go play cops and robbers in those mountains for about three hours or so."

"Oh?" chuckled Kagetora. "Interesting. He is going with this strategy."

"But before that," Koga placed his hand over the miko's shoulders as he gained her blinking attention, "there is something the robbers must get in order to win. Rules are simple. Robbers are to get the object on top of the mountain before the cops can capture every single one of you."

Kiyoshi scratched the back of his head as he heard the instructions to Koga's training. He had read about Koga's training in magazines before and the essence of his training being mostly in the mountains. He only could imagine what this 'special' training was about. "Koga-san, what is this object that the robbers must obtain?"

"Glad you asked," chuckled the youkai. "An arrow."

"Arrow?" blinked Hyuga. Had he placed an arrow all the way to the top to the mountain? "Is it already on top of the mountain?"

Koga released a laugh before shaking his head. "Oh no. I have someone else who is talented to put in arrow all the way up there from here."

"Huh?" the blinked in unison before seeing the wolf youkai patting Kagome's shoulder once more. Their eyes dropped to the bow in her hands along with the one arrow. "Eh!?"

The miko tilted her head to the side to get a glimpse of the wolf youkai beside her. "You want me to shoot an arrow all the way there? Koga, I haven't used a bow in a long time."

"Come on, Kagome. It is in your blood or have you forgotten that?" he smirked. What made her think she did not have the ability to shoot her arrows? She was a miko for Kami's sake.

Riko took a step forward as she watched the miko lower her eyes to the bow in her hand. "Wait, Kagome-chan, can you shoot an arrow all the way there?"

'_I could…,' _she sighed. _'I don't know if I can right now. It has been a while.' _

The phantom player blinked silently as he watched the manager take a deep breath in and take a few steps to the side and prepared the arrow over the bow before taking her stance. All eyes remained on the girl in silence as she stretched the bow string back and took her aim.

"Can she really do this?" whispered Furihata.

"She did say she did archery, right?" added Shun, seeing the tight concentration in the miko's eyes. This was the first time for everyone to see their manager doing something she loved. A sport of her own.

Kuroko blinked once more, seeing Kagome eyeing the top of the mountain. Even with great eyesight, one could not possibly aim all the way up there, yet the slight confidence in the miko's eyes told him otherwise. Perhaps she could.

"Just watch," spoke Koga, catching their attention in his whispering tone. "Kagome is no amateur."

In less than a second, they followed the released arrow up on the mountain and quickly lost track of it. Had she made the target?

"Oh? I did not know that Seirin's manager was skilled in the art of archery," chuckled Kagetora, seeing the miko slowly lower the bow from her stance. "Quite interesting. Great form too."

"Well, the robbers should begin in their search," smirked Koga, turning his attention back to the team. "I am sure Kagome made the shot. All you need to do now is find it. Kagome probably shot a tree. It shouldn't be too difficult to find." With his thumb pointing over his shoulder, he raised a brow. "Well? Have you made your teams? Time is ticking."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Kagetora raised a brow. "I think afterwards, the losers will practice footwork with me."

"Good idea," nodded Koga. "We will let them off with double practice. Now get going!"

The moment Koga snapped his fingers, Riko and Kagome blinked as they watched the two splits groups rush up the mountain. Who knew Koga had such a harsh type of training using the mountains. And even with Kagetora agreeing to it.

"Papa, do you know about this type of training?" questioned Riko.

"Of course I do. I had heard about Koga's famous training and went to go see it myself. Definitely caught my attention," he chuckled back.

Kagome turned her head towards the two males. Confusion beginning to enter her mind. "What type of training is this?"

"I heard about it," replied the female coach. "This a Fartlek type of training, right?"

"Yes," nodded Koga, coming back to stare at the mountains with the Seirin team quickly making their way upwards.

"Fartlek?" repeated the miko.

Riko stood beside the miko as she began to explain. "By using their whole bodies to run over uneven ground, they will improve their overall fitness."

"Riko-tan, I knew you would know-!" Kagetora jumped forward, ready to tackle his daughter into a hug only to meet her fist once again.

"Well, she is right," chuckled the wolf youkai. "Like Kagetora-san had mentioned earlier, they all improved physically, but they are stiff. You can't just build muscle. Your body needs to be able to use them. They need to become acclimated to the muscles they have built. Running around in the mountains is the fastest way to do that."

"Why do I get the feeling this has something to do with your wolf nature?" Kagome raised a brow as she whispered her words suspiciously towards the youkai.

Avoiding the miko's gaze, Koga scratched the back of his head. "Well you know, a youkai can't forget their origins."

* * *

As the boys tiredly made their way inside the gym, Kagome could not help but feel bad at the sight of them. They were completely drenched in sweat and no doubt begging for oxygen. Having set down her bow and arrows towards the corner of the gym, she walked over to the phantom player and blinked. "Kuroko-kun?"

The phantom player looked to his side, seeing the miko staring at him with a smile. "Kagome-chan." Hearing a chuckle, his eyes followed hers the moment he caught them staring at his messy hair from the run. "Oh, sumimazen." He blinked as her hands came to gently pat them down, helping his jungle of hair into his calm state.

"There. That's better," she smiled.

"A-Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

Koga chuckled under his breath as he saw the scene in front of him and to rest blinded by it. No doubt he had caught on the interested the phantom player had on the miko, but also the red head ace. _'Hmm, I wonder…'_

"K-Kagome-chan."

Upon hearing the voice of the eagle eye user, eyes landed on the arrow in his hand.

Chuckling under his breath, Koga gave a few nods with a smirk. "Looks like the robbers won. See, I told you Kagome's arrow would strike to the top."

Kiyoshi lightly placed his hand over the miko's head, startling her slightly before coming to trail the arm. He was surprised himself that their own manager had such a hidden talent. And he, personally, was surprised to see that from this spot, she was able to make it right on target. "That was amazing, Kagome-chan."

"Remind me never to make Kagome-chan mad," whispered Koganei as he got a nod from Mitobe. "She might end up using that weapon on us."

"Well, Kagetora-san, they are done with this. Would you like to give them a few pointers how this month will go?" smirked Koga.

"Of course," he chuckled under his breath as he made his way to the front of the team. "Before we begin practice, we will tell you what you need to do by next month. Riko showed me a DVD of your opponent's play and Koga-kun here had seen the game himself. They are an aggressive team of strong players who focus on individual skill. At first glance," his eyes narrowed as he got the full attention of the team, "they are the opposite of a team that emphasizes team play like yours. However, if you ask us, their teamwork is much better than yours."

The miko blinked as she was taken back by his words. Not only she was surprised, but the team in general was shocked to hear that Tōō Academy was actually better at teamwork than them. They were sure their type of teamwork was not even displayed on the game. Each and every one of them had gone on their own path to make their scores.

"They don't emphasize team play, of course," cut in the youkai as he shrugged his shoulders. "They can just do it. Ignoring individual play doesn't cut it. The most important thing is for everyone to always be aiming for the basket. That is what makes a team come together." Koga's eyes tightened before coming to cross his arms. "Simply being friendly isn't teamwork."

'_Simply being friendly…isn't teamwork?' _the miko's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion after hearing the emphasis in the words from Koga. He had experience when it came to teamwork yet not agreeing with the people he was with. _'During the feudal era times, countless times Inuyasha, Koga, and Sesshomaru would have their disagreements, but when it came to fighting the same enemy, they aimed the same goal despite their differences.'_

Kagetora sighed as his eyes landed on the Seirin captain. "For example, four-eyes…"

'_Four-eyes…?' _Hyuga's eyebrow twitched upon hearing his new nickname from Riko's father.

"You caught it too, right, Koga-kun?" questioned Kagetora. "You tried to dribble past someone in your last game against Tōō."

"H-Hai," Hyuga nodded to his reply.

"That was stupid," Kagetora grabbed a ball from the nearby basket and began to bounce it in place. "Why would you fight such a strong team with something you are bad at? Anyway, don't you make shots from the outside?" His eyes glided over to Shun and Koganei as they stood silent overhearing his observations. "Cutie and cat-face can shoot threes, too."

'_Cutie?' _Shun's eyes widened slightly.

'_Cat-face?' _Koganei took a step back, unsure why Kagetora would call him that.

"But," added Koga, "they are far from being weapons. If you had made your shot from the beginning against Kirisaki Dai Ichi, you would have won easily and avoided many of their rough plays. Realize you are Seirin's lifeline. Learn to make shots without a screen."

"But how?" questioned Hyuga, taking a step forward. "I was dribbling because I couldn't-"

Kagetora sighed as he passed the ball over to Shun and made his way over to the center of the court. "I will show you. Cutie-kun, pass me the ball."

The miko blinked as she watched the older male make his way into his stance with Hyuga following behind. "Kagetora-san is going to play? Can he play basketball?" she questioned in a whisper.

"Ha!" Koga shook his head as he rested his hands over his hips. The old man was going to show his skills now? How long had it been since even he had seen him play? "So none of you know about the old man?" he chuckled.

Hearing the slight snicker from the tall brunette, eyes slowly landed over to Kiyoshi as he spoke. "Well, not only does he play…he used to play for Japan's national team."

The wolf youkai released a sigh as he watched Shun pass the ball over to Kagetora as he stood in front of the Hyuga who was in a defensive position. "I met him right after he retired. I never thought I would see him play again."

'_National team, huh?' _blinked Kagome, returning her gaze to the duo on the center of the court. In a blink of an eye, Kagetora had taken a slide step back, much to everyone's surprise before he released the ball into a three-pointer shot even with Hyuga trying to block his shot. _'H-He's fast!'_

"Well, something like that," sighed Kagetora as he landed back on the ground. "Just so you know, that wasn't speed. Even you can do it. Teamwork really starts to shine with a group of strong individuals. You will all develop your own weapons by the Winter Cup."

"In other words, they will be your special abilities," Koga placed his hand over Kagetora's shoulder as he sent the team a smirk. "Some of you noticed during your summer training camp and have laid foundations. You have less than a month before the Winter Cup. We will train you as much as we can for the price of bloody nothing."

Seirin blinked as they stood silent before realizing that Kagetora and even Koga were giving their services to them and nothing was expected back. In unison, they bowed together as they gave their thanks. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"

Kagome and Riko smiled at the team as they saw the new and fired up determination in their eyes. Only time could tell where Seirin's strength would go.

"That aside, um…," Kuroko spoke softly, catching the team's attention onto him. The fact that the red head had still not appeared truly confused him. Where was he?

"Oh! That's right!" exclaimed Koganei. "Where is Kagami?"

The miko exhaled heavily as she scratched her cheek before releasing the news to the team. How they would take it was still questionable after seeing Riko furious. "Kagami-kun went back to America."

"Eh!?" they shouted. "Kagami!?"

"When?" blinked Shun. The fact that they never caught him leaving was a mystery.

Riko placed her hands over her hips while closing her eyes. "Our school has a short-term study abroad program. Our sister school is in Los Angeles, where Kagami-kun used to live."

"Well, he left late last night. Apparently he has a master there who taught him basketball," Kagome added, seeing everyone blink in curiosity.

"A master?!" exclaimed Furihata. That was the first time ever heard Kagami had a master.

Hyuga raised a brow, a bit irritated to hear that Kagami had left without saying a word to them. "I haven't heard anything about this."

"I just found out this morning thanks to Kagome-chan," sighed Riko as she made her way towards the phantom player and grasped his head tightly under her palm and fingers. The veins on her forehead throbbed the more she gripped Kuroko's head as she gave her smile. "This year's first-years have really been coming and going as they please. It's like they are messing around with me."

"W-Why me?" whispered Kuroko through the pain. "Itai, itai…sumimazen."

Kagome came forth and smiled nervously towards the female coach. "Riko-senpai, you really shouldn't take it out on him. Wait until Bakagami comes back and get your revenge."

The Seirin captain chuckled under his breath as he saw the miko trying to stop Riko from hurting Kuroko, he could not help but smile. "Well, if he is going to come back stronger, I can't complain."

* * *

One after another an arrow was released and no misses. The eyes of the Seirin team followed the miko's movements from the window of the hallway as they watched her practice her archery outside at night. Having witnessed her skills during their practice was one thing, but seeing her make the target one after another was definitely shocking.

"Sugoi," whispered Hyuga as he held the towel around his neck. They had caught her practicing after using the hot springs and they were amazed at how precise her form was along with her accuracy. "I know Kagome-chan had said she had experience in archery, but I did not think she would be this good."

Koganei blinked as he stood behind the captain and leaned to the side to get a better look. "She looks so…relaxed."

"Well, it is her hobby," chuckled Kiyoshi appearing from the side and seeing the miko release yet another arrow.

The phantom player kept his eyes glued on her person as she reached behind her to grab another arrow from the quiver. The fact that the miko looked so deep in thought as she practiced, made him wonder where she had even learned to do archery. It was not the type of archery from school clubs, but she was using an old bow. One of the harder ones to get a good aim with.

"To be honest with you, Kagome was an amateur at this and could barely leave a scratch with her arrows."

Hearing the familiar voice behind them, the Seirin boys turned their heads over their shoulders to see Koga smiling with crossed arms as his eyes remained on the miko.

"An amateur?" questioned Shun.

With a nod, Koga made his way forward and chuckled as Kagome made the target on the tree trunk once again. "Countless times she would get compared to this other woman who was an expert at archery. In fact, both of them looked alike so that is where the comparison started." Even he had known later of Kikyo's and Kagome's relationship after the miko had vanished from their era. The fact that Inuyasha and others would compare her to the dead miko was something that never settled within him. "But, her determination to get better has led her to get this far. She never gave up and practiced. She possibly the only human being I have come to truly respect on her efforts."

The smile and deep stare in Koga's eyes did not go unnoticed by the phantom player. Human being? What did he mean by that?

"Well, let her practice you guys," chuckled Koga as he began to push Koganei and Hyuga away. "Go get some rest because practice tomorrow will be twice as hard."

* * *

Lowering the bow from her line of view, the miko blinked as she saw the five arrows on the tree. Even after practice, her mind had been clouded with thoughts about the upcoming Winter Cup. She only wondered what other kind of teams would participate in the tournament. _'But __T__ōō is the bigger threat to us right now.'_

Her ears quickly picked up the sound of brushing leaves and branches, making her eyes dart over to the bushes. Without a second thought, Kagome placed her arrow over her bow and raised it back in aim and released it.

"Oi!"

'_Huh?' _the miko blinked with slightly wide eyes as she caught sight of Tōō's ace slightly ducked down from where arrow rested against the tree above his head. "Aomine-kun?" She covered her lips with her hand as she held back her laugh upon seeing Aomine's crouched position from her attack.

"What the hell!?" he shouted, coming back up and inspecting the arrow. Here he was taking a walk and after seeing Kagome from afar, he decided to pay a visit but instead he was greeted with a killer weapon?! "Oi! Are you trying to kill me!?"

'_It would have been nice,' _she dropped her bow to her side, seeing the glare glued on his features. "Well, that is what you get for sneaking up on me." She only guessed that her reflexes were still on point in this area. Countless times in the feudal era did she have to react to unknown movements and sounds. It was not her fault Aomine came in unannounced. "But that was a great reaction."

"Shut it," he glared, dusting off the dirty from his shoulders. Making his way forward, his eyes were caught at the bow in her hands and the quiver behind her. "Are you hunting or something, neko-chan?"

"Yeah, hunting bakas that like to kidnap others," she lowered her eyes into a tight glare to match his with each step he took closer.

Aomine released a snicker under his breath as he snaked his hands inside his pants pockets. Who knew the girl had a hidden talent with such a weapon. "Interesting. Neko-chan knows how to do archery? Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"We aren't that close for you to know everything about me, Aomine-kun," she huffed, turning away from his gaze and placing her bow on the ground along with her quiver of arrows.

The Tōō ace raised a brow as he heard nothing else coming from the miko. Why was she staying so silent all of a sudden? "Hmm, is Seirin practicing hard?"

"What would you know about practice?" she questioned, looking over her shoulder. "The word is foreign to you, isn't it?"

"I am glad you acknowledge that I don't need practice, neko-chan."

Kagome released a tired sigh before turning her head back ahead to the bow on the floor. "What do you want, Aomine-kun? Shouldn't you be off sleeping somewhere?"

"You have a scar on your hip, don't you?" he questioned, seeing the slight shock in her eyes.

"H-How did you know?"

Aomine chuckled under his breath before raising a brow to match his smug smirk. "I caught a glimpse along with your breast, neko-chan." He ducked from her fist hitting his cheek. "I am not saying it looks bad."

"No I am mad that you are checking me out!" she shouted before turning her back to him. "Now tell me why you are here."

Relaxing his shoulder, Aomine's eyes returned back to their mild and uninterested glare before he took slow steps towards the miko. He stopped behind her as his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "You know, you made a stupid move in confronting Hanamiya back there."

The miko blinked as she heard his words. What brought this up? Kagome slowly turned her head around to face the Tōō ace only to meet with his strong gaze piercing into her cerulean orbs. "Y-You are too close, Aomine-kun." She jumped slightly at the feel of his fingers coming in contact with her light purple bruise. What was with everyone and her bruise? It was no big deal! She had gotten much worse injuries before. "What are you doing?"

"Don't always act tough with others," he tightened his glare. "I hate it when other people touch something that doesn't belong to them."

"Yeah, same here," she slapped his hand away from her person as she held her own stare. "Now if you are done here, excuse me. I need to get some sleep." She quickly found herself backed up into the tree behind her with Aomine's hands locked and pinned on either side of her head. What the hell was he thinking? "Aomine-kun, I am warning you-"

"You are wasting your time, neko-chan."

"Wasting my time?"

Aomine's head inched closer, making her lean back until the tree stopped her from going any further. "Even Seirin couldn't protect you against Hanamiya's tactics and yet you still stick to them. Like I said, you are wasting your time. Even if the famous Ichiro Koga trains them, no one can defeat me."

Scrunching her eyes, she could feel his hot breath above hers as he spoke his last words.

"Because the only one who can beat me…is me."

Before the miko could push him off, she was left against the bark of the tree even as he left her personal space and turned away. Keeping her eyes on his back, she remained frozen in her spot. Her fingers gripped the bark behind her as his words echoed in her mind.

Seirin was not weak.

She was not weak.

They would show him that defeat was not an answer to them. Victory is what they would gain and strength is what they would deliver.

* * *

Koga raised a brow as the miko stood beside him inside the gym. To him, it looked like she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed and here she was with them with crossed arms and a glare being stabbed at nothing but air. Had something happen last night?

The miko held her glare tightly as the events from last night continued to be replayed in her mind. Aomine had actually told her that her team's efforts were practically useless. Why the heck did she even put down her bow? She could have shot that ego out of him!

Jumping away slightly, the wolf youkai's eyebrow twitched. He was sure he felt her flare up in anger. "K-Kagome?"

"Huh? Is Kagome-chan upset?" questioned Kagetora, walking into the gym.

"Looks like it," replied Koga, sighing under his breath. "After I sent the boys again in their run up the mountains, she simply set her bow down and stood silent."

Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, the two males blinked at seeing Riko walking in with cans of coffee and tea for the team. "Huh? You three are here already."

"Riko-tan! Today you are exceptionally-" his chin was met with her defensive fist before he could tackle her into a hug.

"I don't care about that!"

Koga shook his head as he watched the older male rub his chin. "When will you ever learn, old man."

"Well?" questioned Riko, rubbing her knuckles. "How are they doing so far?"

Rubbing his chin, Kagetora straightened up. "They just have to do what they have to do. Koga-kun and I decided that on weekends they improve their stamina with fartlek sessions. Mainly Koga will take over those days. On weekdays they improve their individual skills. How much more they will improve in a month is up to them."

Riko made her way to the sports bags and placed the plastic bag of drinks down but not before getting a glimpse of the silent miko. "Endurance training aside, can they really master special moves in less than a month?"

"The first-years can't, but the second-years…they can probably do it," sighed Koga, placing his hands inside his pants' pockets.

"Airhead, that Uncrowned King, already has his own style, and he is talented. Four-eyes and cuties have found answers on their own. The remaining three will surely manage something," Kagetora scratched the back of his head.

Blinking, Riko tilted her head to the side having caught something in his explanation. "What about Kuroko-kun?"

The miko slowly turned her head towards the males, having overheard the conversation and Riko's question. Did they find something that could Kuroko in the upcoming tournament? Kagome watched as Kagetora and Koga shared a glance between each other before turning away and scratching their necks in silence.

"Sorry," sighed Riko's father, "but there is nothing I can do. I've never seen a player like him before."

"I have to agree with him on that," crossing his arms, the youkai looked over to the court. "In all my years of training athletes, he is the first I have come across. He is a mutant. It's quite pathetic, but we have no idea what to teach him."

"But," cut in Kagetora, "we gave him some advice last night."

"Last night?" blinked Kagome, coming into the conversation.

Kagetora nodded as he rested his hands on his hips. "We told him about the wall he is likely to hit soon. How he will overcome it is up to him."

* * *

With the ball being passed into Himuro's hands, his eye tightened at his goal and took aim. Getting into position, his expression took shock the moment another hand tapped away the ball from his grip. Eyes inside the Yosen gym trailed up to the purple haired male's form and seeing the unchanged expression of the first-year.

"Woah! Murasakibara!" exclaimed the players, watching him walk past the smiling transfer student.

"I'm tired…," he yawned.

Himuro chuckled under his breath as he followed each step of the giant with his eyes. "You're so weird, Atsushi."

"Huh?" Murasakibara stopped in his steps and looked over his shoulder to see the second-year smirking.

"You practice harder than everyone else and complain the whole time."

The purple haired male turned away and lowered his glare. Of course he complained. All he wanted was to eat and lay around. "I don't like practice." Wiping the sweat from his chin, he tightened his gaze. "I just hate losing even more."

* * *

"Sei-chan, here."

Upon hearing his nickname from the black haired second-year, the red-headed Rakuzan player looked to his side and caught the black towel in his hands before draping it over his head. He closed his eyes as he cleaned the sweat from his forehead and made his way towards the exit of the gym.

"He is ridiculous," whispered another Rakuzan first-year. Even though he was known to be a great player and student, it always amazed the team on how much the famous Akashi Seijuro worked out with even the equipment of the gym. "Akashi is already a prodigy, but he trains so hard and even though he is leaving earlier than usual, he worked twice as hard today. He must be starved for victory."

"No."

The first-year lowered his eyes to the bench, seeing the male with black hair down to his shoulders smirk.

"He is leaving for a meeting with his father over at a famous hot spring resort, but let me tell you this - he is not that weak. It's not about doing what it takes to win. Sei-chan told me before. Winning is just like breathing. Victory isn't something Sei-chan seeks. It's a natural part of his life. It's a basic bodily function."

* * *

Sinking into the futon, Kagome crossed her legs as she scratched the back of her neck. The month had gone so fast and training had gone smoothly with everyone. She was just surprised everyone was able to keep up with early mornings and late nights. Resting her head back into her pillow, she continued to look up at the ceiling in thought.

'_We are only two days away from the Winter Cup and we can only wait patiently until we face __T__ōō to see how strong we have become,' _a gentle sigh passed her lips. _'And we have no idea how Kagami-kun will come back.'_

"Are you feeling alright, Kagome-chan?"

The miko turned her head sideways with her head still on the pillow as she blinked at the phantom player coming to sit on his futon. Feeling a lick on her cheek, she smiled at the sight of the Nigou wagging his tail. "Did you take your bath already, Nigou?"

**Bark. **

With a simple chuckle, Kagome raised her eyes once again to meet Kuroko's. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit exhausted with everything."

"Then you should get some rest, Kagome-chan," he added before grabbing Nigou into his lap. "I would hate to see you tired."

"I will, don't worry," with another smile, her ears quickly picked up the sound of incoming footsteps as the rest of the Seirin team along with Riko came in.

"Yosh. Miina, I need to talk to all of you," spoke Riko as she made her way over to her futon. "We have two days until the Winter Cup. We will be returning back home tomorrow so get your things ready."

Hyuga sighed under his breath as he came to sit on the floor. "Can't believe a month flew by this quickly." Shaking his head, he grabbed his towel and began to dry his hair. Everyone was exhausted over Koga's and Kagetora's training, but they could feel it themselves on how much they had improved. But only during the match could they really tell if they have gotten stronger.

"Hmm, I just hope Kagami makes it back in time," whispered Kiyoshi as he rubbed his chin.

A quick punch skin-to-skin was heard, bringing them back to the female coach having punch her own palm with an irritated look. "That Bakagami better make it in time before my fist welcomes him."

The miko closed her eyes with another sigh. That was another worry to add to her list. _'I pray for you, Kagami-kun.'_

* * *

Feeling the slight light of the sun coming in, the miko scrunched her eyes tightly as she released a low groan. Feeling something heavy on her body, Kagome slowly opened her eyes only to come to stare at ghostly colored hair.

She blinked the sleep away from her eyes before taking in the full sight of the phantom player. Why was he so close? Pushing herself away to sit, she felt an arm tighten around her person; her action having been stopped.

'_What the-?' _she blinked upon spotting the arm draped over her form and trailed it up to the owner. Her eyebrow automatically twitched as she felt heat rise onto her cheeks. _'K-Kuroko-kun?' _Not only was he close, but he was holding her close! The miko placed her arm on his as she tried to push it away as gently as possible, but failed. _'When the heck was he this strong?! Don't tell me he uses his strength whenever he sees it convenient!' _

Looking around her surroundings, the miko made sure everyone was still asleep before giving Kuroko's arm one last push. Kagome exhaled the moment she was free and scooted back to make sure the phantom player was still asleep.

Placing her hand over her chest, she felt her heart race slightly faster than usual before looking back at the team still sound asleep. Kagome dropped her head down before coming to a stand. _'I need a cold shower to wake up…'_

* * *

'_First Kagami-kun and then that baka Aomine-kun…,' _the miko raised her eyes into her reflection on the mirror as she grabbed her hair into a high ponytail. The shower had definitely helped her calm down from the morning wake, but she could not help like something was different in the boys. They were beginning to act strange and she was not sure if it was the tournament's pressure being the problem to their behavior.

"Hopefully they change back and don't let their nerves get the best of them," she whispered to herself as she gathered her things into her bag.

The miko's head turned towards the door as she heard a light knock from the other side. "Kagome-chan? Are you almost ready? We are heading out!"

"Ah, hai! I will be out in a minute, Riko-senpai!"

Placing her bag strap over her shoulder, Kagome gathered her other belongings into her hands before making her way out of the bathroom and down the hallway. She noticed the hot springs resort was beginning to get busier than usual and more with people in business suits. _'Is there an event going on?' _she questioned herself.

As the miko turned the corner, her body collided onto someone else, bringing her belongings in hand down to the ground. "Ah, sumimazen!" she quickly apologized coming down to gather the objects.

"It's quite alright."

Kagome's eyes rose up to meet a pair of different colored eyes. One red and other…yellow? Heterochromia eyes? Upon seeing the small smile gracing the male's lips, she could not help but feel a shiver run up and down her spine.

'_His aura…it's almost like he has two,' _the miko continued to stare at the male's features, quickly noticing the abnormal red hair. He looked to be around her age, yet he was nicely dressed in a business suit himself.

"You should be careful. A girl as beautiful as you shouldn't get hurt."

Reality snapped back into the miko's head as she heard his voice signaling for her attention. _'Did he noticed I was staring?'_

"Sumimazen," she apologized once more as she grabbed her things from his hands. _'Crap! I am going to be late for the bus!' _Coming to her feet, he rose along with her before the miko bowed and took off towards the exit of the hot springs resort.

"Seijuro. We cannot be late to the meeting."

The red headed male raised a brow before turning his attention down to his feet. Noticing the school ID, his fingers reached to pick up and bringing it to his eyes. The picture no doubt told him it belonged to the girl, but upon reading the school name, his eyes scrunched. _'Seirin High.' _

"Yes, I am on my way." Slipping the ID into his coat pocket, Akashi made his way down the hall with a smirk spreading onto his lips.

* * *

Koga blinked as he looked over his shoulder and heard the miko gasping for air while resting her palms on her knees. Why was she short of breath? Raising a brow, he crossed his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just trying to make it here to the bus stop, but there was a bunch of people coming into the hot springs resort so I had some obstacles," closing her eyes, she placed her hand over her chest after having put her belongings in her bag.

"Oh, right," nodded the youkai. "I guess I forgot to mention that the hot springs belongs to Sesshomaru."

The miko quickly raised her eyes to meet Koga's in a wide eyed expression. "S-Sesshomaru's?"

"Did you see all those limos and black cars?" questioned Koganei, catching both the miko's and Koga's attention over to the team huddled together.

Koga chuckled under his breath, seeing the Seirin team turn their heads towards him. "Of course there is. Apparently there is an important meeting with Japan's top companies, so they are meeting here."

"You mean to say we stayed in a resort where CEOs gather?!" exclaimed Hyuga.

The wolf youkai gave a shrug as he looked away. "Perhaps. Don't ask me. It was Shippo's invitation, remember?"

"Kagome-chan, you look flustered."

The miko jumped as she heard Kuroko's voice beside her. Looking up slightly, memories of her morning hug came flooding back in, quickly making her take a step back as her fingers fidgeted around the strap of her bag.

Kuroko blinked with a tilt of his head as he saw the miko's strange reaction to his voice. Was she truly okay? Had something happened?

"Yosh! Let's get going, miina!" Riko placed her hands on her hips as she gave her team a smirk. "We are one day away from the Winter Cup! Let's do this!"

Sighing under her breath, Kagome took one last glance over her shoulder and stared at the hot springs resort. _'Sesshomaru was there.' _The light bark from Nigou caught her attention down to her feet, making her smile. _'Well, hopefully next time I can see him.'_

* * *

Days seemed to be rushing through their lives as the day of the Winter Cup had finally arrived. Hearing a low groan beside her, Kagome looked to her side to see Riko looking at the time in her cell phone. No doubt she was becoming impatient and nervous as more and more people came into the stadium.

The miko looked around her surroundings after looking at the stadium behind them. Waves of people began to gather before coming into the main doors of the event. Had sports always been this big a deal before? As far as she knew, the summer tournament, the Inter-High, was a bigger event than the Winter Cup. _'But it looks like the Winter Cup is gaining more popularity.' _

"There seems to be a lot more people here than the Inter-High," commented Kagome as she continued to observe everyone around.

"No doubt most of them are from the Inter-High and the others heard about the Generation of Miracles. The hype for this tournament is high this year," Riko sighed once more before flipping her phone close and looking forward. To her relief, she noticed her team walking towards them in their sweatpants and uniform jackets. "Looks like they are here."

As the team arrived to them, Kagome could not help but raise a brow in confusion. There was still one problem to this beginning. _'Where is Kagami-kun?' _

* * *

As every participating team lined up on the court, all heads turned to the front, seeing a stage prepared with a microphone standing to welcome the announcer of the tournament. The miko stood behind Riko as the players all lined up at the front with the captain ahead to represent the team. As she turned her head left and right unable to spot any of the teams she knew. Where they farther down the line of teams?

"The Winter Cup national high school basketball tournament will now commence."

Upon hearing the announcer make his speech, silence over took the stadium as attention was glued on the stage.

"This year, we celebrate the Winter Cup's anniversary and have made a special bracket along with inviting one of the biggest sponsors the Winter Cup has ever had. Please welcome the CEO of Taisho Corporation, Taisho Sesshomaru as he makes his welcoming speech to all of you."

Kagome's eyes immediately widened as she heard the name ring in her ears. Sesshomaru? Taisho Sesshomaru? _'He is here?' _

All eyes traveled over to the incoming male as he took his pace up the steps from the back of the stage. This was a first for many to witness an important man, but the fact that this man had an aura that could be easily read by everyone truly made them still.

Long silver hair held back into a low ponytail as he wore a black business suit was enough to tell them of his high status. But the moment the CEO opened his eyes, everyone frozen at the sight of his golden orbs.

'_Sesshomaru…sama? Koga and Shippo didn't tell me he was the main sponsor of this tournament!' _Kagome watched in admiration the more she continued to stare at the inu youkai. She had never thought of seeing him again and yet here he was and held the title of a CEO. _'Well, it definitely suits him.' _

The announcer handed the microphone over to the silver haired youkai before he made his way towards the front of the stage. Observing the lines of teams in front, Sesshomaru held his pose strong before starting his speech.

"The Taisho Corporation welcomes each and every one of you to the Winter Cup. It is an honor to witness the strongest teams from the Inter-High, but only one can finish as the strongest team in Japan," Sesshomaru's golden orbs narrowed slightly as he caught sight of the path way in front of him between two teams. "The Taisho Corporation wishes you luck on your upcoming matches. Remember that only those who are strong can come out victorious."

Whispers and comments were exchanged within the teams and audience as they watched the silver haired CEO hand the microphone back to the much shorter announcer. As Sesshomaru's advisors and guards led him through the pathway in front, he could feel the piercing gazes of curiosity and awed stares of the teams. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of the one female he recognized. The one female he had met years ago and was now in this era.

Stopping in his steps, the rest of his followers halted and waited for any sign to his next action. The miko blinked in silence, unsure what to say as he had stopped in front of her with only his eyes resting at the corner to meet her gaze.

Without a second thought, Kagome gave her bow in respect. She was not sure if it was a custom to her body now, but she still held her respect towards him. After all, he had helped Inuyasha and the rest in their final battle.

"I see you are faring well, miko."

The Seirin team blinked in confusion as they watched back and forth from the miko to the CEO. Did they know each other?

Hyuga adjusted his glasses, unsure if the scene in front of him was even real. "Miko? Did he just call her miko?"

"Guess Kagome-chan knows more people than we thought…," whispered Shun, watching as Kagome held her head down even though most teams and the audience were giving their attention to their small greeting.

"I am glad to know you have come so far, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered only for his ears. The miko blinked as her ears caught the small chuckle coming from the inu youkai. Raising her eyes slightly upwards, she noticed the hidden smirk on his lips.

"Shall I remind you that this Sesshomaru still has a long life to live."

The miko could not help but release a chuckle herself at the statement. Of course he still had many years to live. He was not a weak youkai.

Sesshomaru's eyes traveled further down the Seirin line and caught the questioning gazes of the team. "I see you have joined a basketball team. From what I have heard from that wolf, I hope you and your team do not disappoint." Taking one last glance at the miko, he continued his way down the path as eyes still followed his person.

Continuing to stare at his back, Kagome's shoulders slumped before feeling the stabbing stares from the people around. The miko slowly turned to her teammates, seeing them awfully too close to her person as if wanting answers from just her eyes. "A-Ano…"

"You know Taisho Sesshomaru?!" exclaimed Hyuga. "Kagome-chan, what kind of life do you have!?"

Kagome's orbs searched left and right, seeing the teams slowly separate to their paths. "C-Can we keep it down, please?"

"How do you know him, Kagome-chan!?" questioned Koganei, coming close to the miko.

"Uh, well…," avoiding his gaze with a nervous laugh, Kagome's sweat drop appeared. How was she supposed to say she met him five hundred years ago and he is an inu demon? In fact, how could she cover that story? _'Where is Koga and Shippo when I need them!?'_

"We have bigger problems!" shouted Riko, catching their attentions on her flaming anger. The team gulped in unison as they saw her eyes rage. "Damn it! What is that Bakagami doing!? The opening ceremony is already over!"

"Apparently he forgot about the time difference," whispered Fukuda as he turned towards the team while Riko shouted to the ceiling in plans of scolding the tiger. "He gave me a text and said he would be here soon."

Hyuga sighed under his breath as he placed his hands on his hips. Not only was curiosity killing him with Kagome's connections, but now his nerves were killing him too as they were missing their ace. "Unbelievable." Turning his attention towards the miko, he raised a brow. "Kagome-chan, looks like we are going to need another explanation from you, you hear?"

"H-Hai," she chuckled nervously. She knew this time Seirin would not let her off the hook so easily. A small sigh passed her lips as she grabbed her clipboard and took off the rubber band that held the pen together before placing it on her wrist.

"This is amazing," commented Furihata, coming to observe the full court with reporters, referees and even other sponsors. "The Inter-High courts were amazing, but this is even bigger. On top of that…," his eyes landed on the teams grabbing their belongings and other teams heading towards the hall of their locker room, "everywhere you look are school we have seen in books or magazines. We are supposed to fight these monster?"

"Idiot!" scolded the captain as he pushed Furihata's head down with his palm. "We weren't invited as guests. Hold you heads high."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Hyuga quickly turned his back to him before placing his hand over his racing heart. "R-Right?" he whispered to himself. "Right!?"

Shun's eyes dropped slightly upon catching the nerves dripping into sweat on the captain's forehead. "You are scared, too, Hyuga."

Kuroko smiled as he saw the excitement run in the team and although he was curious of Kagome's relationship with the silver haired CEO, he felt like that was a line Seirin and himself could not question yet. Even Kagome was in pure shock to face him, but she had held such high respect for the male. His ears caught the vibrations of his phone from his sports bag, making him turn to pocket where it was held.

Reaching for the device, Kuroko flipped open his phone and noticed the unread message. His eyes widened slightly upon reading the content of the message. Turning towards his team, he closed his phone and sighed. "Sumimazen, but could I step out for a bit?"

"Eh?" blinked Hyuga.

Riko's lips curved into a smile as she made her way towards the phantom player and placed her paper fan over her shoulder. "I told you not to wander off."

Kuroko raised his palms up defensively in front of his chest as he took a step back. "Hai, but…I've been summoned."

"Summoned?" questioned Kiyoshi.

"I'm going to see Akashi-kun."

The miko's eyes narrowed questioningly as she raised a brow. "Akashi-kun?" Where had she heard that name before?

"The captain of the Generation of Miracles…," whispered Shun, seeing the team was taken back that he had 'summoned' the phantom player.

Riko closed her eyes with a sigh before opening them back up and lowering her fan. "Fine. We have a game this afternoon. Be back by then."

"Hai," he nodded back before turning away and walking towards the exit of the stadium.

As she saw him leave, Riko turned her head to the first-year beside her. "Furihata-kun, could you follow him?"

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Furihata gave no questions before nodding and running behind the phantom player. Kagome dropped her hands to her side, watching as Kuroko and Furihata left their sights. "Are you sure that was a good idea? Letting Kuroko-kun go and face the captain of the Generation of Miracles?"

"Perhaps not," Riko crossed her arms before coming to face the miko. "That is why I told Furihata-kun to go, but that might still not be enough."

"Enough for what?" blinked Koganei.

"No doubt Akashi-kun will call for all of the Generation of Miracles. This is the first time they will be facing each other," the female coach's eyes closed before placing her hand over Kagome's shoulder and giving her signature _innocent _smile. "You should go too, Kagome-chan. You know how to handle those bakas."

Kagome blinked as her lip twitched a couple of times. "Eh?" Handle? What was she? Their tamer?!

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well, this chapter ends at that! I am sure most of you know what is coming, right? Right? Now I have a contest going on in my Tumblr where you could win a one-shot or a drawing (made by me)! The rules of this contest on my tumblr. Copy the link I have on my profile and just remove the spaces to read about it. The contest ends on July 16th so make sure you enter in time! Some people are already in with three to four entries!

So please enter if you like! The information is on the link!

Also, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like I mentioned...I struggled and hope you don't hate me for it. I truly tried my best, but I do hope you enjoyed reading it.

Thank you for your continuing support and hope you liked it! Don't worry, Akashi and Kagome will have confrontation and Seirin's match will be next!

Please review?

Ja~ne


	23. Splitting Auras

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Sorry for the delay! Due to my family taking me out yesterday for my 20th birthday, I was actually thrown back in schedule! But I was able to finish the chapter and bring it to you!

Now I know I say this a lot about me being worried over every chapter, but this one is no joke. Why you ask? Because a lot of people had high expectations on Akashi's and Kagome's meeting. Like no kidding, this was a tough chapter overall. And since it has been a while that I had written a basketball match, writing Tōō and Seirin's match was quite difficult. So please don't be harsh on me.

Well I hope you enjoy! And we are three reviews away from 1,000 reviews people! This story really could not have gotten this far without the support and the amount of reviews it has received. Actually because of them, I actually try to update as fast as I can ha-ha!

Enjoy!

Chapter 23 - Splitting Auras

* * *

"Eh~ you got a babysitter, Tetsu?"

Furihata's eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of the Tōō ace spinning the ball over his finger as his own cold eyes stared back at his person. He was not sure what he was hoping for in following Kuroko to meet the captain of the Generation of Miracles, but he did not think that every single member would be here.

"Minechin, you have Sacchin."

The brunette's eyes glided over to the tall purple haired male as he munched on a chocolate bar while responding back to Aomine's words.

"Satsuki has nothing to do with this," he glared.

"Oi, Midorimacchi, why do you have scissors?"

Hearing the blonde's voice, Furihata blinked at the sight of Kise staring at the pair of scissors in Midorima's hands. What was he doing with scissors?

"It's obviously my lucky item, baka," he replied as he moved the blades back and forth.

"Uh, it's dangerous, though," Kise's eyebrow rose, taken back that the green haired male could not see the true danger in carrying those around. "I wish you wouldn't walk around with them out like that."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," spoke the phantom player, grabbing his former teammates' attention onto his person. He did not feel an ounce of nervousness, but did worry for Furihata being behind him. The Generation of Miracles were unpredictable.

Furihata's mouth dropped as he took the sight of everyone gathered outside the stairs located near the stadium. _'Wha-all of the members of the Generation of Miracles here?! Seriously? That is crazy!' _Beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead as he felt his whole stiffen. _'I'm so scared. I want to go home!'_

A sudden ring to a cell phone caught their attentions over to the blonde, seeing him check his device. Aomine's eyebrow rose before bringing it down as irritation took over his expression. "Your phone is annoying, Kise. Is it Akashi?"

Kise's eyes widened as he brought his phone closer to his eyes. "It's…," he brought his eyes over to the group before continuing, "a text from a fangirl."

"Go die!" shouted Aomine. He knew that Kise was trying to push his buttons. Like he cared if he had fangirls!

"Huh?" blinked Murasakibara as he struggled with a bag of chips. He never had a hard time opening the snacks before, but it seemed the bag was tightly sealed even for his strength. With a tired sigh, he turned his head over to the side: "Mido-chin, let me borrow those scissors."

Midorima sighed, seeing Murasakibara childish behavior over a bag of chips. "No, nanodayo."

"What?" the purple haired male scoffed under his breath before turning his attention to the phantom player below the stairs. "Kurochin, do you have any?"

"No, I don't," he replied back.

The brunette behind Kuroko blinked, unsure if he should open his mouth for even air. The atmosphere felt heavy with rivalry yet- _'they are speaking normally.'_

Kise sighed under his breath before lowering his phone from his view. Here they were waiting, and yet the one they waited for was late. "Why is the guy who summoned us here the last to arrive?"

"There is no need to be upset," spoke Midorima as his adjusted his glasses. "That is how he is."

Releasing an annoyed sigh, Aomine rested the ball between his feet before closing his eyes. "Sheesh…"

"I apologize that I have kept you waiting."

Ears picked up the voice on the top of the stairs, making them turn to face the red-headed male. Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly as he came to stare at a pair of different colored eyes himself. "Akashi-kun."

'_That's the captain of the Generation of Miracles?' _Furihata questioned himself. His strong gaze on them was enough to make him silent and even Kuroko's former teammates. Just who was this guy?

"Daiki, Ryota, Shintaro, Atsushi, and Tetsuya. I'm glad to see you again. I'm deeply moved we were all able to meet like this," spoke Akashi, seeing everyone's eyes on his person. His own gaze moved over to the brunette behind the phantom player, seeing him stare at him. "However, there is someone here who doesn't belong. I wish to speak only to my former teammates right now. Sorry, but could you leave?"

Furihata's spine shivered upon hearing the command. Why could he not move? Why could he not look away? _'I really want to, but…what's going on? I'm frozen and I can't move.'_

Seeing the slight fear in his teammate's eyes, Kuroko looked over his shoulder and seeing Furihata's body begin to shake. "Furihata-kun-?"

"Well, you're no fun. Don't exclude us."

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Furihata jumped slightly before coming to trail the arm upwards and land on the smirk on the tiger's expression. "Kagami!"

"I'm back," he smiled, seeing the shock in his teammates' expression. No doubt they were not expecting him here of all places. Patting Furihata's shoulder, he made his way forward. "We can talk later. First," his eyes traveled forward, seeing the every single member of the Generation of Miracles present. With his smirk matching his glare, he eyed the captain carefully. "You're Akashi, huh? Glad to meet you."

Akashi kept his own gaze on the tiger closely. Who was he to walk in so suddenly in their meeting? Neither he nor the brunette were invited and yet they were acting like they were friendly. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he made his way down the stairs. "Shintaro, could I borrow those scissors?"

"What are you going to use them for?" questioned Midorima.

"My hair is annoying me," grabbing the scissors from Midorima's hands, he continued his way down. "I have been wanting to trim it. First…," moving his head to face the tiger, his lips curved into a smile that matched his dark hue intention, "you're Kagami-kun, aren't you?"

* * *

Looking left and right, the miko sighed heavily and not being able to find any sign of the boys nor any of the Generation of Miracles. She knew her chances of spotting Kuroko were slim, but if she could spot at least one of the Generation of Miracles, then surely she would be led to the spot to their meeting place.

'_Now that I think about it,' _she continued her way forward, making sure not to get in the way of other people's paths, _'the only one I have not met yet is…the captain of the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko-kun had mentioned his name being Akashi. Wonder what type of person he is?' _

Kagome turned around the corner of the building and blinked at the sight of not only Kuroko and Furihata at the bottom of the stairs, but a certain tiger was in front of them as another male came down the stairs holding- "Scissors?"

Sensing the bad intentional aura around the mysterious male, the miko quickly made her way forward in a sprint hoping to make it in time to save the idiot. _'Bakagami! Get out of there!' _

* * *

Kagami's eyes widened as he saw Akashi's quick movement of his arm jab the scissors forward.

"Kagami-kun!" shouted Kuroko, realizing Akashi's intention.

In a blink of an eye, everyone present came to be filled with shock as another hand firmly grasped around Akashi's wrist, stopping the scissors an inch away from the tiger's face. The emperor's own eyes widened as he slowly trailed the arm to see none other than the girl he had bumped into the hot springs. Seirin's manager had actually stopped him? And that strength within her hand was enough to halt his movements completely.

'_Y-You're kidding, right!?' _Furihata exclaimed in his head. _'He was really trying to hit him with the scissors and Kagome-chan actually stopped him!? What is she thinking!?'_

Narrowing her eyes into a tight glare, Kagome kept her gaze on the Generation of Miracles' captain. "If you want to hurt my teammates, you have to go through me first, but since this is a basketball competition, then deal with it there."

"Kagomecchi!" exclaimed Kise, taking a step down the stairs, he could not believe what he had seen. The first time he had come to see Kagome in a long time and here she was stopping Akashi!

"My, my," smirked the emperor, lowering his arm to his side after feeling the miko's grip loosen. "I am quite surprised that you were able to stop that with your strength, Kagome. In light of that display of grace, I will forgive you this time."

Kagome raised a brow as she heard her name pass his lips. "You…know my name?" she questioned, coming to stand beside the tiger.

"Why of course, Higurashi Kagome," he smiled. "You are none other than Seirin's manager. I have heard of you and the impact you have made on my former teammates."

'_Impact? What impact?' _her cerulean orbs traveled over to the silent members, seeing them quiet and staring at her as she faced their former captain. Taking a closer look at the male's features, she could not help but feel like she had seen him somewhere. _'But where?' _

"Oi, Akashi, don't be swinging those scissors around my neko-chan," glared the tan male as he grabbed the basketball into his palm. Even he was quite surprised to witness the miko's sudden actions. But then again, she had tried to strike him with an arrow the other time at the hot springs.

Chuckling under his breath, Akashi closed his eyes as he reached to his back pocket with his free hand. "No need to worry, Daiki. I would never try to ruin a beautiful flower."

'_Is…he complimenting me?' _blinked the miko, taken back by the sudden words. She blinked again as she caught sight of a familiar ID between his fingers. _'Chotto-!' _Pupils stretching, she noticed her picture and name on the school ID. "Oi! Why do you have my ID?"

Akashi snickered once more before taking small steps towards her. "I am afraid you dropped this at the hot springs when we bumped into each other. It looks like fate brought us together again so I could return this to you."

'_Hot springs?' _her eyes traveled back down to the object in his hand, before retrieving it back. The memory quickly kicked back in the moment she had bumped into someone and had dropped everything to the floor. Shooting her view back onto the emperor, she took a step back. "Y-You were-"

"Oi," cut in Kagami, stopping their conversation, "don't think you can get away with this after trying that scissor stunt on us."

"I said it before, I will forgive you this time," the smirk on his lips continued to hold on. "However, there will be no second chance. When I tell you to leave, leave." Raising the scissors once more, he did not miss the miko's defense going on. "In this world, winning is everything," little by little he began to trim his bangs, letting them drop to the floor long forgotten. "Winners are affirmed completely, and losers are denied completely. I have never lost at anything before, and I never will. Because I always win, and I am always right. I show no mercy to those who oppose me. Not even my own parents."

Kagome's was left speechless at his sudden words. Just who was this guy? This was the captain of the Generation of Miracles? _'His aura…is split. I have never seen this before.'_

"Well," Akashi handed back the scissors back over to Midorima as he began to turn away from the Seirin audience, "I'm leaving. I just wanted to say hello to everyone today."

"Huh!?" exclaimed Aomine, quickly getting up from his spot and turning to face the emperor. "Don't be ridiculous, Akashi! You summoned us just for that?!"

The emperor stopped in the middle of his steps and looked over his shoulders to see everyone's eyes on his person. "No…I actually wanted to confirm something, but after seeing your faces and meeting Seirin's ace and manager, I realized there was no need. No one has forgotten our promise. Everything is fine, then. The next time we meet will be on the court."

Keeping a close eye on the retreating emperor's back, Kagome could not help but feel like his words all held threat, yet assurance of his win. _'Does he really think he can win that easily?' _The miko was quickly hit behind the head, making her wince before turning to her attacker. "Oi!"

Kagami's eyes narrowed on the girl, seeing her glare back at his person. "What the hell were you thinking!? What if you had gotten hurt with this attack!?"

"Huh?" she blinked. Was he talking about the scissor incident? "But I didn't! Besides, I was only trying to protect you! It isn't like I actually grabbed the blades themselves."

The phantom player took a step forward before he spoke. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?"

"I'm fine, guys, really," she sighed. They were worrying too much over a little incident. It wasn't like she actually got stabbed. Then again, if she had been a second late, someone would have been hurt. Did Akashi truly mean his intent? His confidence in himself truly amazed her. _'Almost reminds me of Sesshomaru in a different level of this era.'_

"Kagomecchi!"

The miko's spine shivered upon hearing a familiar voice. Before she could move away, she was quickly hugged from behind, making both Kuroko and Kagami blink in shock at the sight of Kise having his arms wrapped around the girl.

"K-Kise-kun!" Kagome struggled to free herself from the blonde's hug. Truly she felt the oxygen being cut off from her person. "I-I can't breathe, Kise-kun!"

"Oi! She said she can't breathe," Aomine's hand reached for the blonde's collar before pulling him back. "Who said you can hug her?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing the mild glare now on Kise's eyes. "He is right. You can't just jump on me like that-"

"Only I can touch her like that," Aomine's lips returned back to a smirk before placing his arm around the miko's shoulder.

Kagami's hand quickly grabbed onto Aomine' wrist before pulling it away from the miko's shoulder. "And I told you to stop grabbing her like that."

"Oh?" Aomine's eyebrow rose, seeing the same glint he had before at the hot springs. "Are we jealous now?"

The miko exhaled as she saw the scene before her. Not only were Kagami and Aomine arguing, but now Kise was thrown in the mix on who was allowed to touch her. Like hell they had permission to touch her! They could not just decide this on their own! Before she could end this feud between the three, she found herself being grabbed by her waist and lifted. "C-Chotto!"

Kuroko blinked as he caught sight of Murasakibara lifting the miko in the air before bringing her close to his body with her hands pressed on his shoulder to keep a bit of distance. "Murasakibara-kun!"

All eyes traveled over to the giant, seeing he had captured the miko into his arms and held a tight grasp on her. Aomine's eyes tightened into a thin slit, seeing the close proximity between the two. "Oi! Murasakibara, let her go."

"No," he replied, bringing her closer. "She is my mochi."

"Your what?!" exclaimed Kagome. Was that a new nickname? What was with everyone giving her nicknames!?

"Murasakibara, put her down."

Hearing the voice beside him, the purple haired male turned his head to see none other than Midorima holding his scissors while adjusting his glasses. "No. She is my chibi-chin."

"Stop with the nicknames!" she shouted. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself off to land on the ground once more and caught her balance. Adjusting her skirt, the miko turned her glare to each member of the Generation of Miracles, before pointing her finger at them. "Have all of you forgotten that we have a tournament to play? Stop manhandling me! Next time I will shoot an arrow to all of you!"

"An arrow?" blinked Kise.

Aomine scoffed as he came to scratch the back of his neck. "Whatever."

"Now, if we are done here," the miko turned back to face her teammates before coming to pull the tiger by his ear, "Riko-senpai is beginning to flip everything because you are late!"

"Oi! Kagome!" he shouted, trying his best to break free from her hold.

Furihata blinked in silence before coming to scratch his cheek. "Kagome-chan really can…control the Generation of Miracles."

Seeing everyone trying to talk to the miko, the phantom player could not help but see what Riko and the others were talking about. It was almost as if she had the same authority as Akashi over his former teammates and now even Kagami. A small smile curved into his lips before he spoke: "We should go before the coach gets angry."

Kagome quickly released Kagami's ear before turning towards the phantom player. "Right, we should get going."

"Oi, neko-chan."

Stopping in her steps, Kagome looked over her shoulder, seeing Aomine begin to spin the orange ball over his finger as he held his gaze on her.

"Don't forget to keep entertained in the next match."

Releasing a small snicker, the miko sent them all a smile. "I promise you all that we will entertain you. I wish you all luck." Giving a small bow with her head, she turned back and pushed both Kuroko and Kagami from their backs as Furihata followed beside her.

"Tch, luck?" scoffed the tan male before capturing the ball into his palm. "The Generation of Miracles' ace doesn't need luck."

Taking a chip out of his bag, Murasakibara took a bite. "Chibi-chin didn't bring any mochi."

"Do you ever think about anything else besides snacks, Murasakibaracchi?" Kise raised a brow as he continued to see the tall male eat his snacks. It would truly be a miracle if Aomine and Murasakibara and even Midorima took interest in something else.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she saw the locker room empty. Looking over at the brunette, she sent him a smile. "Furihata-kun, can you go tell Riko-senpai we will be out in a minute? Kagami-kun still needs to get ready."

"Hai!" he nodded, before running down the hall way.

"Everyone must already be at the court preparing for the match," she spoke, turning her head to see Kagami putting away his bag inside the locker. Taking a closer look at his and even Kuroko's expression, she could tell that their meeting with Akashi had sent a different wave of worries and rivalry. "Are you two alright?"

Closing the metal door to his belongings, Kagami released a low sigh. "Akashi had me at a loss, but that is all."

"Well," Kagome crossed her arms, seeing them stare back at her, "there is no point thinking about a guy we are not facing yet."

Kuroko sent her a nod before coming to hear the tiger's next words. "She is right. Besides, my head is full of thought of _him _right now and defeating him."

* * *

"Sumimazen!" Kagome came towards the bench as she saw her senpais preparing for the match. She was quickly taken back the moment she heard the cheers of the people around. She had never seen this many people at a match before and it definitely sent her nerves to a whole different level. She could even see the overwhelming expressions on Seirin altogether. _'Guess we are all new to this…'_

"Bakagami!" shouted Riko, making the tiger jump slightly at the threatening voice. "You are lucky Kagome-chan got you before I did or I would have beaten you up!"

Kagami quickly took a bow as he kept his head low: "S-Sumimazen! It won't happen again!"

"Of course it won't happen again!" she exclaimed, huffing right after.

"T-This is amazing!" stuttered Furihata, taking another look at the people above along with the cameras rolling on the court. "Their cheers are like nothing I have ever heard."

"It's only the first day, but the seats are practically full," Fukuda commented, continuing to hear the audience telling them to do their best. "Are we popular?"

"Idiots, of course not," cut in their captain as he took off his team jacket and folded it. "Their cheers probably don't mean what you think it does.

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he dropped his eyes in worry. Looking over at this teammates, he tilted his head to the other entrance of the court, seeing their opponents coming in. "Unfortunately, most of the spectators are here to see our opponents."

Cheers increased in volume the moment eyes were set on Tōō coming into the court. The fact that many of the people around knew about them, easily told them they were a true opponent to never underestimate. The miko's eyes caught sight of Aomine's unchanged expression. No doubt he was thinking this game already as a bore to him.

"Amazing," sighed Hyuga, seeing Tōō begin to prepare at their bench. "You can tell they placed second in the Inter-High."

"Don't lose your cool," scolded Riko, placing her hands on her hips. The last thing she wanted was her team beginning to lose their own confidence. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she came to see Kagome's smile and pointing her to the male's confident smiles as they continued to stare at their old opponents.

Kagome gave Riko a nod before speaking. "Don't worry, Riko-senpai. Everyone is confident in this match. We came a long way to get here."

* * *

Releasing a whistle, the wolf youkai looked around the suite they were presented. And here he was thinking the infamous Sesshomaru would not allow him nor Shippo to come into his suite to watch the game. "It truly surprises you what money can get you, huh?" he chuckled as he came to sit next to the inu youkai. He was truly thankful for the privacy that even Sesshomaru did not allow his bodyguards inside. Sometimes a demon needed to feel free.

Shippo quickly jumped onto the opposite side as he looked over at the court. He caught sight of the miko talking with Riko, making him smile at the sight of seeing his 'okaa-san' once more. "Well, it looks like Seirin will be going against Tōō in this match."

"It should be interesting," chuckled Koga as he crossed his arms. "Tōō did defeat them at the Inter-High."

Observing the silent inu youkai from the corner of his eyes, the kitsune raised a brow slightly. "I am surprised you have taken an interest in this sport."

"This Sesshomaru is not interested," he spoke, keeping his eyes on the empty court. "This is business, but if you say the miko's team is strong, then this Sesshomaru will want to see it first."

Koga released a laugh as he rested his hands behind his head. "You never really were interested in the sports area, were you?" Turning back his attention ahead, he released another sigh. "I assure you that this year, basketball has become interesting."

"It's time. Both schools, please line up."

Upon hearing the referee's voice, Shippo chuckled under his breath. "Looks like it is about to start."

* * *

"Okay, let's go!" exclaimed Hyuga after taking a deep breath.

The miko smiled as she watched the five members walking towards the middle of court. This was the first time she had ever seen them so composed. _'It's everyone's first national tournament, but they are all focused. They are especially promising today.' _Seeing Kagami make his way to face the Tōō ace, she shook her head. _'At least he isn't acting on his emotions and keeping cool.'_

"Yo," called out Kagami, grabbing Aomine's attention.

With boredom, Aomine lifted his eyes to meet the confidant orbs inside Kagami. A smirk soon lifted onto his lips, quite surprised to see that type of expression on the tiger. If anything, he had thought Seirin would be fully worried to go against them after losing to them before. "Eh~ you seem to have improved a little."

"Well, yeah" he replied back.

Witnessing their confrontation, Wakamatsu raised a brow to Kagami's behavior. _'Has Kagami always been like this? He use to ooze belligerence.' _

Aomine's eyes lowered to the incoming phantom player as he stood beside his new light.

"We definitely won't lose this time," Kuroko declared, earning himself a wider grin from his former teammate.

"Fine. In that case, let's settle things once and for all."

The buzzer soon echoed off throughout the silent stadium as both teams proceeded in their lineup. "The game between Seirin High and Tōō Academy will now begin!" announced the referee. "Bow!"

"Thanks for the game!" both teams shouted in unison as they took their respective bows.

Hyuga took a step forward as his hand came to meet Imayoshi's in a firm handshake in the center of the court. "Let's have a good game."

"Hai, a good game," smirked the Tōō captain. Watching the Seirin captain turn back to his position, Imayoshi could not help but raise a brow upon feeling Hyuga's firm hand. _'Well, well…he acts like a real captain now. Impressive.'_ Coming to observe the other players he gave himself a nod. _'The other four don't seem nervous, either. I can tell from their expressions they have done everything they can.' _

With everyone soon in their position, the crowd cheered in anticipation upon seeing Kiyoshi and Wakamatsu at the center in preparation for their jump.

* * *

"Oh? Good, good. Looks like it's about to start," lowering the shades from his eyes, the brunette male smirked at the sight of the ready players on the court. His eyes caught sight of an empty seat in the audience and quickly sat down with a sigh. "Well, then, let's see how far they can go," he chuckled under his breath as he placed his sunglasses inside his white coat.

His eyes quickly caught sight of Tōō's coach. "Huh? It's Kacchan. He is their coach?" he questioned himself, a bit surprised to see him in his formal attire and slick back hair. "No wonder they are so strong. Releasing a laugh, the older male placed his hands over his abdomen.

"You are as noisy as ever, Tora."

Hearing his nickname, Kagetora finally turned his head to the side to meet none other than his former teammate. His eyes widened slightly before speaking. "Mabo."

"I didn't expect to see you here," he sighed, hoping Kagetora would just be a bit quieter. But he really was not expecting to find his former teammate here.

Kagetora quickly came to pat Masaaki's back, ignoring the volume of his voice around the people. "Hey, it's been a while, Mabo." His laughs continued on, not even caring for the irritation on Shutoku's coach's expression.

"Please don't call me Mabo in front of my players," Masaaki's eyes narrowed slightly. He could already sense the questioning stares of his team as they sat beside him. No doubt mostly from his nickname.

'_Mabo…,' _Shutoku's captain, Otsubo, could not help but question the given name. Since when did their captain have such a name?

"He said 'Mabo', right?" whispered Miyaji. "They know each other?"

Takao quickly hid the chuckle behind his hand as he caught the nickname with his ears. "I will call him that next time," he snickered.

Masaaki sighed once more before turning his attention to his former teammate. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Tora?"

"Huh? Well, you know…," Kagetora's eyes landed onto the court, seeing the referee prepare the ball to throw in the air, "I came to see my students play."

Confused for a second, Masaaki quickly blinked in shock. "Seirin?"

"Yeah," he replied before gliding his eyes to the corner. "I only taught them for about a month with Koga, though."

"You mean, Ichiro Koga?" questioned Masaaki, before coming to see the nod from the brunette beside him. He blinked as he continued to stare at him. Something still lingered in his mind the more he observed his former teammate. "Tora, you're not coaching anymore?"

"Give me a break," he chuckled back. "I couldn't teach anymore. Besides," Kagetora's eyes landed on the Seirin coach and manager, "there is no need. After all, they have my beloved daughter and a surprisingly strong manager who has her connections. Both of them have already turned them into my kind of team. We only had a short time together, but I taught them what I wanted. I am sure Koga-kun did as well. I'm satisfied watching now as those kids forge a path towards their futures."

* * *

With the referee's whistle, the ball was thrown up as both Wakamatsu and Kiyoshi jumped up. Seirin's center was the first to tip the ball over to Shun, giving them the step ahead. Seirin quickly headed straight to their hoop as Tōō followed on their tail.

"Oh?" chuckled Imayoshi, seeing the full determination in their eyes. "Go easy on us to start, won't you?"

Shun quickly stopped in his steps the moment Tōō's captain stopped in front of him with a full force on his defense. No doubt they were placing their full strength on them as well.

The miko blinked from the bench, noticing Tōō's game play being completely different from the first time they had gone against them. "They are not underestimating us."

"They are playing like it's the end of the game," added Koganei.

"Since they have Momoi-san on their team, no doubt she had predicted our players' improvement so Tōō has no reason to underestimate us," Kagome sighed as she caught sight of Momoi's gaze on the court. _'Another reason why we shouldn't underestimate __T__ōō_.'

Imayoshi chuckled once more upon seeing where Seirin's thoughts were going. "Underestimate you? You must be kidding. We don't think you're that bad. If anything, we are playing as hard as we can." In a blink of an eye, Imayoshi tipped the ball away from Shun's hand, sending the ball in a bounce before Ryo came to push it away to take it further away from Seirin's players.

Preparing for his three, Ryo's eyes widened slightly the moment Hyuga came to the front in attempt to stop his shot.

"No you don't!" shouted Hyuga. His eyes soon widened themselves the moment he caught sight of the ball being shot away from the basket and over to another direction. _'It's not a shot? It's-'_

Aomine quickly made his way up before capturing the ball into his hand in mid-air and dunking it into the basket.

"A-An alley oop?" whispered the miko, having witnessed Tōō's first basket.

Coming down from the hoop, Aomine chuckled as he turned his head over his shoulder to see Kagami running to him. "You're finally here? You took your time."

"It's too bad you couldn't start strong and take the lead," added in Imayoshi, catching Seirin's attention. "Sorry, but we did it first."

The miko's eyes matched everyone else's at the insult. They might not have been underestimating them, but they were surely still thinking they were weaker than them. "They got us."

"But," cut in Riko, keeping her gaze on the court, "it wasn't unexpected. If they are going all-out, then just as we planned, we will go with Kuroko-kun's improved Ignite Pass!"

Kiyoshi quickly passed the ball over to Shun before it was passed behind him upon seeing the phantom player appear in his stance. Tōō's eyes widened realizing Seirin's plan as Aomine came in front of Kuroko's path.

'_Oi! Kuroko's passes shouldn't work against Aomine!' _exclaimed Wakamatsu as he made his way to defense.

Aomine kept his concentration close on Kuroko's movements, unsure what his former teammate was planning. _'What is he trying to do? That form…,' _his pupils stretched as he watched Kuroko's first unwrap as he prepared his hand for the incoming ball, _'is it an Ignite Pass!?'_

"No," replied Kuroko as he took his step back, "it's a little different." With the ball coming in front of him, he pulled his arm back as he locked on his aim. "Ignite Pass Kai!"

'_Outsmarting people with his misdirection is one thing, but passing right in front of me?' _smirked Aomine. Was Kuroko seriously thinking he could pass the ball with him in the way? "Who is underestimating who, Tetsu!?" Aomine took a step back as he watched the phantom player's palm hit the ball as he twisted his hand in place before pushing the ball with full force. Extending his hand to stop the ball, Aomine's eyes widened the moment his own hand was pushed back by the ball's force.

Kiyoshi quickly caught the ball in his hand before making the jump towards the basket.

"No you don't!" shouted Wakamatsu, extending his arm out in a jump to block the ball's path.

"Wakamatsu is fast!" exclaimed Tsuchida, surprised at how quick Tōō was in reacting. "He is already caught up!"

'_When did he get here?!' _From the corner of his eyes, Kiyoshi was shocked himself at the fast speed Wakamatsu had taken to reach him. He was sure his surroundings were free! Narrowing his eyes once more, Kiyoshi gripped the ball tightly within his fingers and palm before turning his wrist and passing the ball over his shoulder – much to Wakamatsu's surprise.

'_A pass!? He was definitely going for a dunk at first! This is Kiyoshi's Right of Postponement?' _Wakamatsu clenched his teeth as he watched the ball land in Kagami's palm before it was brought down once again into the basket in a dunk.

"Yeah!" shouted Koganei. "An alley-oop!"

Kagome's smile widened as she watched the Seirin players high-five each other in celebration of their minor victory in not letting Tōō get ahead. _'We can do this! We can win!'_

* * *

Watching from the sidelines of the court, Kise's eyes narrowed upon witnessing Kuroko's new move. Something he definitely was surprised to see. "Ignite Pass Kai. I have never seen the improved version before."

Kasamatsu stood beside him with arms crossed as his focus was on the phantom player. "Even more that its speed, I am surprised by its penetrative force that knock Aomine's hand aside."

* * *

"What was that?" questioned Shippo, blinking at the sight of the court. He had never seen basketball players perform like that before. "Do you know what happened, Koga?"

Sighing under his breath, Koga raised a brow: "The secret must be in the spinning. Spinning the bullet of a gun stabilizes its path and increases its penetrative force. In the same way, by transferring his body's turning to the ball, he increases its force dramatically."

Sesshomaru chuckled lowly under his breath as he rested his cheek on his knuckles upon witnessing not only Tōō's power, but also the miko's team. "Interesting."

* * *

"I see," Aomine curled his fingers into his palm as he came to face his former shadow. "I can have some fun with you now, Tetsu."

"I would be surprised if you thought I hadn't changed," Kuroko's eyes narrowed down slightly.

Hearing the ball bounce in place, eyes traveled over to the Tōō captain seeing him hold his grin. "Don't rush," he chuckled before his eyes slowly opened in a glare. "We have only just started." Grinning at Shun's attempt to steal the ball, Imayoshi quickly passed the ball over to Susa.

Kuroko made his way to stop the ball, only for Susa to aim for his shot and release the ball towards the basket.

From the bench, Koganei and the rest of the boys shook in anger as they waited for the ball to fall into the basket. The miko's eyes tightened as she saw the height difference between Kuroko and Susa. _'They are using their height advantage against Kuroko-kun. They are throwing high passes so he can't steal the ball, either.' _Her cerulean orbs landed on Tōō's captain. _'Imayoshi-san is pretty vigilant.'_

"Rebound!" shouted Koganei, seeing orange ball bounce off the rim of the hoop as both Wakamatsu and Kiyoshi fought with strength to push each other off.

Making the jump first, Kiyoshi extend his arm out only for Wakamatsu to cut in front and capture it between his hands.

"There!" shouted Wakamatsu.

'_This guy might be evenly matched with Kagami's physically,' _Kiyoshi clenched his teeth as he jumped behind Wakamatsu in mid-air. He never thought he would find someone like the tiger. _'But…he is loud.' _

Wakamatsu quickly passed the ball over to Ryo before it was made into the basket once more. Tōō's cheering squad quickly cheered for the apologetic brunette as he made his three point shot.

"Damn it," cursed Tsuchida, seeing their team already short in breath as time ticked. "It's not as though anything has changed."

* * *

Kasamatsu sighed as he stood with his team, watching Tōō's movements carefully. "It would have been better for Seirin to have another trick up their sleeve."

"What do you mean, senpai?" questioned Kise.

"Kuroko's pass didn't faze them. Tōō is just playing like they always do. There is no weakness to exploit. In other words, we are just seeing their difference in skill," he explained, seeing that Tōō was not in fear upon witnessing Kuroko's new move. They had improved themselves, so what was there to fear? "Their difference in rank."

Kise's eyes fell back on the court, seeing Seirin wipe the sweat off their chin with their jerseys. "But if they don't do anything, they will fall farther behind." His eyes quickly widened the moment the ball was passed over to one the Seirin players.

* * *

"Oi, oi, are you sure about that?" chuckled Imayoshi. "Opening it would be huge, but I wouldn't recommend it." His grin only stretched as he watched Aomine come in front of Kagami's path as the tiger held the ball in hands. "That is the demon's gate."

Wakamatsu looked over his shoulder as he defended against the Uncrowned King, seeing Kagami was already at it going against their own ace. _'Is he going one-on-one with Aomine?'_

The miko rested her chin on her knuckles as she focused herself on Aomine's and Kagami's stares. She could see their auras clash, yet it did not seem like either of them were weak. "It's a dangerous risk to take now," she whispered. "If Kagami-kun loses here, they will lose control of the game completely."

Riko nodded to the miko's words as she crossed her arms. "One wrong move, and it could mean the game."

'_Please, Kagami-kun, pass it. Pass the ball,' _the pleading words echoed in Kagome's mind. She was not sure how much stronger the red head had gotten, but they could not risk it now. It was not time for Kagami to go against Aomine on his own. She could see the subtle movements they made from their feet to their eyes. _'They are not moving at all. It's been almost five seconds.'_

Relaxing his glare and exhaling his held breath, Kagami passed the ball over to Shun without moving his eye contact with Aomine. "I can't do it," he whispered only for Aomine's ears. "It pisses me off, but I can't win. Not yet, anyway."

Aomine was left staring at air as the tiger ran off to his position, making him smirk to himself.

The buzzer soon took off, halting everyone from making any more plays. "Seirin High, time out!" called out the referee.

* * *

"Seriously? I thought we were going to see the aces go head-to-head."

"Kagami ran away without doing anything. Lame."

Takao chuckled under his breath as he heard the comments behind his seat. Shaking his head, he turned to face the green haired shooting guard beside him. "Listen to them run their mouths."

"You seem to understand," spoke Midorima, focusing his eyes on the red head sitting on the bench.

"Yeah, kind of."

Midorima crossed his arms after adjusting his glasses. "To an amateur, Kagami seems to have fled the battle, but in those few seconds, a high-level game was happening between them. From that subtle fake, they read each other's plays in an extremely realistic simulation. With their skill, they are able to accurately determine their opponent's strength."

* * *

The Kaijo captain exhaled as he watched the silent tiger on the bench take a drink from his bottle after the miko had passed it down. No doubt his own team was confused as to why Kagami had backed out from the one-on-one play. "A one-on-one during a game is influence not only by individual skill, but also by the situation. With all the facts, Kagami determined he would lose."

"So he stopped it before he lost the ball and gave them points," Kise's eyes returned to both teams as they took their rest. "Having the composure to accept an unfavorable outcome can be more important than the game."

* * *

Releasing the held chuckle in his throat, the wolf youkai shook his head. The fact that Kagami was about to go ahead on a match with Aomine truly worried him for even he knew he was not ready. _'But, when I first witness them play, Kagami would have blindly run in and lost the game, but,' _his eyes landed on the red head, _'you must have matured too.'_

Sesshomaru raised a brow before closing his eyes. "Quite interesting to see these two play. Just like demons and animals, they have instinct themselves."

"You saw it, too?" questioned Koga.

"This Sesshomaru sensed it," he replied, coming back to open his eyelids. "Just like in battle, the attacker and defender must predict and picture the outcome of one single movement and no doubt that these two saw the game play that would occur if that red head had continued."

* * *

"Good job bringing the ball back, Kagami!" exclaimed Koganei, watching from his spot as the Seirin members rested and recharged on the bench. "If you had lost there, it wouldn't have been funny."

"But what should we do?" questioned Shun, lowering his water bottle from his lips. "The battle is as fierce as ever."

Kagome sighed before crossing her arms across her chest as she heard the silence take over the team. "Kuroko-kun's new pass takes a heavy toll on his body, so he can't use it all the time. More importantly, it would be dangerous to use it repeatedly against Aomine." It might have surprised Aomine the first time, but he was not slow when it came to the sport. He could catch up and stop Kuroko's next pass.

Hearing the crack sound of bones, eyes landed on their captain as he continued to move his head side to side. "In that case," he spoke, "I will start by scoring one from the outside. Izuki, give me the ball."

"Eh?" they blinked in unison.

"Tōō's defense is currently strong on the inside, so I will draw their attention out," he continued, as he stretched his arms. "Let's regroup from there."

Watching him stand, Kagome turned her head to Riko, seeing her think to herself in silence. "What do you think, Riko-senpai?"

Riko nodded before giving Hyuga a smile. "Okay. We are counting on you, Hyuga-kun."

With the buzzer calling the players back in, Kagome was left staring at the captain's back as he led the team. "Is Hyuga-senpai okay? I have never seen him like that before."

Koganei chuckled softly before grabbing the towels from the miko's hands. "He can say things like that because he is confident."

"Confident?" she repeated, watching as Shun passed the ball over to Hyuga before Ryo came to stop in front of his path.

Ryo's eyes narrowed as he kept his focus tight on Seirin's captain. _'We need to be careful on his three-pointers. He's not that fast, though. I'll keep him close.'_

"You sure?" questioned Hyuga, smirking the moment Ryo jumped slightly from the sound of his voice. "You're standing so far away." Taking a step back, Hyuga took his aim in one fluid motion as he separated himself further away from Ryo.

'_W-What?' _blinked the brunette. _'He is so far out!' _

Hyuga released the ball into the air with all eyes trailing the ball before it was made inside the hoop.

"Nani!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu.

"He just…," Ryo's eyes shook with disbelief at what he just witnessed. _'He stepped backwards and took a jump shot? But he was so fast!' _

Hyuga released a scoff, catching Ryo's attention once more. "The first years aren't the only ones who have grown. You apologetic mushroom."

"The inviolable shot," whispered Koganei, seeing the mild glare on Hyuga's features, "Barrier Jumper!"

"His habit are coming out, too," chuckled Tsuchida.

Kagome turned her head to the side as she faced her senpais. "What habit?"

"Did you hear him crack his neck?" questioned Koganei, a smile spreading on his lips. "Hyuga only does that when he is on fire!"

Kagome's eyes returned to the court as the ball was once again passed into Hyuga's hands before he took the step back into his Barrier Jump position. Making the shot with ease, the miko's lips formed a smile. _'It looks like Kagetora-san's lessons worked.'_

"They picked up another annoying move," chuckled Imayoshi, seeing the confidence rise in Seirin as Hyuga continued to make his shots.

"Are you okay, Sakurai?" questioned Susa, seeing their first-year brunette lower his head from the crowd. "Do you need help?"

"No…I'm fine," he whispered before an inner anger began to take over his eyes. "I can do it alone."

With the ball passed to Ryo's hands, the brunette took a step back as Hyuga tried blocking his way. Exhaling, Ryo's eyebrows dropped before releasing the ball with one hand.

"How can he make it with such a quick release?!" exclaimed Shun.

"Don't get the wrong idea," chuckled the Tōō captain as he stood behind the eagle eye user. "He didn't become a starter just because he can shoot a little quickly. The stronger his opponent, the more accurate Sakurai's shots become. After all, despite his looks…as a shooter, he hates losing more than anyone else."

Hearing Hyuga sigh tiredly, Ryo turned his head to face him. "I'm going to win."

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga.

Ryo's lips gave a pout as he jumbled his words together. "After all, I am better."

"Nani!?" Hyuga' eyebrow twitched as he heard Ryo's declaration. Who the heck was he to say that all of a sudden? And a first-year too! Watching him run back to defense, Hyuga kept his gaze on the running brunette. "Izuki…keep passing to me."

"Sure," chuckled Shun, seeing the slight irritation on his captain's face. "You're riled up, aren't you?"

"Yeah," the tick quickly appeared on his forehead as it began to throb. "He is just annoying! Quit pouting like that!"

Shot after shot was made from both teams with the help of Hyuga's and Ryo's three pointers. None of them were giving up their title as the best shooting guard. "Neither team is giving up," whispered Kagome, seeing that both Ryo and Hyuga kept their concentration on themselves.

* * *

"It's a three-pointer shootout," chuckled Kise as he rested his hand on his hip. "This is a rather bland development."

"Taking the battle inside now would be counterproductive," commented Moriyama, seeing the balance could easily be tipped down if either shooting guard ruined their chance. "It's the same as running, and it would come back to haunt them."

Kasamatsu shook his head before tightening his focus on the court. "It's not a great plan. If either team withdraws, they will lose. They both know that. They have to stick with it for the sake of their pride."

* * *

With Ryo making the last shot, Kagome sighed as she watched the time tick. "We are at the five-second mark in this first quarter." Her eyes traveled back to the court as she caught Kiyoshi grabbing the ball and preparing for a pass.

Eyes widened the moment Kiyoshi passed the ball over to the running phantom player. Catching it in his hands, Kuroko looked over his shoulder as Kagami passed by. Making his way forward, Kuroko easily passed through Susa with his Vanishing Drive.

"Teme!" grunted Wakamatsu as he stopped in front of Kuroko. His eyes traveled to Kuroko's arm as he passed the ball behind his back over to Seirin's captain.

Hyuga took his aim and made the shot as the buzzer soon went off. The Seirin bench grinned and cheered as they noticed the score board with them being tied.

"Eh~," making his way towards Susa, Imayoshi raised a brow. "Susa, how was it?"

"Yeah," he nodded in a whisper. "Momoi was right."

With a snicker, Imayoshi's smirk stretched at the corner of his lips. "It's decided, then."

* * *

"Arigatou, Kagome," grabbing the water bottle from the miko's hand, Kagami sighed with a smirk. "Somehow we are keeping up for now." Looking at Kuroko from the corner of his eyes at the bench, he lowered his eyebrows in concern. "Kuroko, maybe you should sit out for a little bit."

Kuroko lowered the towel from his face before coming to face the line of his teammates sitting down to his right. "No, I can go a little more." His eyes changed over to the coach, seeing her concentrated in her own plans. "Coach…"

The team blinked as they noticed the seriousness in Kuroko's eyes.

"As soon as the second quarter starts, let me use my Vanishing Drive again. We are tied, but we are barely keeping up. I don't want to stint the team," he spoke.

Kiyoshi rested his fingers under his chin as he took Kuroko's plan. "It would make a good preemptive strike, but I don't know."

"If we use it too much, they might figure out the trick," added Shun as he worded everyone's concern. "We have to use it carefully."

Kagome shared a glance with the female coach before giving each other a nod as they considered Kuroko's request. "Fine, do it," spoke Riko. "It's better than waiting for their move. The important thing is to stay one step ahead. They will figure out how the drive works eventually."

"Even if they do," cut in the miko, "it doesn't matter. It's not a move we can always use, but if the conditions are right, it's unstoppable. That's how it works."

* * *

"Conditions?" questioned Miyaji. Having heard Takao's explanation on Kuroko's Vanishing Drive, he was lost the moment he mentioned the conditions Kuroko had in his move.

"More than conditions…," sighed Takao as he crossed his arms, "Kuroko can't use that drive alone."

Kimura blinked as confusion continued to swim in his head. "Alone? Did you figure it out, Takao?"

With a nervous chuckle Takao leaned closer to the shooting guard of their team. "Well, Shin-chan and I did fall for it tons of times."

A nerve struck Midorima's forehead as he turned towards the jokester in his team. "Shut up, Takao."

* * *

"Vanishing Drive?" questioned Sesshomaru, finding a bit of interest in these moves he was witnessing.

Koga sighed as he rested his chin over his palm. "Hai. Kuroko Tetsuya uses his Vanishing Drive to get past his opponents. But as I have observed, Kuroko has conditions. First, his movements. He ducks in diagonally. The human eye can track vertical and horizontal movements, but it has trouble with diagonal movements. Furthermore, Kuroko is good at reading people's vision and ducks in at particularly difficult angles."

"Most players can't stop him based on that alone, but that drive only makes him seem to disappear," chuckled Shippo. Even he had caught on Kuroko's trick when he saw the match against Shutoku. "They are lucky there aren't going against us demons."

"When a certain condition has been met, the Vanishing Drive is complete," continued the wolf youkai.

"Oh," Sesshomaru raised a brow, "this Sesshomaru finds these humans quite interesting. But, what is this certain condition?"

* * *

"It's Kagami-kun," spoke Momoi as she stood in front of her team while they rested before the second quarter. Holding her clipboard close to her chest, she sighed softly. "His presence on the court is exceptional. On the court, the ball has the most presence. Tetsu-kun can't misdirect his opponent's vision when he has the ball. However, he can misdirect their attention to the improved Kagami-kun for a moment. That's the secret behind the disappearing drive."

Taking a pause, her eyes were set on the silent Aomine sitting on the bench. "In other words, he can only use the Vanishing Drive when Kagami-kun is in his opponent's vision."

"We just need to pull Kagami and Kuroko apart, then," chuckled Wakamatsu as he straightened out in his seat. "That's easy. As long as Aomine stays on Kagami-"

Aomine quickly cut him off with a scoff as the corners of his lips stretched into a small smirk. "No way."

"Huh!?" shouted the Tōō center as he stood from his seat. "Don't be ridiculous!"

"I could say the same about you," sighed Aomine. "Don't let him do it, keep Kagami away…why do I have to be the team's errand boy?" Aomine stood from his seat as dark hue took over in his eyes. "If they want to do it, let them. They couldn't pass me even if hell froze over. The only one who can beat me is me."

The rest of the Tōō members remained silent and still as they watched their ace walk to the center of the court the moment they were called back.

* * *

With the game resuming, Kuroko made his way forward as Hyuga passed the ball over to him. The phantom player took a step back as he noticed Aomine stepping in front of him – much to everyone's surprise.

The miko blinked, unsure what Aomine was thinking in going head-to-head against Kuroko. _'What is Aomine-kun thinking now? But in this situation, there is only one thing to do…'_

"I'm glad you understand, Tetsu," chuckled tan male. "We get along when it comes to basketball."

"I agree," replied the phantom player as he bounced the ball in place before seeing Kagami behind him from the corner of his eyes. He quickly rushed forward with his Vanishing Drive, not missing his opportunity.

Kagome' and Kagami's eyes widened as they watched Aomine take a large step back as he caught up with Kuroko's Vanishing Drive.

"No way!" exclaimed Kagome as she stood up from her seat.

"W-What just…," Kiyoshi's eyes landed on Aomine's eyes, seeing them completely closed. "His eyes!?"

The miko's pupils shook in disbelief, seeing Aomine had a trick himself to stop Kuroko's move. _'As long as he can't see Kagami-kun, his reactions won't be delayed, but…this can't be happening! Did he move in response to Kuroko's breath and rhythm?! That just isn't possible!'_

"Too bad, Tetsu!" Aomine quickly opened his eyes as his hand tipped the ball away from Kuroko's hand. Taking it for himself, he rushed forward and jumped up towards the basket before making the dunk. His feet met ground as he kept his back towards the players. "Don't get the wrong idea, Tetsu. A shadows doesn't exist without light. No matter how much you struggle, it never worked the other way." Taking steps towards the phantom player, his eyes lowered to see the frozen shock in his eyes. "A shadow can't defeat the light."

Watching him walk past Kuroko, Kagome kept her eyes on the phantom player. He wasn't moving. He wasn't responding. This was not good at all. Kagome quickly grabbed Riko's hand in attempt to catch her attention before Shun passed the ball over to Kuroko. "Riko-senpai! A time out!"

Riko quickly noticed her reaction and looked over at Shun passing the ball to their frozen sixth man. Running to the referee table, Riko slammed her hands over the wooden surface. "Time out!"

Everyone's attention moved over to the ball and seeing Kuroko's teeth clench as he prepared his pass. The miko shook her head as she took a step forward. _'What is he thinking?!' _Was he preparing another Ignite Pass Kai? "Don't do it, Kuroko-kun!" This was not going to work!

Looking over his shoulder, Aomine's eyes tightened as he saw the incoming ball. "Baka." With ease, he extended his arm forward as he stopped the ball with his palm as it spun from the force. "Did you think the same move would work twice against me?" Letting the ball fall to the court, Aomine kept his gaze on the defeated phantom player. "Try not to disappoint me so much, Tetsu. Even your precious manager shouted to stop you. Did you not hear her? If this is your answer to defeating me, I will make it clear."

Kagome could not bear to see Kuroko's eyes shaking in disbelief. All the hard work he had placed in was shattering before him.

"It's a useless effort," Aomine lowered his arm to his side. With quick steps, Aomine dribbled the ball off the floor before making his way past the frozen phantom player. Passing Shun with ease, he scoffed at the sight of the tiger jumping in to stop him.

"You are not going anywhere!" he shouted.

Bending his back, Aomine took a formless shot with a swing of his arm. The miko continued to shake her head as she watched Shun grab the ball as he dribbled it back to their offense position. It was quickly stolen by Wakamatsu before he made a shot himself. No doubt the morale on their deep had sunk after Aomine's words. The clock seemed to slow down for everyone as Tōō made shot after shot.

"Seirin High, time out," called out the referee.

Kagome sighed as she dropped her head down. Their auras were becoming heavy and she had no plan herself how to help.

* * *

Riko crossed her arms as her team sat on the bench. Keeping her thoughts clear, yet precise with a plan, she knew that would be impossible after seeing Aomine stop two of Kuroko's moves. With a heavy sigh, her eyes landed on the phantom player as he had placed a towel over his head. "Kuroko-kun, you are out."

The miko watched as Kuroko raised his head with wide eyes before they dropped back down in his silence. "Hai." It pained her to see him down and she knew he felt defeated already. Just how could they deal with Aomine?

"Listen up, miina," Riko called out for their attentions as she took out her own white board. "There is something I noticed watching the flow of the game."

Kuroko's ears began to drown out the outside noises as Aomine's words continued to echo inside him. Gripping his shorts within his hand, he whispered to himself. "Damn it." The quick memories of Aomine stopping him flashed in his mind as tears slowly flowed from his closed eyes in attempt to stop them. "Damn it." The phantom player's eyes snapped open as he felt a hand lay over his on his lap. Trailing the arm up, his eyes blinked as he caught sight of the miko giving him a reassuring smile. "Kagome-chan…?"

"It hurts, I know," she whispered as her hand clasped around his to calm his shaking shame. "But I am here. We all are. Whatever Aomine-kun says, it is not true."

Another hand caught his attention the moment it landed on his head. "It's not useless effort," whispered Kagami as he stood from his seat. "Everyone believes you will come back."

"Don't give up this time, Kuroko-kun," smiled the miko, seeing Kuroko's eyes slightly widen.

"While you are sitting out, I will show him," continued the tiger.

"Show him?" whispered Kuroko.

Kagome cleared the tears sticking to his cheek before coming to stare at the empty court. "That there is no such thing as useless effort." Standing from the bench, Kagome walked over to the tiger before he stepped back into the court. Grabbing the back of his jersey, the miko's eyes waited for his reaction.

"Huh?" blinked Kagami looking over his shoulder.

"Don't overdo it," she whispered as she lowered her eyes once more. "Kuroko-kun…needs just a little time to recollect his thoughts."

The tiger sighed as he turned his head back ahead and watched as Tōō began to walk into the court. "It's not as though I doubt him," he whispered under his breath, "but if he doesn't return to the court, we are more than screwed. I have been saved by his little ass tons of times."

"I know," nodded Kagome as she took a glance at the phantom player, seeing his head back down. "All we can do is believe, but not expect anything. We don't want to be too far behind when he returns to the court, Kagami-kun. At this point, beating Aomine-kun doesn't matter anymore."

Kagami gave her nod as he resumed his way forward. "This time I will save him. I promise you that."

* * *

Catching the ball into his hands, Kagami raised the ball to his shoulders as he came to face Aomine. Both stood in a stare before Kagami narrowed his eyes and passed the ball over to Kiyoshi. As much as he hated to admit, his own strength was still not enough – yet.

Kiyoshi caught the ball and extended his arm out to pass the ball over to Shun only to quickly retreat it back to his form and spin around Wakamatsu's form in an attempt to fool him.

"Damn it!" cursed Wakamatsu, looking over his shoulder as Kiyoshi made the ball into the basket.

The Tōō ace narrowed his eyes as he watched Kagami walk past him. "Was I imagining things?" he questioned with a smirk. "I thought you looked ready to go when you stepped on the court. Did neko-chan say anything to you?"

"Uruse," glared Kagami. He was not going to let Aomine push his buttons this way. Not when he had Kuroko to save. "Kiyoshi-senpai just happened to be in a good position."

With the ball coming into his hands, Aomine bounced it in place and smirked the moment Kagami came to block his path.

"Don't worry," spoke the tiger. "I have no intention of running."

Taking his words, Aomine's hand began to slow the pace of his dribble as he prepared for his move. Something was different in the red head and no doubt Kagome and Kuroko were the ones triggering it. It truly pissed him off.

* * *

Kise's eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of Aomine's change in his dribble on the ball. Raising a brow, he focused his own vision between the two aces on the court. _'A change of pace; it's one of Aominecchi's strengths. Even if you predict his timing, stopping him is nearly impossible. But more importantly…,' _his eyes landed on the tiger, seeing his relaxed position with bent knees as his arms seemed loose in front of him, _'Kagamicchi's stance is relaxed and even natural. Just like Aominecchis!'_

* * *

Seeing his opening, Aomine quickly dribbled the ball behind his back, easily making Kagami strike his hand out in attempt to steal the ball.

"Kagami-kun…," whispered the miko, seeing the shadow being cast over his eyes.

"Kagome-chan."

Hearing her name, the miko looked to her side as she noticed the female coach coming to stand beside her. "Riko-senpai?"

"Do you remember what my otou-san said about friendship isn't teamwork?" she questioned, letting her eyebrows furrow slightly as she caught sight of Aomine preparing his shot. "He told me that the idea of friendship and teamwork is clear in Kagami-kun's case."

"What do you mean?" questioned Kagome. When did Kagetora tell this to Riko?

Taking a second to pause, Riko closed her eyes. "His potential rivals that of the Generation of Miracles. However, my otou-san said he hasn't had the chance to go one-on-one against them yet."

"What does he mean by that?"

"The answer is simple," she replied before coming to look over her shoulder and direct the miko to the answer.

Kagome slowly looked behind her and noticed the phantom player seeing the game just barely under his towel. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Somewhere in his heart, he relies on Kuroko-kun," Riko continued. "He may believe he needs to work with Kuroko-kun to defeat the Generation of Miracles, but that thinking actually suppresses his abilities."

"You mean…it is a dilemma for Kagami-kun?" blinked the miko, returning her sights back on the tiger. Putting the pieces together, Kagome was beginning to understand what Kagetora was meaning to say. _'Kuroko-kun suppresses Kagami-kun's true strength, but not in a bad way. Just when Kagami-kun feels cornered and weak without Kuroko-kun, then that is when…'_

"As long as Kuroko-kun is his dependable sixth man, Kagami-kun will be incomplete," Riko slowly opened her eyes as she watched Kagami spin behind the tan male and jump upwards as he extended his arm. "However, if he reaches one-hundred percent strength, he will be more than good enough to face the Generation of Miracles."

Everyone's attention was caught by Kagami's shout as he pushed the ball away from Aomine's hands; stopping him from shooting the ball.

"Nani!?" exclaimed Imayoshi.

The miko's eyes widened as the ball bounced off the court with the referee blowing on his whistle. She could not believe what she had seen. Kagami actually stopped Aomine in this shot? She could see his aura slowly rising as it increased in power. _'Did Kuroko-kun's total loss unleash his strength? By going from saved to savior, the power he has been unconsciously suppressing is being released. Is this…Kagami-kun's true strength?' _

Landing back down on his feet, Aomine's lips stretched into a smirk. "Good. You are finally getting excited." Turning around to face the serious tiger, he raised a brow. "Honestly, I didn't expect much from you, but you have improved considerably. I might be able to play a little harder this time."

Catching the ball in his hands from Ryo's pass, Aomine took a few steps back as he kept his gaze on the tiger. "Entertain me, Kagami! Don't let neko-chan down after all the hope she has in you two!" Rushing forward in a blink of an eye and took a step to the left before quickly taking one to the right as he fooled Kagami in his steps.

The miko's eyes widened as she caught Aomine's speed. _'I already thought he was unbelievably fast, but he is going even faster!'_

Kagami quickly caught up and stood in front of Aomine, only see the ball being bounced between in his legs with full strength before it was bounced behind him towards the basket. _'This is-!' _His eyes traveled behind his back as he watched the ball going towards Tōō's center. _'An alley-oop with Wakamatsu!'_

"All right! Leave it to me!" shouted Wakamatsu as he jumped up to catch the ball.

"Don't jump to conclusion," Aomine whispered before running around Kagami and heading forth. "Of course it isn't!" Taking a jump himself, Aomine quickly stole the ball from both centers in mid-air and threw it over his shoulder without looking at the hoop. The ball quickly swooshed into the net, leaving everyone with mouths open at Aomine's sudden move.

"Did he just make a shot behind his back!?" exclaimed Tsuchida.

"He wasn't even looking at the basket!" shouted Furihata. "He even stole the ball from his own teammate!"

Wakamatsu ran behind his ace as the tick on his forehead throbbed. "You're so confusing, Aomine, teme!"

"Don't interfere with my play," he replied with a monotone as he made his way to defense. "When I get the ball, give me some room." Aomine's eyes tightened with a glint of excitement as the blood in his veins began to boil. "I finally have a real opponent. Stay out of my way."

The Tōō ace quickly made his way towards the ball as it was passed into Kagami's hands. Coming to stand before him, he quickly felt the presence of someone else coming behind him. His eyes followed Kagami's steps as the tiger made his way to the right. Unfazed by Koganei's screen behind him, Aomine spun around and met Kagami once again in attempt to block his path.

Hyuga's eyes tightened, seeing that Koganei's screen had not worked against Aomine at all. _'Not only did he dodge it, Aomine is completely unfazed!'_

Aomine blinked as he noticed the tiger was not even trying to pass him. His own gaze was onto his. _'He is not trying to pass me.' _Catching Kagami's dribble back to the left, he jumped up in attempt to stop the ball only to curse under his breath the moment Kagami released the ball and made it into the basket.

"Kagami is evenly matched with Aomine," commented Tsuchida, seeing that Kagami had made a shot with Aomine in the way.

"Kagami," running behind the tiger, Koganei felt his body shake in fear that he had made a wrong move to help Kagami, "did I do something I shouldn't have?"

Blinking in confusion, Kagami began to run to defense. "Huh? No way. I don't think your presence changed the outcome, though."

"E-Eh!?"

Stopping in his steps, Kagami turned his attention to the rest of his senpais. He had a feeling coming and he was not sure what it was, but he felt it was getting close. "Sorry, but could you leave Aomine to me? I think…I think I am almost there."

The miko's shoulders slumped as she felt something in the air. What was this feeling? Not only was it coming from Kagami, but even Aomine was releasing a weird aura she had no recognition of. Her eyes followed the quick movements between Aomine and Kagami as they battled it out between each other for the ball. _'What is going on? This always happens in a battle between members of the Generation of Miracles, but to think this is happening with Kagami-kun…'_

From the sidelines, Hyuga clenched his teeth as his eyes were barely able to keep up with both the aces' movements. _'What a battle! Even if I wanted to help, they are way too good for me!'_

* * *

"Hmm," keeping a close eye on the aces on the court, Sesshomaru raised a brow. It was not new to him to see humans acting out on instinct, but this was definitely something different to witness both Kagami and Aomine acting out like animals. But it was noticeable to him that they still had something hidden within when it came to skill.

"Looks like both of them are evenly matched," commented Shippo.

"This balance will collapse soon," spoke the inu youkai as his eyes narrowed. "They are both going all out, but they haven't reached one-hundred percent yet."

Koga sighed under his breath as he raised his arms to rest them behind his head. "But even if that happens, after seeing their last game, I can't imagine Aomine losing. Kagami will have to step it up and hope for a miracle at this point."

* * *

Smirking once more, Aomine watched as Kagami jumped in front of him to grab the ball before his body fell back for another formless shot. His eyes narrowed questioningly as he saw the determination burning in the tiger's eyes.

Kagami's hand smacked the ball away in the air, surprising even Aomine that he had come to stop his formless shot.

"Yes! Kagami!" cheered the Seirin bench, leaving both females and Kuroko in awe at the presentation of Kagami's new strength.

"W-What?" whispered Imayoshi, surprised himself.

* * *

"He blocked a full throttle Aominecchi shot?" whispered Kise. "That's impossible!"

Kasamatsu's uncrossed his arms as he watched both Aomine and Kagami trying to catch their breaths. "Could it be that Kagami is better than Aomine at this point?"

* * *

"I don't mind entertaining you," spoke Kagami, turning his head to face the tan male, "if you can afford to take it that easy."

The insult rung in Aomine's ears as he tightened his eyes with anger. "Teme!" Grabbing the thrown ball into his hands, he stepped side to side in attempt to pass the tiger only to grunt every time Kagami blocked his path.

"Aomine's attacks are being stopped!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu. This was the first time he ever saw Aomine struggling with another player.

Imayoshi's eyes opened as he saw Kagami's strong defense easily stopping Aomine's moves. _'What is going on? How is Kagami keeping up?'_

The miko raised a brow as she watched Aomine trying to make his way thru only to be stopped once again by Seirin's ace. _'Is Kagami-kun predicting Aomine-kun moves? No, that's impossible. But Aomine-kun is fast, if you wait until he moves, you can't respond in time. It's hard to put into words, but it is like watching two demons running wild right now.' _

* * *

'_Hm, he must have gone to see Alex,' _from the audience, Himuro's lips curved upwards as he watched his childhood friend hold himself strongly against Tōō's ace. No doubt to him that the tiger had definitely gone to see their master. "You have taken drastic measures again, Taiga."

"Hm?" blinked Murasakibara, watching the smirk on Himuro's lips from the corner of his eyes.

* * *

With the seconds now quickly decreasing in the second quarter, Shun's eyes narrowed as he dribbled the ball towards their basket only to pass it over to the tiger. _'We are only two points away! We need to make this to tie!'_

Kagami caught the ball in his hands, no surprise to him that Aomine came forth. Without hesitation, he jumped up and bent back in a familiar form.

"A formless shot!?" exclaimed Hyuga.

"Don't be ridiculous!" shouted Aomine as he jumped to meet the tiger in the air. "You are not ready for that!" His arm extended upwards before the ball grazed his finger tip. Eyes landed on the ball rolling around the rim of the hoop before it was rolled off.

The buzzer to the second quarter went off, freezing everyone in their spots. Had Kagami actually tried Aomine's formless shot?

"I can't believe you tried that," whispered Hyuga, catching the tiger's attention from behind. "You're out of control in a lot of ways!"

Kagami raised his arm to scratch the back of his head as he came to face his teammates. "Ah, I felt like I could do it, so…"

'_I saw it,' _Kagome's eyes remained on the hoop. Kagami would have made the shot, but Aomine had reached in time by just his fingertip. _'These two are on another level of basketball.'_

"We will now be taking a break. The third quarter will begin in ten minutes."

Upon hearing the announcement, Aomine walked over to the bench and grabbed his long sleeve shirt before he began to put it on. He was starting to become pissed, yet excited. Had he finally found someone to go fully against? Aomine began to walk the opposite direction of his team, needing some time alone to think.

"Oi! Aomine, where are you going?!" exclaimed Wakamatsu, catching their ace.

"Uruse," he sighed. "I will be back in time for the second half."

"Huh!?"

"Wakamatsu, leave him," cut in Imayoshi, stopping their center from exploding. Making their way down the hall towards their locker, Imayoshi sighed as he heard Hojo's concerns for their ace.

"I hope Aomine-san is alright."

Imayoshi released a low chuckle as he led his team into the locker room. "Don't worry about him, Hojo-kun. Aomine was playing his best, but he hasn't shown all his cards." Not hearing a word from his teammates, he came to sit on the bench. "You will understand once the second half starts. No one can beat him. Besides, it's probably the opposite, right, Momoi-san?"

"You're right," lowered her eyes to a soft expression, she gave them a nod. "He finally found an opponent against whom he can play his hardest. Dai-chan is probably beside himself with joy. But, we need to deal with Tetsu-kun. They will place him in the third-quarter."

"Face number eleven?" questioned Susa. "If I could do that, I would be doing it already. Even if I am watching for him, before I know it, he has disappeared somewhere."

Momoi raised her clipboard to her eyes as she heard the Tōō members sit on the benches. "That 'before you know it' is exactly the point. He is not invisible throughout the entire game. Generally he is jut difficult to notice because of his weak presence. Because he is, you make sure you don't lose sight of him. However, that gaze is most easily misdirected. The harder you try to look at him, the deeper you fall in his trap. It makes you an easier target for his misdirection."

"How are we supposed to stay on him, then?" Susa raised a brow. Marking the phantom player was hard enough.

"Oi, oi," cut in their captain. "She has practically told you the answer already. Just don't try to look at him, right?"

Giving them a nod, Momoi sighed. "He uses his misdirection when coordinating with his teammates. Just before he does, he always makes eye contact with the player he is coordinating with. The player he makes eye contact with is a mirror that reflects him. He will be in that player's vision."

"In order to stay on Kuroko without losing track of him, we should look at the mirrors," grinned the Tōō captain.

* * *

Stepping outside the stadium, the miko's eyes landed on the phantom player resting his elbows on a rim looking down the balcony of the second floor. With his back to her, the miko slowly made her way towards him before placing his team jacket over his shoulders.

Kuroko blinked in surprise as he felt the fabric warm around his skin before coming to turn his head and see the small smile on Kagome's lips.

"You are going to catch a cold if you don't put something on," she spoke softly. He concerned her greatly as she felt his heavy aura of worry.

"Kagome-chan…"

Coming to rest her own elbows on the rim of the balcony, the miko's eyes observed the city buildings. "I was beginning to worry when you weren't coming back to the locker room with everyone else." The moment they had arrived inside the locker room, Kuroko had requested permission to get some fresh air. "If you don't come back soon, the second half will start."

"Sumimazen," he sighed. "I will be there soon."

"Were you thinking of something?" she questioned, turning her gaze to the serious phantom player. "I mean, you look calm, but I have a feeling you are worried too and I know you didn't come out here for air, Kuroko-kun. What is it that you are thinking about?"

"Oi."

Kuroko blinked the moment a jacket came to be dropped over the miko's head, making him turn to the giver. Blinking again, he noticed the tiger having handed his own team jacket to the girl. "Kagami-kun."

The miko lowered the jacket to her eyes before coming to see the red head standing behind them. "Is this yours?" she questioned.

"Here you are telling Kuroko he will catch a cold, and you aren't even wearing one yourself," he scoffed.

"What about you?" she raised a brow. Did he think he was that tough against the weather?

Kagami sighed as he scratched the back of his neck. "I will be fine. Now wear it before we have to take you home because you caught a cold – again."

"Hai, hai," she shook her head as she began to put her hands into the arm openings.

The phantom player blinked between his two friends before coming to drop his gaze on the floor. "Ano…do you two like basketball?"

"Huh?" the both blinked, pausing in their movements. What had brought this up? Watching Kuroko turn back to the balcony's view, they waited for him to continue.

"I wasn't thinking about anything complicated right now. I would do anything to win this game. I have my promise to Momoi-san, but the truth is, I just want to see it again."

Having placed the jacket on her body, Kagome tilted her head to the side. "See what again?" she questioned.

Kuroko gripped the rim of the balcony before he closed his eyes as memories of his Teiko years flashed through. "Aomine-kun always played with a smile. He truly loved basketball. I don't intend to reject who he is now and condescend to him. I just…I just want to see Aomine-kun play with a smile again. If we win this game, maybe…"

"Who knows?" commented Kagami, as he continued to scratch his neck. Picturing Aomine smile was quite hard even to the imagination.

The miko sighed as she placed her hand over Kuroko's arm, gaining his attention. "People aren't that simple." Even she had dealt with demons and humans in the feudal era who had changed due to certain events in their lives and making them turn back to what they once were was a tough thing to do. "I don't know if winning will change who he is, Kuroko-kun. But losing definitely won't change anything. The only thing we can do is play as hard as we can to win, right, Kagami-kun?" sending the tiger a smile, she chuckled the moment Kagami shrugged and turned away.

"Like I said, who knows," he sighed, beginning to walk towards the doors.

Lowering her cerulean orbs to Kuroko's hand, she gave herself a smile. "Everything will be okay, Kuroko-kun. I promise we will make Aomine-kun smile once more. His heart isn't completely cold yet."

"The only problem is I can't use my Ignite Pass or Vanishing Drive any more. Aomine-kun will stop them," he sighed, trying to hold a smile himself.

Kagome placed her fingers under her chin as she began to enter her mind for any plans. Was there anything they could do for now? She could feel Kagami's aura slowly waking up to a new strength, but she was not sure when that would open. "You can still use your misdirection…"

"But not for long," he replied, coming to blink at the miko.

"But maybe we should use it until it is fully exhausted," her eyes met his. "Perhaps we can use your misdirection to help Seirin."

"You mean misdirect Kagami and the others?" Kuroko tilted his head to the side. It made sense, but was still partially confused. "How can I do that?"

The miko held his hand as she began to lead him towards the doors of the stadium. "By letting Tōō mark you. By the third quarter, they will see you." Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly as she headed inside the stadium. _'But we can't be too sure. The real threat to me now is Momoi-san. If she can predict Seirin's strengths and improvements, we will have trouble. But the true problem is Aomine-kun. Just what can we do to stop him?' _

"Let's go talk to the team before the second half begins," Kagome made her way into the hallway before making a turn. _'I will do my part. I have to. I cannot bare to see Seirin distraught over _Tōō's _strengths. We are just as strong.'_

* * *

Riko sighed as she watched her team listen to Kagome's and Kuroko's idea. As they gathered at the bench of the court, they waited for Tōō to appear before the second half began. But the moment Kagome had brought in Kuroko, she had quickly gave them no time for explanation and the miko had released her game plan on using Kuroko's misdirection to the moment it was fully used. Although the plan was a risk, Riko could not help but nod in agreement. It could just work in some way to stop Aomine – even if it was slightly.

"It doesn't sound like a bad plan," whispered Kiyoshi as he rested his elbows on his knees, "but will it work?"

Kagome scratched her cheek as she felt everyone's eyes on her person. "It is just a hunch though. Kuroko-kun's misdirection will wear out and it won't take long before Tōō begins their marks on him."

"Maybe we could even try to catch one of Kuroko's Ignite Pass," suggested Shun, coming to receive some questioning blinks.

Hyuga's hand came to smack the back of Shun's head. "Baka! We can't do that! Only Kagami has been able to catch those!"

"We have to try," added Riko as she crossed her arms. "Kuroko-kun, you are entering the third quarter."

The phantom player gave a nod in response before seeing the smile on Kagome's features. "Hai."

"C-Chotto!" exclaimed Hyuga. "We are going to do it?!"

Exhaling softly, the miko closed her eyes in relief. One plan was accepted, but they had to wait and see if Tōō was going to take the bait and mark Kuroko during the second half. They had to with Momoi's predictions.

Ears caught the sound of the audience's cheers, quickly making them turn towards the other entrance of the court. In silence, they observed Tōō making their entrance with Aomine coming last. With curiosity, the miko took a closer look at the tan male's expression. Surely that was not a grin on his face, was it? _'Is he excited?'_

The players soon made their way into the court as eyes widened slightly to see the phantom player stepping back inside.

Raising a brow, Wakamatsu watched with caution, yet curiosity the moment Kuroko made his way into his position. "Should he even be playing?" he questioned towards Susa. "I'm impressed he is even on the court after being destroyed by Aomine, but what can he do?"

As the referee's whistle echoed throughout the court, the timer began to tick as the players quickly landed their eyes over to Imayoshi's hands. With a chuckle being released, Imayoshi stopped in his tracks the moment Shun marked him and got in front of him with arms stretched wide to his side. "Eh~ don't look so angry." Furrowing his eyebrows, the smirk stretched. _'Their defense is good. They have all improved their fundamental skills. Not that it matters.' _Passing the ball over to their ace, he snickered the moment Aomine caught it into his hands and came face-to-face with the tiger.

Kagami's eyes widened slightly as he saw a different gaze in Aomine's orbs. What was this feeling? _'This guy…,' _keeping his defense strong, Kagami watched in a blink of an eye as Aomine ducked down and charged forward with the ball in his hand. _'W-What's going on!? Aomine should have already been playing at full power, but he is getting faster! That's impossible!'_

Seeing the Tōō ace charge, Kiyoshi made his way under the net, clenching his teeth, he realized he was not going to make it in time to stop the ace. _'It's no use! I won't make it in time!'_

The miko stood from her seat after Riko as they watched Aomine's body suddenly collide with Kuroko's, taking him down to the ground with the ball forgotten as it landed on the floor. The referee blew on his whistle as he called out Aomine's foul.

"K-Kuroko-kun," whispered Kagome as her eyes remained on the phantom player sitting on the court.

"Charging! Black number five!" called out the referee.

Imayoshi took a step forward with shock upon seeing Aomine knocking down the phantom player. Where the hell had he come from?! _'Even if he had gone to help after Aomine passed him, he would have been too late. Did he predict his course?'_

Kuroko placed his hand over his knee as he helped himself up onto his feet. "If you can predict my movements, isn't the opposite true, as well? We both spend that time together. We get along when it comes to basketball, Aomine-kun."

"You've done it now, Tetsu," smirked the tan male. Turning back to his position, his eyes followed the ball coming to land in Shun's hands before Seirin made their charge towards their basket.

"Let's go!" shouted Shun.

Wakamatsu blinked as he watched Kuroko catch the ball and simply give it over to Kagami across the court. _'Is he not doing anything on offense?' _Following the path of the ball, he defended behind Kiyoshi as the ball landed in his hands before it was thrown over to the phantom player once more. _'Huh?' _His eyes widened the moment Kuroko made his Ignite Pass over to Hyuga's spot. "He is!?"

"Ow!" grunted Hyuga as the ball hit his palms. Without a second thought on the pain, Hyuga aimed his shot and released the ball into the hoop. "Yeah!" cheered the captain as three points were added into their score. Hyuga quickly ran over to defense as he spotted the phantom player. "Kuroko!"

"Nice shot," smiled the phantom player.

"That pass hurts really bad!" he groaned, lifting his throbbing palm as the red marks were left from the pass.

"Ah…sumimazen."

The miko blinked silent as she watched Seirin get into their defense. Even she was surprised it had worked. Kuroko's passes were now able to be caught by the other members. "Hyuga-senpai caught his Ignite Pass. They truly have improved."

"Now that they have all improved physically, every one of them can receive an ordinary Ignite Pass," chuckled Riko as she crossed her arms. They had never practiced Kuroko's passes onto the other players, but they had to gamble against Tōō at this point.

"All right, defense!" shouted Hyuga. "Let's stop them!"

* * *

"They are really going at it," chuckled Shippo, watching the new fire rise in Seirin's eyes.

Koga gave a nod as he leaned forward for a closer look into the court. "Of course they are."

"So is Seirin finally making their comeback?" the kitsune questioned. Nine minutes still remained in the third quarter and even he knew anything could happen. This was probably the only basketball game he ever felt excited to watch.

* * *

"Impressive," Imayoshi came forth while bouncing the ball in place and releasing a snicker. "The team is completely different with him." Keeping his eyes on the sixth man, the smirk on his lips only stretched. _'But he is not doing anything special. On offense he doesn't overextend when Aomine is near, and he passes only when he is far away. On defense he uses his experience and Kagami's assistance. He is supporting as best he can with his current set of weapons. He is sacrificing himself for his team. You got me.' _

Imayoshi's gaze changed to his Seirin mark, not surprised to see the eagle eye user on him. "How admirable," he chuckled again. "It's so admirable, I could cry. But doing your best doesn't guarantee victory. It's not that easy."

Shun's eyes widened slightly as he caught the glimpse of Imayoshi's eyes while he pushed his glasses back in. _'He feels different.' _

With a raised brow, Kagome could see the aura around Aomine completely coming to a change. What was going on? _'Don't tell me Aomine-kun still hasn't shown us his true potential…'_

"Looks like things have mostly gone according to plan so far," spoke Tōō's coach as he watched Aomine releasing his breath. "It's a shame he just came on the court, but we need to keep him under control, Momoi-san."

"Hai," she replied, remembering back to her words at the hot springs she had told Riko. _'Gomen, Tetsu-kun.'_

Eyes traveled over upwards as Imayoshi released the ball towards the basket before making the shot. "Crap!" grunted Shun, seeing he was easily fooled with Imayoshi's stalling.

"Don't worry about it, Izuki!" exclaimed Hyuga as he grabbed the ball from under the net. "We are still in control of the game! Let's go!"

"Right!" he nodded, running forward. With the ball passed to him, Shun stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of Kuroko. Eyes widened along with everyone else's except Tōō's as they noticed the person behind the phantom player. _'K-Kagome-chan was right!'_

Riko abruptly stood from her seat as she saw the grin stretch on the Tōō captain. "You're kidding!"

"We are the ones in control," chuckled Imayoshi, loving the shock filling everyone's expressions. "You must really underestimate us."

Kuroko slowly turned his head over his shoulder to see Imayoshi looking directly at him. He did not think this was possible. Even with Kagome's plan already webbed in his mind, he just never picture Tōō marking him this fast!

"Imayoshi-san is on Kuroko-kun!?" exclaimed Koganei.

"Did you know?" whispered the Tōō captain. "Some things can only be seen from behind the mirror."

'_So I was right…,' _the miko's eyes slowly glided towards Tōō's bench, seeing none other than Momoi's eyes looking straight at her from the corner of her own eyes. Narrowing her eyes into a tight glare, she tightened her own hold on the clipboard to her side. _'We both came with predictions. Now it is up to our teams to carry on with the plan.'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And that is that! I really do hope I met your expectations. It truly was a difficult chapter with all the basketball 'action' going on and the interactions. But I was able to finish this kind of on my birthday. Instead of me getting presents, I wanted to give you all a present as a thank you and give a fast update!

Well, this weekend I am leaving to visit my grandparents. It was a last minute thing, so as far as updating goes, I will be writing, but I don't know about updating on a weekend. But don't worry, I should be back fully on Monday!

Thank you for reading! Also, don't forget my contest on Tumblr is still going on until July 16th! If you have questions about it, send me a PM or ask me through the review! Also, can I say my heart is broken with Kuroko no Basket ending!? What do I do now!?

Next chapter will be the end to Seirin's match against Tōō and we will be entering the famous 'Zone'. Also, can you guess who makes an appearance before Seirin goes against Yosen?

Again, thank you for reading!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	24. Zone Rivalry

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well this chapter certainly took longer to write. I literally could not write the Zone. I needed to enter the freaking Zone to write this out and it was just not happening! That is why it was taking longer. But fortunately, I was able to finish before the week ended. So here it is! A but of fluff towards the end with Aomine. Thank you for the reviews and the support! We have passed the 1,000 review mark! My first story every to reach this amount!

I do hope this chapter came out alright. Writing Kagami and Aomine in action is hard...

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter 24 - **Zone Rivalry

* * *

"Oh~? Now even the Hawk Eye of Shutoku's Takao or your spider's web could stop him, Hanamiya," a thin glare observed the court as the rest of his teammates from Kirisaki Dai Ichi stood at the balcony. Having been curious on Seirin's match with Tōō, they had marked their spot away from the audience to watch the game. Seto placed his hands in his pockets as he watched the grin on Imayoshi stretch as he marked Kuroko. "It can't be stopped through spirit. What is he thinking?"

Releasing a laugh under his breath, Hanamiya's lips stretched at the corners. "How would I know? He is the right person for the job, though." The Kirisaki captain narrowed his eyes, seeing Tōō's captain move left and right, not letting the phantom player escape his sights. "No one's character is worse than his."

"I don't really know him, but are you one to talk?" questioned Seto as he lifted an eyebrow.

"But he can do it," chuckled Hanamiya.

"You senior is amazing," Yamazaki whispered as he came to stand beside his captain. "Maybe he is actually smarter than you."

Hanamiya's eyebrows furrowed as he heard the comment. Memories flickered back in his mind the times he spent with Imayoshi during his middle school days. "I don't know how smart he is. I just wouldn't want to play poker or anything like it with him."

Yamazaki blinked; confused. "Huh?"

"He reads his opponents thoughts by observing their expressions and actions," the smirk on Hanamiya's lips widened. "He is a monster when it comes to reading minds. He is partially psychic. When it comes to doing things people hat, no one can beat him."

* * *

Shun watched every move Imayoshi made in stopping Kuroko from passing him. He had never seen this before! He was stunned to say the least. With the ball in his hands, he could not pass it to the phantom player for another pass. _'Kuroko's passes have been stopped before, but we still managed to break through with passes and drives.'_ His eyes caught the tired expression on Kuroko's face. No doubt he was running low in fuel. _'But this time, it's different. His misdirection isn't working.'_

Watching from the bench, Kagome gripped the clipboard to her side. Although she had predicted someone to completely shut down the phantom player, she did not think it would be this tough to pass them. No doubt Momoi had predicted this. _'They are completely shutting Kuroko-kun down. In order to have Kuroko-kun's next move work, Imayoshi-san needs to let him pass.'_

"Don't be so hard on me," spoke Imayoshi, catching Kuroko's attention. "Let's be friends."

"A normal player shouldn't be able to detect Kuroko-kun's faze when he is undetectable," whispered Riko, seeing the focus on Imayoshi's eyes.

Taking the risk, Shun passed the ball over to the phantom player only for the Tōō captain to come in between and catch the ball himself. Imayoshi soon made his way forward as he dribbled the ball and took his aim at the hoop even with Shun trying to stop him.

Shun's eyes widened the moment Imayoshi took his jump. _'A three!?' _

Eyes followed the arc of the ball and watched it fall into the basket smoothly. Since when did Tōō's captain make three pointers?! Annoyed, Shun quickly caught the ball back into their team's side and passed it over to Hyuga.

"Hyuga!" he shouted.

The Seirin captain caught between his hands and turned around to see Ryo once again blocking his way. Clenching his teeth together, he narrowed his eyes. _'I'll return the favor. Take this!' _Hyuga slid back for his shot, only to curse under his breath the moment Ryo was able to meet his person.

"The Barrier Jumper was stopped!" exclaimed Tsuchida, seeing Hyuga's frozen.

"Did he predict it?!" questioned Koganei.

'_Don't tell me-,' _the miko's eyes glided back over to Tōō's bench, seeing Momoi's own vision on the court. Had she also discovered Hyuga's moves that quickly? _'She told Ryo-kun about it during the break!'_

Hyuga raised the ball over his head, not missing the brunette in front of him keeping a close eye on his feet. _'__T__ōō has this too! A defense that combines Momoi's projections and data.' _Without much thought, Hyuga bounced the ball in a pass over to Kiyoshi's way.

The Seirin center charged forward with the ball in his hands with Wakamatsu coming in a wide defense in front of him. _'Damn it. Their offense is strong enough…'_

"Oi! Look at you guys having fun by yourselves," blue eyes narrowed to match his smirk as he watched the tiger get the ball from Kiyoshi's pass. "Are you ready for round two, Kagami?"

The tiger turned around to see the excitement running in Aomine's eyes. He was definitely enjoying their struggle, but he would not give up here! _'This guy!'_

Kuroko blinked, seeing Kagami needing his help, but as he took a step to the right, Imayoshi met him once more.

"Oops," chuckled Imayoshi. "You're not going anywhere. As long as I am on you, you should give up on going to help him."

Kagami held the ball tightly between his hands as his eyes scanned the court. Every single of his teammates were being marked by at least one Tōō player. And with Kuroko having his path blocked, there was no way for them to pass. _'Kuroko and the upperclassmen have been shut down. At this rate, we will just slowly lose. I have to do it!' _Getting ready for a jump, he took a step back the moment Aomine's intense gaze was felt.

"You lack focus!" Aomine shouted, pushing the ball away from Kagami's hands.

"Shit!" Kagami's eyes trailed the ball, watching as Aomine stole the ball back and quickly charged towards their hoop.

The miko followed Aomine's path, seeing him getting closer to the hoop. _'I can't believe it. I saw it, but Kagami-kun stiffened for a moment too short to call hesitation. Aomine-kun took advantage of that opening?'_

"Wait, damn it!" Hyuga yelled, taking a step in front of Aomine. His chances of stopping Aomine were slim, but he had to try. He was the captain after all! Hyuga's eyes widened the moment Aomine slowed his pace back and quickly spun around him. "Damn it!"

"He cut around him in a second!" blinked Koganei, having barely seen that small pause in Aomine's speed.

"No you don't!" Kagami jumped up, meeting Aomine in the air as the ball was released. Pupils widened as he watched Aomine spin around him in the air and make the dunk with ease. _'N-Nani!?'_

Kagome shook her head slowly; even she was shocked to witness Aomine's move in mid-air. Was that even impossible?

* * *

"Oh? And here I thought Tōō's ace was doing his best in the first half," Shippo raised a brow, seeing the shock fill in Seirin's eyes.

"It's simple," spoke Koga, catching the kitsune's attention. "Kagami most likely acquired what humans would call 'animal instinct'."

Sesshomaru released a low chuckle as his eyes were set on Aomine, seeing the same kind of eyes that the tiger wore."However, Kagami isn't the only one with that instinct."

The wolf youkai nodded, keeping his sights on the tiger and Tōō's ace. "It seems his instincts had dulled since he hadn't been playing seriously as often, but he must be gradually reacquiring them through his battles with Kagami."

* * *

With a boring sigh, Murasakibara rested his cheek on his palm as he watched Seirin continue on with their struggle to catch up. "The gap is getting bigger." His eyes watched as Tōō made shot after shot with Seirin trying to catch their breaths midway as they tried to stop Aomine. "Looks like chibi-chin is also struggling."

* * *

"The third quarter is almost over," whispered Moriyama. "I thought they were doing well, too."

Kise blinked as he turned his attention over to his senpais. "What are you talking about? It's not over yet-"

"No," cut in Kasamatsu, crossing his arms as he watched the score on Tōō's side increase with every basket, "they have no chance of a comeback."

"You, too, senpai!?" exclaimed Kise. Did they really think Seirin had no chance against Tōō? Seirin still had a chance! They had to win against Tōō! "Are you saying it's impossible for them to close the gap?"

Kasamatsu released a sigh as he heard Kise's words. Closing his eyes, he uncrossed his arms. "No. Look." Directing Kise's eyes to what he had seen, he was not surprised to hear Kise's silence.

The blonde watched as Susa marked Kuroko and continued to block his path. "Kurokocchi's mark...," his eyes traveled to every single Tōō player's eyes watching the phantom player's every move. "Don't tell me- can they see him!?"

"The more he uses his misdirection, the less effective it becomes," Kasamatsu opened his eyes, seeing that Momoi had her own head down as she was behind the plan. "He can't use it for the entire forty minutes. His misdirection has run out completely. Seirin has no more cards to play. There is nothing left." His own view changed over to Seirin's bench, watching them in despair as they were thrown behind Tōō's points. "Seirin…lost."

* * *

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," chuckled Imayoshi, seeing the phantom player completely shut down as his head hung low. "If anything, you did quite well." His eyes changed over to his opponent in front, seeing Shun with the ball in his hands. "You made it to the Winter Cup with a team of only first and second years. Things would have gone better if you had another year to prepare. Try again next year."

The miko's fingers curled in as she remembered Hyuga's words about Kiyoshi's injury and possibly not being able to play next year. She knew Seirin had that thought stitched in their minds. There was no next year for them together as a team. It was all or nothing at this point.

"We can't wait that long."

Ears had caught the phantom player's voice, bringing eyes to his person.

Kuroko's bangs hid his eyes as he continued to speak. "Next time isn't good enough. Not next time…we will win now!" His eyes narrowed along with everyone else as their determination sprung.

All of the Tōō members took a step back as they sensed their flaring anger. No doubt that they were going to push through even though they were falling back. Ryo's eyes widened as he saw the fury in Hyuga's eyes. _'None of them have given up. On top of that…'_

'…_their fighting spirit hasn't waned!' _Wakamatsu clenched his teeth together as he saw the Seirin center stand tall in his defense. _'It's stronger than ever. But there is nothing left for Seirin to do. They are all at death's door.'_

"Your misdirection trump card has run out of steam, too," Imayoshi spoke out, catching Kuroko's attention. Even if their determination was back up, he could easily press it down with his words. There was no miracle that could help Seirin at this point. "Spirit alone won't change anything."

"That's not quite right," cut in Shun. "It didn't run out."

Both Riko and Kagome smirked as they watched the questioning look on Imayoshi's expression. "We made it run out."

In a blink of an eye, Imayoshi's eyes widened the moment took a step to the right and disappeared from his sight. _'He disappeared!? Nani!?' _He quickly looked over his shoulder to see the eagle eye user already shooting the ball and making it in the basket.

"What the hell just happened!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu.

"I can't believe Imayoshi-kun couldn't move a muscle," whispered Harasawa. Even he was not able to catch how Shun was able to disappear like that. He was sure only Kuroko could do that, but the rest of the Seirin's players? That was not in Momoi's data.

'_Is that Izuki-san's new move?' _questioned Momoi in her mind. She was speechless at the moment with nothing coming in mind to explain why Shun had disappeared. _'But that is not possible! After all that was…'_

'…_that was Kuroko's Vanishing Drive!' _Imayoshi took a step back as he came back to see the phantom player having barely moved from his spot. What was going on?

The miko raised her head and held it high as she watched Kuroko give her a smile. The plan had worked and it was time to use it. "He didn't disappear, he erased him." Giving the phantom player a nod, Kagome watched the annoyance in Aomine's expression as he made eye contact with her. "It's a technique that can only be used when Kuroko-kun's misdirection runs out. Kuroko-kun's true form and final trump card."

"The plan worked," chuckled Riko as she crossed her arms. "Misdirection Overflow was a success!"

With Wakamatsu passing the ball over to his captain, Imayoshi made his way forward as he dribbled. Kuroko's move still in his head as question after question piled up for him. _'That's impossible! Players other than Kuroko can disappear!?' _Imayoshi was met with Shun, making him pass the ball over to Ryo.

'_His movements are distracted!' _Hyuga quickly came in between, stealing the ball from Tōō.

"Shit!" cursed Imayoshi. _'What a careless pass! I messed up! Damn it!' _

Ryo made his way to stop the Seirin captain only to notice Kuroko from the corner of his eyes and lose sight of Hyuga. The brunette blinked before looking over his shoulder and seeing Hyuga already coming close to their hoop. _'H-He disappeared!'_

"You're kidding!" shouted Wakamatsu. "Hyuga can do it, too!?"

Hyuga made his shot, giving Seirin a ten point difference at the scoreboard. "All right!" exclaimed Koganei with excitement. "Another basket! We are only ten points behind!"

'_Kuroko-kun,' _Kagome's shoulders slumped, seeing the phantom player trying to catch his breath as sweat collected at his chin and dripped down. _'Your Misdirection Overflow makes it seem as though a tenth player suddenly appeared on a nine-player court. With that, everyone's gazes will be on him. This is the only way the team can match their plays now.'_

Narrowing down his eyebrows, Imayoshi tried calming down his mind._ 'What is going on? Kuroko's misdirection has run out. I can see him clearly, so why-' _pupils widened as his own words processed back in his mind. _'I can see him!?'_

* * *

Midorima's eyes narrowed as he witnessed Seirin's new play. Even he was shocked to see it. "Misdirecting his opponents' attention by utilizing the overwhelming presence of Kagami. It's the principle behind the Vanishing Drive."

"Does that mean Kuroko is currently taking Kagami's place?" questioned Takao.

* * *

"When Kuroko perfected his Vanishing Drive against Shutoku, he realized the potential of this technique. Misdirecting his opponents' vision away, not from himself, but from his teammates. He grants his teammates the effect of the Vanishing Drive," Koga released a sigh. He would admit it that the move was not half-bad. It was quite useful.

"Well what do you know," chuckled Shippo, "that phantom player is useful."

Koga gave nod as he rested his chin over his palm. "That technique likely carries several risks."

"Risks?" blinked Shippo, turning his head to his side.

"The first is time," he explained. "Not only can it only be used in the final stages of a game, but he should not be able to misdirect attention to himself for long."

The kitsune returned his gaze on the court as he understood the wolf youkai's words. "He does have to fulfill the role of four Kagamis by himself."

"There is one more risk."

Hearing the inu youkai's voice, both Koga and Shippo turned to face the silver haired male.

"By using this, Seirin is abandoning their future."

"What?" Shippo raised a brow, confused by what he meant.

"What Kuroko is doing is like performing a trick while showing how it's done," Sesshomaru explained. "It is like us in battle back in the day. We could not use the same moves with our opponents because the tricks were already known. In other words, once this game ends, Kuroko won't be able to use his misdirection against Tōō again."

"Nani?" whispered Shippo, a bit taken back by the explanation.

"That makes sense," nodded Koga. "They are both from the Tokyo district. They are sure to face each other again. However, even if Kagami and the other players grow, they can't defeat Tōō without a trump card."

Shippo watched as Ryo passed the ball over to Wakamatsu. "In other words, Seirin abandoned their chances of beating Tōō in the future to play this high stakes game. Does okaa-san know that?"

The inu youkai crossed his arms as his golden orbs landed on the miko. Observing her expression, he gave out a sigh. "The miko knows of the consequence. She would not take the risk if it was not worth it."

* * *

Kiyoshi quickly pushed the ball away from Wakamatsu's hand in mid-air before he was able to put it in the basket. Wakamatsu's eyes widened as he felt the force of Seirin's center. _'He still had that much strength!?'_

Shun caught the ball in his hands before passing it over to the tiger. "Kagami!"

The tiger made his way forward as he dribbled, grunting under his breath the moment Aomine met him ahead with a smirk. Continuing his way forward, he watched the moment Kuroko appeared a few feet away and caught Aomine's attention.

Aomine was left wide eyed as Kagami disappeared from his sight. Had Kuroko used his Misdirection Overflow again on him?! That was impossible! He could not be fooled easily! Aomine looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the tiger making the dunk after having passed him.

Letting her lips form a smile, Kagome brought her clipboard to her chest and closed her eyes. "We will worry about the future when we get there. What is important not is the present and what we can do now to win."

The Tōō ace narrowed his eyes with the help of his anger swelling inside. Directing his eyes to the miko, his fingers curled into his palm. "Kagome…," he had a feeling that just like Momoi did her planning, the miko had done it as well and to the extent of using Kuroko's potential to the fullest.

"They can't be serious!" grunted Wakamatsu as he came to stand beside Ryo. "This is suicide!"

Imayoshi sighed as he bounced the ball in place. He would not admit it out loud, but he was beginning to feel a bit nervous with Kuroko's move. "Give me a break. You are betting too much on this. Just how far are you going to take this?" Keeping the grin glued on his lips, he matched it with a narrowed gaze. _'This isn't good. If we don't bet everything we have, we won't win this game.' _Imayoshi took a glance over at the time and noticed the four seconds that were left. Grasping the ball between his hands, he took a jump up, surprising Shun as he stood in front of him.

'_He is shooting from there!?' _Shun's eyes widened as he followed the orange ball making its way over to the hoop. _'There is no way it will go in!'_

The miko's shook her head: "H-He can shoot threes?"

* * *

Hanamiya released a laugh, catching his teammates' attention. It was no surprise to him what Imayoshi was capable of. "It's not a matter of distance, baka."

"Hm?" Seto raised an eyebrow as he heard his captain speak. What was he talking about?

"He is the best at doing things people hate," he continued. Hanamiya's eyes fell on the Tōō captain as the smirk on his face stretched once the ball made it in with the buzzer going off. "They want to feel like they are catching up and end the quarter with a single digit difference. Imayoshi is the one who gets things done in these situations."

* * *

Imayoshi chuckled as he turned his head slightly over his shoulder. Seeing the shock in Seirin's face assured him of their win. "I will admit you are strong. However, we will still win."

The miko stood frozen on her feet even while both teams returned back to their benches before the fourth quarter began. She was sure Imayoshi was shut down, but no wonder he was the Tōō captain. Kagome lowered her eyes to the ground as she heard the players of her team sit down on the bench. Coming to look over her shoulder, her eyebrows dropped in worry as she watched Kuroko catching his breath. _'Kuroko-kun is exhausted. With more targets, his Overflow is more mentally taxing than his standard misdirection.' _The miko closed her eyes in thought. _'He can't keep this up until the end.'_

"Gomen," sighed Kiyoshi, catching the miko's attention, "but could you re-tape my legs?"

Kagome blinked and lowered her eyes on his knee before giving a nod in response. "Hai," coming to one knee, the miko slowly lowered the white brace and gently removed the old skin colored tapes. She could even feel Kiyoshi's aura lowering in energy compared to the rest. No doubt that he was putting the most pressure on his body. _'Can I heal his injury? But the injury is already permanent. If I had healed it the day he got injured, he wouldn't have this problem.' _

The Seirin center gripped his hand with his other as he felt the small pulsing on his knee. _'Please last until the end of the game. No, even if my legs break, we have to win!' _

Catching the grip of his own hand, Kagome began to worry. What could she do to help not only her senpais, but Kuroko and Kagami? She just could not see them losing a second time to Tōō.

"You are thinking too hard, baka."

Hearing Hyuga's voice, Seirin turned their heads over to their captain, seeing him take a drink of his water bottle.

"That's not a good habit," he continued as he squeezed the last drop of water. "Can't you see you are making Kagome-chan and the others worry? You should have more faith in us. This team is strong. You made this team."

Kiyoshi's eyes looked over to the bench and noticed the small nods of his teammates before he felt the miko's hands coming off from his knee. Lowering his orbs towards her, he blinked upon seeing her small smile.

"Don't worry, Kiyoshi-senpai. We haven't given up yet," she whispered before hearing the buzzer echo throughout the court.

Hyuga stood from his seat as he placed his hands over his hips. "Mah, win or lose, these are the last ten minutes. You heard Kagome-chan, we haven't given up yet. Let's win!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

* * *

"…-kun?"

What was this feeling that continued to swirl inside of him?

"…mine-kun?"

Why could he not stop grinning? Was this what they called excitement?

"Oi, Aomine-kun!"

The tan male blinked as he heard his name ring in his ears. Raising his head, his eyes met Momoi's pink orbs as she stood in front of the bench. "What do you want?" he questioned. Why was he being interrupted now? He was comfortable on the bench with the towel draped over his head.

"Don't give me that!" she huffed. "The game is starting," looking over her shoulder, she watched as the rest of the Tōō players walked to the court. "Everyone left. Were you listening to the instructions?"

"Wari," he exhaled. Coming to remove the towel from his head, he stood from his seat. "I wasn't listening."

Momoi blinked as she noticed something abnormal in Aomine's behavior and expression. "Eh…?" She stood frozen in place with her eyes glued on the Tōō ace's back as he made his way forward. Had she seen wrong? There was no doubt that Aomine was smiling. But the fact that he had not been listening brought her back to her middle schools days when he would say the same thing. _'He never listened when he was going against a strong opponent.'_

* * *

Hyuga's took his position the moment he heard the referee's whistle and the time resumed to the last ten minutes of the fourth quarter. With Imayoshi's buzzer beater, he could not afford to show weakness. If anything, he had to show that Seirin still had determination to continue on. "Let's start by taking back the points they scored!" His head turned to the ball, seeing Shun bouncing it in place. "Izuki!" Running to an open spot, Hyuga caught the ball in his hands before he turned to see Ryo coming to defend.

Ryo's blinked upon noticing the pivot in Hyuga's foot. _'It's the Barrier Jumper! You're not making this shot!' _His eye quickly caught sight of Kuroko coming to the side, catching his attention once more before returning his view onto the Seirin captain. His mouth fell open as he saw Hyuga sliding further back.

"He combined it with Kuroko's Overflow!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu, having seen the phantom player come by.

'_It's not that he is fast!' _Ryo's eyes widened slightly seeing he was too late to catch up and stop Hyuga from making the shot. _'I feel like time just skipped forward!'_ His eyes followed the released ball as it was made into the hoop, giving Seirin the three points.

* * *

"They brought it back to a single digit difference already," sighed Moriyama as he crossed his arms. He was surprised Seirin was able to gain them back after experiencing Imayoshi's buzzer beater.

Kasamatsu have a node as he watched Seirin going back to defense. "That buzzer beater didn't do anything to diminish their drive."

"Seirin is tough," chuckled Kise.

* * *

"I wouldn't expect any less," Imayoshi's smirk stretched as he heard the crowd cheer for their opponents. Passing the ball over to Aomine's person, he snickered the moment his ace was met with the tiger once more.

Kagome blinked as she noticed the smirk on Aomine's lips, but his aura definitely caught her attention. It was rising up even faster and exploding around him. What was going on? _'Is he smiling?' _Her eyes widened as Aomine stole the ball from the red head and headed back to his hoop and made the dunk with ease. _'He just took back the points they lost already.' _Coming back to observe the tiger, she felt a slow rise in his own aura. _'Kagami-kun…'_

The tiger cleaned off the sweat from his chin as he eyed the tan male in front of him. He just could not keep up no matter how hard he tried. He needed a miracle at this point with nine minutes left in the quarter. _'I can't stop him. Damn it! We are not closing the gap. What should we do? How can we stop him?' _

"Don't worry about it," Hyuga landed his hand on top of Kagami's shoulder; catching his attention. "Let's shift gears."

"But-"

"You have been able to stay on that monster as much as you have because of who you are," he continued, stopping him from saying anything more. "They can't stop you, either. We will take three points at a time." Hyuga ran forward as he caught the ball from Shun's pass and prepared his aim; not taken back from Ryo's sudden appearance in front of him.

Ryo's eyes widened as he watched the precise aim the Seirin captain took as he released the ball towards the hoop. _'He is not afraid of missing at all. Can he trust his own shots that much?' _

Narrowing his eyes at the hoop the moment the ball made it in, Hyuga chuckled under his breath. "I am not shooting because I won't miss. I am shooting because it's okay even if I do!"

"He made the shot!" shouted Fukuda.

Wakamatsu quickly grabbed the ball and passed it over to Ryo, knowing well they needed to distance the score further from Seirin. "Sakurai!"

Ryo dribbled the ball through the court, grunting lowly as Hyuga met him half-way. _'He has been making three after three against me. I'll get those points back! Go!' _Preparing his jump, he extended his arms up as he took aim.

"Sakurai!" shouted Imayoshi. _'It's no good. His rhythm is off!'_

"Getting flustered just because they closed the gap a little," Aomine made his way around the Seirin captain and look over at the brunette. "Give me the ball!"

Making the pass, Ryo blinked as he watched Aomine rushing closer to the hoop with Kagami behind his tail to stop him.

"No you don't!" Kagami's eyes widened as the tan male swiftly made a step to the right; passing him right through with ease. _'Nani!?'_

Kiyoshi made his jump to stop Aomine's shot only to notice his feet still planted on the ground. _'Crap! A fake!?'_

The tan male scoffed under his breath as he jumped two seconds later with his chest colliding with Kiyoshi's before releasing the ball from his hand. Eyes widened as they heard the referee's whistle and waited for the ball to make the call.

Kagome and Riko stood from their seats as they watched the ball go into the basket. The female coach shook her head in disbelief after she had caught the foul Aomine purposely made. "He drew a foul while making the shot, which means…"

"Pushing, white number seven!" called out the referee. "Basket counts! One throw!"

"…it counted," the miko's eyes widened. Aomine had purposely made it look like Kiyoshi had been the one to collide with him. "It's a three-point play."

* * *

The inu youkai intertwined his fingers together as he rested his hands on his lap. He was quite interested in Aomine's bold move to make the collision.

"Tōō emphasizes individual skill," spoke Koga, watching as Aomine bounced the ball in place twice as he took his aim for his free throw, "but it looks like they believe in their ace as well."

"But now they are ten points behind again," sighed Shippo, coming to fold his arms over the rim of the balcony of their suite. "And there are less than eight minutes left."

* * *

Kuroko regained his breath as he watched Tōō returning back to defense. After observing his former light make the foul, a thought struck him. The phantom player turned his head towards Kagami and Kiyoshi, seeing them walk to their offense positions. "Kagami-kun, Kiyoshi-senpai, do you have a minute?"

Both males turned their heads over their shoulders and blinked upon seeing their sixth-man player giving them a serious look.

"I will stop Aomine-kun," he whispered. "Lend me your strength. We need to triple-team Aomine-kun."

"You want to triple-team him?" blinked Kiyoshi. "I'm not sure even three of us can stop Aomine now."

Kuroko gave a nod, seeing what he meant. Even he was unsure if it would work, but he had to try at this point. "I know. That is why I want Kagami-kun to let him past at first. Stopping Aomine-kun now is probably impossible. When he shoots, I will draw his attention away from the hoop for a moment using my Overflow.

"That can't be enough," sighed Kiyoshi, lowering his hand from his hip. The plan could work, but dealing with Aomine was not that easy.

"It would probably have hardly any effect on a normal shot. However, aiming for the hoop while moving at high speed is a different story," continued the phantom player, narrowing his eyes slightly. "The faster he is going, the more effective a moment of distraction will be. As long as you, senpai and Kagami-kun push Aomine-kun to the limit…we can do it."

* * *

"Seirin will need a miracle," whispered Sesshomaru, watching as the game continued on with Shun catching the ball in his hands before throwing it in the air for a shot. "Only six minutes are left in the game and Seirin is nine points behind at this point. Will the miko's team prevail?"

Koga sighed under his breath as he caught sight of the nervous miko. "Well, she has faith in her team, but she probably should start praying to the Kamis for something."

"Are you two seriously underestimating okaa-san? You two should know better than that. Okaa-san had gone against stronger enemies. She can see a strong team when she see them," chuckled Shippo. "Do you think Inuyasha and the others would have come together if it wasn't for her?"

* * *

Kagome sighed as she watched the score between the two teams increase and the gap was still pulling apart. Time was ticking quickly and it seemed that Aomine's fuel was only starting at this point. What could she do? What could Seirin do? Was there no hope for them?

The miko quickly shook her head to erase the negative thoughts. She did not need that right now. She watched the match go back and forth in points and it only seemed to squeeze her nerves right out of her.

"Damn it!" cursed Furihata. "The gap isn't getting smaller!"

"What are we supposed to do!?" exclaimed Fukuda.

The Seirin team on the bench were left speechless the moment they saw Aomine with the ball and not only were Kagami and Kiyoshi on him, but Kuroko was too. Riko uncrossed her arms, unsure where this play had come from. "They are triple-teaming him?!"

* * *

"Seirin is challenging him!" exclaimed Takao. Was it seriously going to take three guys to stop the Generation of Miracle's ace?

Midorima sighed, seeing the slight shock being wiped away from Aomine's eyes. "Aomine is not just terrifying because of his speed or skill. The true nuisance is his overwhelming shooting power that allows him to make shots from any position. Even Kagami's acquisition of animal instincts hasn't allowed them to stop him. While Seirin's offensive power has increased, they will never close the gap in a shootout. If they can't stop Aomine, Seirin has no chance of winning."

* * *

"They don't even intend to let him pass!" whispered Susa, watching as Kiyoshi, Kagami, and Kuroko surrounded their ace on the court.

Imayoshi grunted under his breath as he clenched his teeth. _'Passing isn't an option for Aomine in the first place. It's the simplest and most effective solution.' _Showing his teeth through his smirk, he snickered. "However, that is not enough."

Aomine quickly made his way around Kagami and charged forward only to jump at the same time as the Seirin center. With narrowed eyes, Aomine moved sideways in mid-air, taking Kiyoshi by shock. _'He is going sideways!?'_

From the corner of his eyes, Aomine caught sight of the tiger jumping behind him in effort to push the ball away.

"They let him past on purpose!" exclaimed Ryo with wide eyes. "They are blocking from his blind spot!"

In a blink of an eye, Aomine bent down from Kagami's height and threw the ball towards the hoop; much to everyone's surprise that he was able to dodge it.

"He made it!" shouted Wakamatsu.

The ball was soon bounced off the rim of the hoop; shocking everyone in silence as the orange ball landed on the floor. Aomine had missed? Everyone on the court and in the audience was speechless!

'_That's impossible! Aomine missed from there!?' _Imayoshi changed his sights over to the tan male, seeing someone else in front of him. _'Chotto!'_

Kagome's eyes glided over to the phantom player, seeing him stand only a few feet away from the Tōō ace. _'When did Kuroko-kun get there? Did he appear out of nowhere?'_

Aomine growled under his breath as his eyebrows furrowed. Turning his head slowly to the right, he delivered his glare onto his former shadow. "Tetsu…teme."

"Could it be?" questioned Imayoshi, seeing the phantom player still in his spot. "Did he make him miss? I had no idea he could use his Overflow like this." His eyes widened as he continued to stare at the ghostly haired male. He was frozen in shock that he was able to make Aomine miss. Their own ace had miss the shot. _'He can misdirect his opponent's attention away from the hoop, as well. It's a type of misdirection that decreases the accuracy of high-speed shots.'_

"I can't stop you, Aomine-kun, but Seirin will not lose," spoke Kuroko as his eyes made contact with the tan male's own orbs.

Giving a scoff with his reply, Aomine raised a brow to match his incoming smirk. "You have really done it now, Tetsu. I get the feeling neko-chan told you how to use your misdirection, but you actually put it to work."

"He actually distracted Aomine-kun?" whispered Kagome as she sensed the rising aura of the ace along with his anger.

"I am…shocked," added Riko as she came to stand beside the miko. Her eyes traveled over to Wakamatsu, seeing him pick up the ball and preparing himself for a pass.

"Don't pull back!" shouted Hyuga. "Meet them head on!"

Riko and Kagome blinked in unison as they watched their team players guard each Tōō member one-on-one. "It's a zone press," commented Riko as her lips curved upwards.

* * *

"It's a high-level formation that makes steals easy but is weak once broken through," Koga nodded as he watched the new formation Seirin took. It was a risk to take, but this kind of strategy did have its pros.

"But why are they doing this now?" blinked Shippo.

"This is the only time to do it," Koga replied as he came to cross his arms. "No doubt that Seirin can smell the moment of truth here. It is all or nothing on this game."

* * *

As Wakamatsu passed the ball over to Susa, both were left wide eyes the moment Kuroko intercepted and pushed the ball over to Hyuga's way. The Seirin captain prepared his aim for is three-pointer shot, only to feel the collision of Ryo's body with his in attempt to stop him.

The referee quickly blew on his whistle as he raised his hand to stop the players from moving. "Pushing, black number nine!"

Ryo's eyes widened as he heard the call of the referee. He knew his mistake and that would cost him and the team.

* * *

"A defensive foul on a three-pointer…," whispered Takao, watching as Ryo was left frozen in his spot.

Midorima crossed his arms across his chest as he adjusted his eyesight on the Seirin captain. "Three free throws. If he makes all of them…"

* * *

"…it will be a three point difference," Kagome's eyes widened slightly before coming to see her team players cheer in excitement as they were getting closer to Tōō's points. But it could not be that easy yet. Aomine would not let Seirin hold on hope that easily. Her eyes glided over to the brunette on Tōō's team, seeing him stare at nothing but regretful air.

"Oi, Ryo."

Ryo jumped at the sound of his name coming off in Aomine's tone. Turning towards their ace, he glued his arms to his side and straightened himself out. "H-Hai! Ano, sumimazen! Sumimazen!" he quickly gave his deep bows one after another as his mistake continued to replay in his head.

"Good timing," sighed Aomine. "Switch to rebounding after this."

The miko raised a brow slightly as she observed the tan male make his way a few feet behind Hyuga as the rest of the team players divided up for the three free throws. _'Huh? Aomine-kun is not part of the setup?' _Something was not right. He was catching his breath and going into deep focus. Taking a step forward, Kagome tilted her head to the side as she watched Aomine's dark expression.

"Kagome-chan?" whispered Riko, noticing the silence draping over the miko.

The tan male released a breath slowly as he came back for an inhale. He was not even going to pay attention to the three free throws. His mind was over other thoughts that clouded his mind. _'Since when did I start yawning as I left home on days I have games? Since when did I stop feeling anything when I won? I just wanted an opponent I could face with everything I had. I have been longing for one. A game so close I am not sure if I will win or lose.'_

Both Kuroko and Kagome quickly took note on Aomine's sudden smirk make an appearance. It never meant anything good to them.

"Thanks, Tetsu. Neko-chan," he chuckled, having caught both of their attentions.

"He made all three shots!" shouted Koganei. "We are three points behind! Three points!"

She could not cheer even if she wanted to. Her own gut was telling her something worse was coming and she just could not tell what it was. Her eyes slowly followed Aomine's form as he made his way to the center of the court and signaled Imayoshi to pass the ball over to him. Shaking her head, she caught sight of Kagami coming behind Aomine to defend only for the blue haired ace to pass him in a blink of an eye.

Everyone stilled as they watched Aomine make a simple shot without any effort and in quick speed. Where had this come from? They could all feel the heaviness of Aomine's presence pressing them down on the court.

'_His aura completely changed!' _the miko took another step forward as she watched Aomine slowly turn around to face the frozen court.

* * *

"N-No way…," Takao's voice shook as he noticed the change in Aomine's eyes. It was like the ace had entered a different world.

"Is he in the Zone?" whispered Midorima as his eyes widened at the sight. He had heard of the 'Zone' before, but never seen it in person. If this was the 'Zone', then Aomine entering would only mean Seirin's doom.

* * *

"Zone?" questioned Shippo, raising an eyebrow.

"I have heard of it before," Koga spoke out as his eyes remained glued on Aomine. "The Zone. In this state of extreme focus, all unnecessary thoughts disappear and the athlete becomes absorbed in his play. Apparently only those who have practiced and practiced earn the right to stand before the 'door', and it only opens unpredictably. It is the ultimate domain, open only to the chosen."

Shippo chuckled under his breath as he saw the narrowed eyes on Aomine's expression. "Well it looks like Aomine's senses almost mockingly forced this 'door' to open."

Sesshomaru could not help but let the corner of his lips curve into a smirk as he saw the new look in Aomine's eyes. "The Zone, huh? It is like youkai who enter their beast side. One-hundred percent youkai."

"Normally it is impossible to play at one hundred percent of your potential during a game," continued the wolf youkai, seeing that Sesshomaru had gained an interest in the subject. "Even a highly focused top-tier player reaches his limit at eighty percent. However, being in the Zone makes that impossible one-hundred percent a possibility. Furthermore, Aomine's one-hundred percent is a total unknown. He can probably be twice as fast as usual."

"Have you ever experienced this 'Zone' or even seen it?" Shippo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Like a demon needed a 'Zone' to enter full strength and concentration.

Koga shrugged in reply and shook his head. "Never. This is my first time. Besides, I thought it was only a rumor and never believed it."

"Because you're weak," smirked the kitsune.

The tick on Koga's forehead throbbed as he quickly turned his head towards the insulter. "Oi! Should you even be talking to your master like that, you damn kitsune!"

* * *

"Is this…Aomine-kun's true form?" whispered Kagome. Her pupils widened the moment she caught Hyuga passing the ball over to Shun only for Aomine to pass in the middle and steal the ball in a blink of an eye.

'_Crap!' _Hyuga's teeth clenched worriedly as he saw Aomine charge in a faster pace towards the hoop. _'He is reacting so fast!' _

The miko shook her head as her eyes could barely keep up on following the tan male's path. _'This isn't even funny! He is a monster!' _She watched as Aomine passed through both Shun's and Kagami's defense without even giving them time to react. "Ridiculous," she whispered, seeing him dunk the ball with full force.

"Izuki-kun and Kagami-kun could hardly respond at all," commented Riko, she herself frozen at the sight of Tōō's ace. "But we still have five minutes left in the game and have a seven point difference!"

"Don't give up!" shouted Hyuga, catching his team's attention. If anything, he wanted to bring them out of their muse of shock and have them back in concentration. "There are still five more minutes! We will hang on, even if it kills us!"

'_We knew from the beginning they wouldn't give up now,' _chuckled Imayoshi, feeling his own stamina beginning to run out. _'Even so…,' _his eyes landed on his ace, watching him grab the ball once more from Seirin and prepare his stance, _'Aomine is the strongest!'_

Aomine's lips curved upwards as his eyes flashed blue upon seeing Seirin's determination. "Good. That is how it should be!" He took a jump upwards and roughly threw the ball over to the hoop, letting it hit the backboard and dive into the basket.

* * *

Kasamatsu sighed at the sight of the phantom player slowly reduce himself in stamina. If they could not handle Aomine before, they had no chance against him in the 'Zone'. "His Overflow isn't reducing the accuracy of those shots anymore. He doesn't have anything left to stop Aomine."

Kise's eyes tightened at the sight of the scoreboard. Time seemed to be going even faster and the scores on Seirin were not getting anywhere close to Tōō's. The referee's whistle was heard as he called the time out from Seirin's side. "Hopefully when they go back on that court, they have come up with a plan."

"Or a miracle," whispered the Kaijo captain.

* * *

The miko handed out the towels to the five members as Koganei came to help her in handing out the water bottles. Straightening herself out, she watched the five members take a heavy seat on the bench. It pained her to see them so destroyed yet holding on that determination. Aomine was practically having fun on his own at this point.

Her eyes landed on the phantom player, quietly observing as he cleaned the sweat from his forehead. _'Everyone is to the point of exhaustion. They have no stamina left. I can't heal them all at this point and there are eyes everywhere.' _A sigh passed her lips as she closed her eyes in thought. _'The Zone, huh? I wonder-'_

"Senpai, I need a favor."

All eyes, along with the miko's, landed on the tiger, seeing him lower the white towel from his neck. His own red orbs were on the captain and waited for a response for him to continue.

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga. "What is it?"

"Let me go one-on-one with Aomine," Kagami's eyebrows dropped down to meet his glare.

"One-on-one?" questioned Koganei. Could he even do that with Tōō's ace in the 'Zone'? "Three of you couldn't stop that monster. Do you have some kind of plan?"

Kagami took his head with a sigh. Lowering his eyes to the ground he inhaled once more. "No. But I will do it. I have no intention of beating the Generation of Miracles alone now. If it would help the team win, I would happily be benched. But I have to face him alone."

Kagome blinked in silence as she heard the tiger's words. A small smile decorated her lips as she took one last look at the scoreboard. If Kagami felt something going against Aomine, then there was no doubt that he was the only one who could stop him at this point.

"Fine," nodded Hyuga as his arm landed over Kagami's shoulders. "You have two minutes. You are the ace. Do what you want."

"Captain…," whispered the tiger.

Hyuga sighed as his elbows came to rest on his knees. Looking at the empty court, he parted his lips to speak out. "In the meantime, we will go at them with everything we have. It is all on you, Kagami." As the team rose back up at the call of the referee's whistle, they made their way towards the court.

The tiger blinked as he felt a small tug on the back of his jersey, making him look over his shoulder and seeing the miko's eyes on his. "Kagome?"

"Just concentrate and don't lose focus," she whispered. "Stay calm when you go one-on-one with Aomine-kun, okay?"

Kagami released another sigh as he gave the miko a nod. "Don't worry. I feel like I am getting there. I will stop Aomine."

Letting go of his shirt, the miko observed the back of the five members before coming to see Aomine step into the court and meeting Kagami eye-to-eye. _'Kagami-kun's aura is rising too. It is matching to Aomine-kun's aura. Could it be…?'_

* * *

With the ball passed to his hands, Aomine bent his knees to a relaxed position as Kagami met him head on. Raising a brow, Aomine could see the tiger was beginning to focus on only him and no one else around. Did he truly think he could win against him?

From the side, Imayoshi opened his eyes slightly to see Kagami in a relaxed defense stance. If Aomine stepped to the right, the red head would be there. _'They are leaving it up to their ace now? They don't seem out of their minds, though.'_

"Are you trying to prove yourself my equal?" scoffed Aomine, seeing that Kagami was copying his every move in order to stop him. "You can't do it. I told you." His eyes narrowed into a darker glare as the flash on his eyes once again brightened. "Your light is too dim!" Aomine quickly passed by Kagami's and Kiyoshi's defense before he made his dunk into the hoop.

Feeling the sweat gather on his face, Kagami's shoulders heaved up and down as he tried gaining back the lost oxygen. _'More…more!'_

"We won't lose!" shouted Hyuga. "Let's take it back!"

Shun dribbled the ball towards Imayoshi as he caught sight of Kuroko distracting the Tōō captain. In a matter of seconds, Kuroko used his Misdirection Overflow to assist the eagle eye user to easily pass Imayoshi's line of sight.

A hand sneaked into Shun's way as tipped the ball away from his dribble, making Shun look to his side. With wide eyes, he caught Imayoshi having caught up to him. _'Nani!? Our timing was off!?'_

'_No,' _the miko gripped her clipboard once more as she saw the tired expression on Kuroko's face. _'The Overflow's effectiveness is starting to run out!' _Her pupils widened as she saw the ball closely bouncing off the court.

'_Crap!' _Hyuga's mouth opened, seeing the problem that would come if the ball bounced off. _'If the ball goes out now it will be __T__ōō's_ _ball!' _

"It's not over yet!" shouted Kuroko as he rushed towards the ball and extend his arm out. Slapping the ball back into the court, Kuroko's body lost balance and rolled down towards the blue walls blocking the court.

Kagome took a step forward as she saw the phantom player close to hitting the wall. "Kuroko-kun!" Closing her eyes, she signaled her pink barrier to appear dimly behind Kuroko's back, stopping his body from fully colliding with the wall.

Hyuga quickly caught the ball in his hands, grunting as he saw the phantom player on the floor. "Dammit!"

"Hyuga!" shouted Kiyoshi, catching the Seirin captain's attention. The ball landed in his hands as he jumped up for a shot himself, making it in with ease.

* * *

"So the miko used her miko abilities, huh?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he had caught the small glimpse of Kagaom's familiar barrier.

Shippo raised a brow, seeing the miko run to help Kuroko back up. "Well at least she has good control on it still. There is no way people caught that unless they are familiar with okaa-san's abilities."

"Koga, this Sesshomaru specifically told you to tell the miko not to use her abilities nor talk about us demons yet to her friends," the inu youkai's eyes tightened as he looked at Koga from the corner.

The wolf youkai sighed as he crossed his arms. He had let the miko know about her secret being kept to herself, but it wasn't as if the players knew or have seen her use her abilities. "Calm down. She does know and she is using her abilities secretly. Her friends have not seen anything out of the ordinary."

"This Sesshomaru will need to have a talk with the miko."

* * *

"Kuroko-kun, are you alright?" kneeling down to Kuroko's body, the miko's hand laid over his shoulder as she felt him shift. Helping him stand on his legs, Kagome could not help but feel a pair of eyes staring at her and the phantom player. Turning her head towards the court, she blinked at the sight of Aomine staring at them. "Aomine-kun…"

Kuroko slowly raised his head and met Aomine's piercing eyes. "I'm fine, Kagome-chan. Sumimazen," he apologized as he made his way onto the court. He released a sigh as he spoke out. "I can't let you pull away now, Aomine-kun. An ace carrying his teammates' wishes cannot lose. We believe in Kagami-kun."

Aomine was left staring at the miko as Kuroko passed by him to return to the game. His fingers tightened inside his fists as he saw Kagome's determination and hope for her team. A sigh passed her lips as she lowered her eyes from his and made her way back towards the bench.

He would not lose. Kagami, Kuroko, nor she could possibly stop him.

* * *

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kagami could only give himself mental curses as he continued on with his one-on-one against Aomine. He just could not keep up and it was starting to annoy him. _'Damn it! Damn it, why? Why am I so weak!?' _Memory flashes of Aomine entering the 'Zone' replayed back in his mind. _'We have to win. I don't want to lose anymore. I don't want it,' _flashbacks of his teammates in silence and despair of their loss against Tōō, _'to end here. I'm sick of it. I'm,' _the memories of Kuroko's tears and Kagome's saddened expression pounded in his mind, _'sick of seeing my friends cry!' _

Kagami stood frozen as Aomine passed by him with his own legs unable to move. _'If I can't do it now, when will I do it!?'_ He quickly turned around and smacked the ball down from Aomine's grip as he stood behind him, letting the ball roll down the court.

Aomine slowly turned his head over his shoulder with wide eyes as he caught the flash in Kagami's eyes. Had he actually touched the ball?

The miko abruptly stood from her seat the moment she noticed the aura around Kagami's person match the exact same one as Aomine's. Had Kagami actually entered the 'Zone'?

Players on the court remained still after witnessing Kagami's entrance. Everyone was splashed with shock to see that the tiger was able to stop Aomine. Imayoshi's eyes opened wide as he caught the red flash in Kagami's eyes. _'That's impossible. He reacted to Aomine in the Zone?'_

Turning around to face his new threat, Aomine raised a brow slightly. "I take back what I said, Kagami. You're the best!" the smirk on his lips stretched as he could sense Kagami's new strength. The fact he had a strong opponent to go against got his blood boiling.

* * *

"It seems like okaa-san's ace has entered the so called 'Zone'," snickered Shippo as he leaned back into his seat. Raising a brow, he crossed his arms. "What do you think, Koga?"

Koga chuckled under his breath. Not only had he been taken back by Aomine's entrance in the Zone, but now Kagami had made the entrance himself. "Things have certainly gotten interesting."

* * *

Kagami captured the ball between his hands as he came to face Aomine once more on the court. Bouncing the ball in place, Kagami's eyes remained connected to his opponent's. Gripping the ball in his palm and fingers, Kagami made a step to the right with Aomine following suit.

Watching from the bench, Kagome could barely keep up with their speed as they went back and forth across the court in a battle for the ball. She watched as they had everyone else frozen in the game as if only the two were playing alone. Seeing Kagami make a jump towards the hoop, she was not surprised to see Aomine's palm coming to the side and pushing it away an inch from the basket.

Aomine made his way forward as the ball landed on Ryo's hands and signaled him to send it across. Catching the ball, Aomine dribbled it side to side from Kagami's hands until he found his opening and threw the ball towards the hoop.

The miko blinked at Kagami's hand smacking it away in midair as the ball came flying towards her.

"Kagome-chan!" shouted Riko, seeing the ball heading for Kagome's person.

Kagome shut her eyes closed as she placed her hands in front of her and blocked the ball. Hearing the ball drop to the floor, the miko slowly opened her sights to her hands as she felt the sting of the impact. "Itai…"

"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko as she came to her side and inspected her hands. "You should have dodged that, Kagome-chan."

Her cerulean orbs remained glued on the red marks on her hands. Riko was right. She could have dodged but she was awed by seeing both Kagami and Aomine going head to head. Of course she could not compare, but it was like seeing both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in battle without anyone making them lose their concentration. _'Is this what happens when two guys in the Zone clash?' _

"Out of bounds!" the referee's whistle was heard, catching both aces' attention. "Black ball!"

'_What an unbelieveable battle,' _Kagome returned to see the rest of the team unmoved from their spots. They could not react themselves to help their aces at this point. _'Those two are in a completely different dimension.'_

"No one has scored for almost a minute," whispered Koganei, nervous himself to see everyone so still. "What is going to happen now?"

* * *

Takao leaned forward from his seat to get a better view of both aces. Just what the heck was happening on the court? The other players were not even moving when Kagami and Aomine were playing. "But why are both teams completely relying on their aces? If they passed the ball around to the other four players, couldn't they score?"

"It's pointless," cut in Midorima. Some of what Takao had said did make sense, but the Zone was an entirely different thing to deal with. "It wouldn't change the outcome. The Zone doesn't simply allow one to exhibit one-hundred percent of his strength. All unnecessary information is cut. His ability to handle necessary information regarding not only the player in front of him, but also the positions and movements of the other players increases."

* * *

"In other words," Kasamatsu crossed his arms as he watched the ball return to Seirin's hands, "his field of view widens. Furthermore, one is the fastest high school student, and the other is the highest jumper. They are far beyong the range of an ordinary person's defense. Against those two, a half-hearted attack would actually be dangerous. That is why the game has been left up to the two aces."

Having heard his captain's words, Kise could not help but remain silent and take in all in the information. It was the first time for him to witness the Zone and he just could not bring himself to say anything. He was awed by Aomine's and Kagami's display in strength. _'In this situation, how can they- no they are doing it because they are in this situation.'_

* * *

Pink orbs remained glued on the tan male as he came to a defense position. Momoi was speechless and unmoved from her standing position. For many this was the first time to see Aomine's smile, but to her, it seemed like an eternity since she had last seen it. _'Dai-chan. He has always been like that. Since he started playing street ball, the stronger his opponent, the more excitement and focus he played with.' _

She watched as Aomine captured the ball once more from Kagami's grasp and both were at it again on their own. She blinked, seeing the smile on his lips stretch along with the excitement in his eyes continuing to burn. _'He looks like he is having fun.'_

The miko took a step forward as she caught the smile herself. Was this the smile Kuroko had been talking about? His usual and true self? _'Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun have captured and captivated the entire stadium.' _She gasped as soon as Kagami stole the ball back and passed Aomine's defense; taking him by surprise.

Kagami rushed forward as he dribbled the ball towards the hoop, leaving the audience and everyone on the benches to stand and see the tiger getting closer. Without hesitation, Kagami took a jump up and released the ball into the hoop.

"He passed him!" shouted Fukuda as he watched the ball fall into the basket. "We are three points behind now and there is forty seconds left!"

Imayoshi's mouth slowly opened with no words able to escape. He watched the Seirin captain come to pat Kagami's back as the rest of the Seirin team gave him a high five. _'Impossible. Is Kagami faster? What is going on?' _He just could not believe Kagami had passed Aomine's speed. His eyes traveled towards the ball as it landed on Aomine's hands and made a pass around Kagami's person. His eyes widened the moment Kagami caught up beside his ace. _'He can't pass him? No! There is no way Kagami is faster!'_

The miko blinked as she noticed Aomine's aura slowly decreasing in power. _'Aomine-kun's has already reached his Zone limit! But why is only Aomine-kun reaching his limit?' _Gliding her eyes over to Kuroko, she remembered his words that he had delivered to the tan male the moment he had stood up from his fall. _'Is it simply that Kagami-kun carries our worries and he believe in him?'_

"Don't be ridiculous!" grunted Aomine as he took a step back and jumped to release the ball towards the hoop.

Kagami made his jump upwards as he extended his arm out. _'Aomine, you are strong. If this were a one-on-one, I would have lost. I have already exceeded my time limit, too. But the reason I can keep on fighting is I have support. I am fighting with more than one man's strength! For all the guys, the coach, and Kagome…,' _Kagami's hand slapped away the ball from its course, leaving Aomine wide eyes. "I will win!"

Falling on his behind, Aomine was left unmoved as he heard the ball bounce back and being caught by a Seirin player.

Shun made his way towards their hoop with the ball in his hands as he passed it over to Hyuga. "Hyuga!"

Catching the ball, Hyuga ran closer to the hoop and made a simple shot as he heard Wakamatsu and Ryo on his tail. Yelling his excitement, he heard the rest of the crowd cheer as their score increased once again.

"We are one point behind!" exclaimed Koganei.

"But there are only thirty seconds left!" Furihata placed his hand over his head in worry seeing that by now Seirin truly needed a miracle.

"We can do it," whispered the miko, catching the males' attention. "It isn't over yet." Her eyes remained on the Tōō ace as he remained seated on the floor. With Susa coming to his side and extending his arm out, she was not surprised to see his own hand smacking it away.

"Don't touch me," he glared. "I just tripped. Don't get in my way. This is the best part." Standing from his spot, his arms went limp in front of him as his lips curved upwards. "Things are just getting hyped up." Imayoshi quickly passed the ball over his hands before he made his way forward.

Hyuga planted his feet on the ground as he noticed the Tōō ace coming towards them. "Come on! Let's stop this shot, even if it kills us!"

Aomine quickly made his way around the tiger and headed to the back of the hoop. Eyes widened as they watched him twirl horizontally as he released the ball over the backboard.

'_Crap!' _Kagami's eyes followed the ball as it dropped into basket before Aomine crossed the line of the court.

'_Impossible!' _Shun could not believe the move Aomine had risked. _'He can still make shots like that?!'_

'_Damn it! He is a monster!' _clenching his teeth even tighter, Hyuga watched the scoreboard increase from ninety eight to ninety nine on Tōō's side.

"I won't lose," Aomine spoke, catching everyone attention on the court. "A battle is no fun if you don't win."

Riko sighed as she saw the time at fifteen seconds and with a three point difference. "This isn't good," she whispered to the miko. "There is no time left. The boys don't have the strength left to play in overtime."

* * *

"They can't tie the score with a three-pointer," commented Kasamatsu, watching as Seirin tried their best on their defense. "They need two more shots."

Kise's fingers curled into his palm as he saw the struggle and gap between the scores. The outcome had to be different. Tōō had to lose and Seirin just had to redeem themselves here! There was no other chance! _'If things end like this, nothing will have changed. I don't want to see that happen!' _His eyes landed on the miko, seeing her own expression being painted with worry for her team. Taking a step forward, he fixed his gaze on the court. "Win, Seirin!"

"Don't give up!" shouted the Kaijo captain.

* * *

Having heard a familiar voice, the miko looked over her shoulder to see Kise and the rest of the Kaijo team on the sidelines watching the game. _'Have they always been there?' _she blinked.

"There is no time left!" exclaimed Fukuda, catching Kagome's attention back on the game. "There are only six seconds left!"

The miko watched as Kuroko passed the ball behind over to Hyuga and noticed Ryo back on his defense on their captain.

'_It is coming down to the wire,' _Hyuga's eyes narrowed as he noticed Ryo's strong concentration on his person. _'I need to take a chance. I need to do the Barrier Jumper now!' _Taking a sliding step back, Hyuga's eyes widened to see Ryo having caught up with his own palm coming close to touch the ball over his head. _'I-It won't work! Damn it!'_

"Captain!"

Having heard his call, Hyuga threw the ball over Ryo's head and towards the tiger way. "Kagami!" He watched as Aomine was on Kagami's tail once more as the tiger came closer to their basket. "Make the shot, Kagami!"

Taking a jump up, Kagami extended his arm with the ball in his palm only to meet with Aomine's hand stopping his force. Both males grunted with difficulty to push the ball away from each other's goals.

'_Crap!' _Kagami's eyes narrowed as he felt Aomine's hand beginning to push the ball back from his own hand _'He is going to stop the dunk! What should I do? Damn it!'_

Kagome's mind clicked back to Riko having trained Kagami's left hand. He was using it right now and he needed to change the course of the ball. There was no time to waste at this point. Taking a step forward, she cupped her hands around her lips. "Kagami-kun! Your left hand!"

Hearing his name being shouted, his mind quickly clicked on the purpose of his training. With a swift move of his wrist, he gripped the ball in his palm before he passed it down to Kiyoshi's person as he stood beside them.

'_A pass!?' _Aomine's eyes widened as he watched the ball land in Kiyoshi's hands.

"He finally conquered his assignment from the summer at the very last second!" exclaimed Riko, surprised that after so long, Kagami had finally been able to use his left hand.

"No you don't!" shouted Wakamatsu as he jumped in front of the Seirin center.

Kiyoshi gripped the ball tightly between his hands as he prepared his knees for his jump. _'They are definitely stronger than us, but it is the only to create an opportunity for a comeback!' _Lowering his arms, he took his jump up as his body collided with Wakamatsu's as both battled it on strength for the ball. Kiyoshi heard the call of the referee's whistle, making him release the ball into the air and wait for it to fall into the basket.

Pupils widened as legs stilled at the sight of the orange ball spinning around the rim of the hoop before it slowly dropped down into the basket.

"Defense! Pushing! Black number six! Basket counts!" the referee extend a finger upwards. "One throw!"

"All right!" shouted Hyuga as he watched Kagami help his senpai back on his feet after the throw.

Kagome's shoulders slumped as she saw the smile on Kiyoshi expression. He had sacrificed his injury and himself for the foul. "Kiyoshi-senpai is…amazing."

"Hai," nodded Riko as her own lips were decorated with a smile, "but I am even more surprised by Kagami-kun's assist. In order to improve his aerial battle, he had been practicing his left-handed handling since the summer."

The miko released a sigh of relief as she watched both Kuroko and Kagami give each other a high five. "He may have been in the Zone, but I can't believe he made it happen at the eleventh hour."

'_I can't believe he passed there,' _Aomine's shoulders heaved up and down as the smirk on his lips returned. He was truly impressed by the move, but that did not mean it was over. He would win. "Not bad," he scoffed as his eyes met the tiger's. "Not bad at all."

* * *

"They are one point behind now," Shippo raised a brow as he saw the last four second paused on the scoreboard. "And Seirin's coach called a time-out. No doubt talking about what to do next."

"They drew a defensive foul," added Koga, narrowing his eyes on both teams talking to each of their coaches. "They got another free throw from it with five seconds left."

Shippo sighed as his hand came to scratch the back of his head. "If the make this, they will be tied. The game will go into overtime." But could Seirin even afford the overtime? Everyone was obviously exhausted.

"That path will only lead to their demise."

Both youkais looked at the inu youkai having crossed his arms and eyeing the Seirin team closely.

"What do you mean?" questioned Shippo.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes as he took the possible outcomes the game could go. "Seirin needs to make a comeback here to win. To do that they have no choice but to miss."

* * *

"Their course of action is decided," sighed Imayoshi as he placed his hands on his hips. "There is only one thing they can do now. They won't make this free throw." Narrowing his eyes to the Seirin team huddling around the miko and coach, he could not help but grunt. "No, they will make sure it will miss."

* * *

Hyuga swiped the sweat of his forehead with his knuckles as he gained the attention of his team. "We will steal the ball and score. It is the only way to win at this point. We have given everything we have and are at out limit, but they got stamina and benched players to spare. Our loss is certain in an overtime game." He exhaled as his eyes landed on Kiyoshi and Kagami. "However, with Kiyoshi shooting, Kagami and I will be rebounding. Naturally, I will go for the ball with everything I have, but, if anyone has a chance, it is you, Kagami."

As the miko heard Hyuga's course of action and plan, she knew it would not only be Kagami giving it his all. Aomine was still a problem. Her eyes landed on Kuroko, seeing his own eyes on her person. She blinked the moment Kuroko gave her a nod with a smile. Why the nod? Before she could question him, she heard Hyuga's voice once more.

"Let's go," he spoke. "This is our last play. A battle for the rebound!"

* * *

Kiyoshi stepped forward as the referee handed him the ball for his throw. "One shot!" called out the referee after blowing on his whistle. Getting into his bent knee position, Kiyoshi twirled the ball between his hands as he eyed the hoop ahead. The silence from the crowd was drowning not only him, but the rest of the players on the court. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled as he released the ball into the air.

Eyes waited for the ball to hit the rim before Wakamatsu and Susa took the first jump upwards to catch the rebound. Their eyes widened the moment Kagami met them at a higher height and caught the ball himself. Before he could dunk it, Aomine met him in the air with his hand on the other side of the ball.

Aomine quickly slapped the ball away from Kagami's palm, making it fly to the other side of the court. Imayoshi sprinted after the thrown ball, grinning to see the other side of the court open.

"He is wide open!" shouted Ryo. "He can take it to the basket!"

Pupils widening, Kagome lifted an eyebrow as she caught sight of Kuroko running ahead of the Tōō captain. _'Chotto matte! What is Kuroko-kun doing there!? He couldn't have possible passed Imayoshi-san!' _

'_What the hell are you doing there, Kuroko!?' _Imayoshi shouted in his head. He could not believe the phantom player had passed him. He knew he was not the only one stunned, both Tōō and Seirin were speechless to see the phantom player ahead. _'Even though I am on Aomine's team, I thought Kagami had the ball for a moment and was a few seconds late to move after Aomine knocked the ball away. I can't believe he moved faster than me!'_

The miko shook her head while watching Kuroko reaching for the basketball. _'Did he believe not in Kagami-kun, but in Aomine-kun instead? Is that why he nodded at me?'_

"There is only one person I believe will make the final shot!" exclaimed Kuroko as he came behind the falling ball and prepared his palm. He had believed in both aces and he had to take the risk in going ahead to get the ball first. "Kagami-kun!" he shouted as he used his palm to push the ball with full force across the court once more towards the red head.

Both Aomine and Kagami bent their knees before taking their leap upwards and extending their arm out to catch the ball. Kagami moved his arm to the side as he caught the aim of the ball and grabbed it tightly with his fingers.

"Go, Kagami!" shouted the whole Seirin team along with the girls as they watched Kagami flick his wrist before dunking the ball right in the basket.

Silence over took the stadium as the final second went off with the buzzer. Heads turned towards the referee to see him blow on his whistle and signal the counted basket. "Time is up!" he announced.

Eyes remained wide until Kagami slowly raised his fist in victory. Cheers from the team and the crowd increased as reality hit that Seirin had won against Tōō. Kagome watched as the benched players of her team rushed towards Kagami and patted him along with the other five. "They…did it."

Riko's finger swiped away the tears hanging at the corner of her eyes. "They did," she chuckled. "Seirin won. Come on!" grabbing the miko's hand, she pulled her into a run to join the victory circle with the team.

Kagome felt Kiyoshi's hand over her head as he gave it a gentle ruffle before she set her eyes on the first-year duo in smiles. _'They did it…Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun. Miina, you did it!'_ She did not know victory felt so thrilling and so warm. But sharing it with everyone made her own smile stretch.

"I…"

The miko blinked as she heard a faint whisper behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she could not help but let her eyes drop with compassion upon seeing Aomine's eyes having a softer hue.

"…lost," he whispered. "I see. I lost."

Coming to stand beside the miko, Kuroko blinked at the sight of his former light standing with disbelief of his loss. "Aomine-kun…," feeling his body drift to the side, he heard Kagome's voice call out to him only to feel someone else stop his body from falling.

"Are you okay?" questioned Kagami as he grabbed the phantom player's arm and placing it over his shoulders to balance him.

"Sheesh," scoffed the tan male, catching both Kagome's and Kagami's attention. "You can barely stand with support. No one can tell who won now. But maybe that was for the best. The reason I lost was that difference."

Had he always had such a saddened tone in his voice? The miko could not help but feel a different way for the ace. This softer side that he rarely showed to anyone was being shown to her. _'This was the Aomine-kun Kuroko-kun met. The one he wanted to see.'_

"What are you acting like it is all over?" questioned Kagami. "Things are just getting started. Let's play again. I'll take you on."

Hearing his challenge, Aomine released another heavier scoff as his smirk made a comeback. "Uruse, baka." With a heavy sigh, the ace placed his hands on his hips. "You win, Tetsu. Kagome."

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

Eyes were brought back onto the phantom player, seeing his fist extended outwards. The miko blinked as she came back to stare at the tan male and seeing his own questioning gaze.

"You still haven't returned my fist bump from middle school," blinked Kuroko.

"Huh!?" exclaimed Aomine as he took a step back. What had brought this on all of a sudden? "Who cares about that?"

"No," Kuroko replied, standing firm to his fist bump. "Try putting yourself in the shoes of the ignored."

Seeing the ace unmoving, the miko could not help but release a sigh under her breath before coming to reach for Aomine's wrist. "All you bakas are stubborn, you know that?" she sighed once more, catching the tan male by surprise the moment her fingers wrapped around his wrist and bringing his fist up. "You should never ignore people, Aomine-kun. Besides, Kuroko-kun asked it as a favor. It is the least you could do after giving us so much grief in putting up with your cocky attitude."

"Nani!?" he glared at the girl beside him. Releasing a grunt, he closed his eyes. "Fine. This is the last time, though. Next time, I will win."

Kagome slowly released his wrist as both Aomine's and Kuroko's fists met, making her smile at the sight of the two former teammates. Just what had happened between the Generation of Miracles to drift apart as they were now? But perhaps in time, Kuroko could tell her and the rest of his teammates what had happened.

But in time.

"Hai," nodded Kuroko as he removed his arm from Kagami's shoulder.

From the corner of her eyes, the miko blinked as she caught sight of the captain of the Generation of Miracles walking by the sidelines of the court. His eyes were on her person as he continued to make his way through the exit before turning his head away. In time they were sure to meet bigger threats.

* * *

Catching the inu youkai standing from his seat, Koga blinked curiously as he watched Sesshomaru begin to head for the door. "Leaving already?"

"Yeah, should we not go and congratulate okaa-san?" questioned Shippo as he raised an eyebrow.

Stopping in his steps, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slowly as he looked over his shoulder to his two long time acquiantances. "This Sesshomaru has other important things to take care besides this tournament. Do tell the miko I would like I word with her before the next game for Seirin begins. Is that understood?"

Both Shippo and Koga shared a glance at each other from the corner of their eyes before jumping at the sound of Sesshomaru clearing his throat. Having their attentions once more, Koga nodded with a heavy sigh. "Yes, Sesshomaru. I will give her call tomorrow."

With the sound of the door closing on them, Shippo was the first to sit back in his seat with his legs stretching out. He was not afraid of Sesshomaru, but he did have to be cautious. A sigh passed his lips as he saw the rest of the audience beginning to leave their seats. "Looks like okaa-san will have a serious talk with old grumpy inu there."

"I just hope she can hold herself strongly against him," Koga replied as his hand came to scratch the back of his neck. He only prayed to the Kamis that they would protect the miko's head from the inu youkai.

* * *

"Huh? We are not ready to go yet?" questioned Furihata as he noticed the female coach standing outside their locker room holding her own bag. After their line up at the court and making their victory, night was ready to call them in for rest. All they were waiting for now was the five members to put away their things and change. Furihata blinked as he saw Riko crossing her arms with a smile. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, I want to leave, too," she sighed as she rested her right hand on her hips, "but Kagome was left inside with the boys and it looks like we might have to wait a little longer."

"A little longer?" blinked Koganei.

Ears picked up the sound of the locker room door opening, bringing their curious eyes to the miko coming out with a familiar looking dog in her arms.

"Nigou?" questioned Tsuchida.

Chuckling softly, Kagome's hand came to pet the mascot's head. "Looks like Kuroko-kun had him hidden this whole time again."

"Are they still packing?" Koganei asked, wondering what their teammates were doing.

"I think we should leave them a while longer," sighed the miko as a small smile appeared on her lips. Her eyes glued onto the closed door as she heard the light snores from the other side. "They deserve a good nap." Adjusting Nigou in her arms, she handed her bag over to Riko. She was surprised the moment all the boys had collapsed on the ground and in the middle of discovering Nigou in Kuroko's bag, she had turned around with everyone knocked out. Her scolding on the phantom player long forgotten after seeing their exhausted faces. She would let it go this once for them. "I am going to take Nigou for some air while the boys have their small nap."

Riko gave her a nod as she placed Kagome's bag on her other shoulder. "Don't worry, if you aren't back by the time they get up, we will meet you at the front of the stadium."

"Arigatou," smiled Kagome. "Come on Nigou, let's go outside."

**Bark. **

* * *

"It's time for the third-years to retire. Thanks for everything."

The miko stopped in her steps as she blinked at the familiar voice coming from the open locker room door. Looking at the sign next to the door, she read the words 'Tōō Academy'. _'Is that Imayoshi-san speaking?' _Kagome stopped at the wall before the door and placed her finger over her lips to signal Nigou to stay silent.

Was Aomine in there? Once again, she could not place her curiosity down on wanting to know how he was doing.

"Wakamatsu will be the new captain," Imayoshi spoke, catching the miko off guard. "Make us proud."

'_Wakamatsu?' _she blinked again.

"Wait…nani!?" exclaimed Wakamatsu, his voice echoing through the hallway as Nigou whined lowly from the tone.

"You will be fine," Imayoshi released a chuckle, seeing the shock in Wakamatsu's eyes. "It can't be taught. You will get used to it."

"That's not the problem. You changed subjects so quickly," Wakamatsu sighed, not convinced by Imayoshi's smile. Then again, when did he never smile? He blinked as he saw Imayoshi's eyebrows furrowing at his words.

"What are you talking about? We lost our first game. If you have time to be sad, go home and practice."

Kagome leaned her back against the wall as she heard Imayoshi's words echo into her ears. Of course it was Seirin's first victory against Tōō, but it was also Tōō's first loss. This experience was new to both sides. Lowering her eyes down to Nigou staring back at her, she released a quiet sigh. _'Imayoshi-san and the others are third-years. This was their last tournament. There is no way they wouldn't feel something.' _

"But I won't be able to handle Aomine the way you do, Imayoshi-san," grunted Wakamatsu. He could barely deal with their ace as a normal player.

Hearing the low chuckle from the now former captain, Kagome could not help but feel that this kind of soft laugh was genuine. "Don't you like Aomine?" he asked. There was moment pause between the two before Kagome heard Wakamatsu's voice once again.

"I don't."

"Then who do you think is most suited to being this team's ace?" questioned Imayoshi.

The pause was set once more by Wakamatsu before he gave his answer. The simplest answer that everyone already knew. "Aomine."

"As long as you understand that, you will be fine. I'm not worried."

Coming to pet Nigou once more, Kagome could not help but feel sympathy for the senpais. Is this the feeling she would get once her own senpais came to retire from basketball? _'I just hope I can contain my emotions well when that times comes.'_

"Speaking of which," spoke Wakamatsu, bring the miko's mind back, "where is Aomine?"

'_Aomine-kun? He isn't in there?' _she blinked, watching the door from the corner of her eyes. She had thought he would have been there the whole time. _'Then again, it doesn't sound like him to stay with the team in a meeting like this.'_

"H-He is missing and Momoi-san is looking for him," Hojo replied, seeing the immediate glare taking over Wakamatsu's features.

"That brat!" shouted Wakamatsu. His first day as captain and he already felt the stress on controlling the ace.

'_Could they be outside?' _leaning away from the wall, Kagome quietly made her way across and headed towards the exit doors. _'I wonder if Aomine-kun is okay…'_

* * *

Since when did the sky seem so wide and dark? Releasing a tired sigh, Aomine blinked as for the first time in weeks, he just could not sleep. He only wondered what was stopping him from just letting slumber take over and make him forget of his first loss. Here he was laying on the concrete floor near the stairs of the stadium with his arm behind his head and he could not find the peace he wanted. This feeling – whatever it was – sucked.

"I found you."

"Huh?" he blinked, tilting his head a bit forward to see his childhood friend walking towards him.

"Don't go wandering off by yourself," Momoi sighed as she watched Aomine lean back on his back. "Come on. Let's go back to the rest of the team."

"Satsuki," he cut in, keeping his eyes on the clouds slowly moving over the barely lit stars, "are you free tomorrow?"

Momoi blinked, taken back by his sudden question. Since when was he interested if she was free? "Nani? Well, yeah."

With another tired sigh, Aomine closed his eyes. "Will you go shopping with me?"

"Eh? Sure, I guess," she replied with a tilt of her head. "Where di that come from?"

"I want new basketball shoes."

* * *

"Go on, Nigou. Run around for a bit," setting the mascot down on the ground, Kagome smiled as she watched the small dog begin to walk around. "No doubt you were beginning to feel stuffy inside that bag, huh, Nigou?"

Kagome followed behind with small steps as Nigou continued on forward. Her eyes drifted right and left to see any sign of the Tōō ace that had gone missing from the senpai meeting. _'Wonder where he went?' _Noticing Nigou running around the corner of the stadium, the miko blinked several times before she realized he was quickening his speed. "N-Nigou! Chotto!"

She turned around the corner and stopped immediately with Nigou sitting in front of her as his own eyes remained ahead. Blinking once again, she was surprised to find Aomine laying on the concrete floor with Momoi standing in front with a smile.

"I want to practice."

Her mind jolted slightly at the sound of his voice. Aomine wanted to – _'practice?'_

"Sure," nodded Momoi. "Let's go, Dai-chan. Buy me dinner, though."

"Huh!?" he exclaimed, coming to a sitting position.

**Bark.**

Hearing the sudden soft bark, both teens slowly turned their heads over to their left seeing none other than the miko picking up Nigou in her arms and scolding the mascot lightly.

"Nigou, shh," she whispered.

"Kagome-chan?"

The miko's eyes rose up to meet the questioning gaze of the pink haired female. The last thing she wanted was to get caught by them. It was not like she wanted to eavesdrop. "Um, sumimazen. I didn't mean to interrupt you two."

Momoi shifted her eyes from the miko back to Aomine before clapping her hands together. She knew Aomine's spirit was low at the moment after his loss, but if there was a person that could cheer him up or that could bring him to talk clearly – she had already appeared at a good time. "Kagome-chan! I am so glad you are here!"

"Huh?"

In a blink of an eye, Kagome's wrist was grabbed by none other than the pink haired manager and pulled towards the sitting ace. "C-Chotto, Momoi-san! I can't stay here-"

"Nonsense," she chuckled, gently coming to pet Nigou's head. "Keep them company, okay, Nigou?" She knew this was a dangerous plan to put the two together after the match, but Aomine needed to let it out and Kagome was the person to do it. "Ja ne!"

"Ah! Momoi-san! Hold on!" extending her hand out to stop the other female from leaving, she was left hearing the faint giggles from Momoi as she made her escape. Kagome dropped her arm down as she continued to hold Nigou in her other. Releasing a sigh, the miko closed her eyes. And the last-last thing she wanted was to be left alone with Aomine.

"Seriously. Satsuki always gets away with anything," groaned the tan male, grabbing the miko's attention. "Did you hear what I said?"

Coming back to lower her eyes onto the floor, Kagome remained silent for a few seconds. It was not like she could lie. They had caught her eavesdropping unintentionally. "When Kuroko-kun mentioned about your smile, it was hard to picture."

"Huh?" Aomine raised a brow as he heard something entirely different out of his question. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"But after seeing the true soft you on the court," slowly, the miko turned her head to face the questioning expression from the tan male, "I have come to see you entirely different. I guess you aren't that bad, Aomine-kun."

"Are you giving me pity?" he scoffed, coming back to lay back on the floor with his hands behind his head. "Tetsu can say some weird things. Tch, smile? I never smile."

Kagome released a chuckle as she came to sit beside him, keeping Nigou on her lap. Her words held truth. After witnessing the soft hue in his eyes and the true smile and passion he held for basketball, it softened her own feelings for the male. It reminded her when she had thought Inuyasha hated humans and he was like the rest, but after softening him up and getting to know his past, he began to open up.

Aomine was the same. He needed someone to give him a different view in reality. That life had its ups and downs. Its wins and losses. Never evenly, but it did not mean that life was horrible. It only meant people needed to stand back up and continue to move forward with the new challenges that were to come. "So you want to practice, huh?"

"Tch, so you did overhear."

"I am proud of you, Aomine-kun," she chuckled again as her eyes remained ahead. "I look forward to the next challenge."

The scoff was mixed with a laugh as Aomine came back to a sitting position, laying his elbows on his knees. "I will win next time." Lowering his view from the corner of his eyes, he blinked at the dog sitting quietly with its wagging tail. His blue eyes remaining glued on his as his tongue darted out excitedly. "That mutt..."

"Right, I don't think I introduced you officially yet. You only saw him once, huh?" Raising Nigou's paw, Kagome gave Aomine a small wave. "Aomine-kun, meet Nigou, our mascot."

"Mascot?" he blinked again, unable to move his gaze from the familiar orbs. Where had he seen those pairs of eyes?

"Looks like Kuroko-kun, huh?" snickered the miko as she petted Nigou's head softly. "That is why his name is Nigou."

Aomine rolled his eyes, putting the puzzle pieces together to his mind recognizing the eyes on the dog. No wonder he was slightly annoyed by looking at them. So Tetsu had a twin in a dog. How silly was that? His eyes landed on the miko once again as he raised a brow.

"What?" she blinked, catching his dark blue orbs on her person. Why was he looking at her now without saying anything? Her eyes caught his hand coming to grab her wrist before bringing it up between them. "O-Oi!"

"This is for grabbing my hand and telling me to give Tetsu a fist bump," he narrowed his eyes.

"You can't be serious," she glared back. "Aomine-kun, don't ruin this when I was starting to think differently of you."

Giving her a chuckle, he leaned in, not fazed to see her lean away from his person. "I didn't give you permission to touch me, neko-chan."

"Says the one who is touching me right now and kidnapped me the last time."

"But I will let it slide this time," letting go of her wrist, Aomine came to stand from his spot. With another heavy sigh, he placed his hands inside his pockets before taking steps down the stairs. "Later, neko-chan."

Kagome slowly stood up as she watched Aomine beginning to leave. Holding onto Nigou in her arms, she could not help but let her shoulders drop slightly. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but from that small talk, she knew he would be okay. A small smile tugged on her lips as she exhaled. "I do hope he finds back his passion for practice."

* * *

"Yosh! Everyone is ready, right?" smiled Riko as she led the full team outside the stadium. She was not surprised to see that Kagome had not made it back in time, but she would not hurry her. She would her have her air and peace. "Let's go. Kagome-chan should be out here somewhere."

"Crap," sighing under his breath, Hyuga placed his hand in front of his face. The embarrassment of being caught asleep was one he did not want. Riko was grinning the whole time telling them Kagome and she had caught them knocked out inside the locker room. "I can't believe I fell asleep in a locker room in the middle of winter."

"Winter can be so uncool," cut in Shun.

"You are the one who is uncool."

Continuing their walk ahead, Kiyoshi chuckled as he heard Shun and Hyuga continuing to bicker over the pun. "At least Kagome-chan placed out jackets on us before we caught a cold."

Riko stopped in her tracks as she found the miko sitting on the floor with Nigou running around her. Tilting her head to the side, she took a few more steps forward before coming to lean down to catch her attention. "Kagome-chan?"

"Huh?" Turning her head to the side, Kagome blinked back the moment she caught the coach and the rest of the team behind her. "Oh? Are all of you ready to go home?" she asked as she watched Kuroko grab Nigou into his arms. "Sorry that I didn't wake you up. I didn't want to disturb your sleep."

"Can't believe we were caught sleeping," groaned Hyuga once more as he shook his head.

"You are going to catch a cold too if you stay sitting there," spoke Kagami, catching her attention.

"Hai, hai," Kagome lowered her eyes as she waved her hand up and down. "Whatever you say, 'okaa-san'."

"Stop with the nickname!"

Taking a step beside the miko, Kuroko tapped on Kagome's shoulder. "Are you alright, Kagome-chan? Were you here alone?"

"Alone?" she blinked. Diving her eyes ahead, a small smile appeared on her lips as she remembered Aomine's person leaving her sights before turning back to the small dog in Kuroko's arms. "Of course not. I had company right here," she chuckled, receiving a questioning blink from the phantom player.

"Well, let's get going," spoke Riko, bringing everyone's attention onto her. Turning around, she took a step back as she was met with Koganei's finger in front of her eyes. "K-Koganei-kun?"

"Hold on," he smiled, "aren't you all forgetting something important?" Seeing their questioning blinks, he quickly held a 'peace' sign with his fingers as his smile widened. "Let's celebrate our victory-!"

"We can't do that!" shouted Hyuga, coming in front and scolding his teammate. What the heck was he thinking in celebrating at this hour!? "Our second game is the day after tomorrow! From the third game on, we have matches every day! Even if we win, there is no time to celebrate!"

Both females shared a glance before Riko came to place her fingers under her chin in thought. She guessed there was nothing wrong in celebrating. In fact, she was more than happy to join after winning against Tōō. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Eh?" blinked the captain.

Chuckling softly, Kagome gave the boys a shrug. The boys deserved to be praised for their hard work. It was not easy dealing with a strong school and especially one that held one of the Generation of Miracles. "We should go get dinner together. Your recovery is important, too. You all need to eat properly and get plenty of sleep before the next match."

"Either way, we intended to research our next opponent," smiled Kiyoshi.

"Where, though?" questioned Hyuga as he turned to the brunette. "Eating out is expensive."

"That is true," sighed Kagome as she lowered her eyes in thought. She would happily invite them to the shrine, but it was a good thirty minutes away and it was already getting late enough. "What about you, Riko-senpai?"

Tapping her chin with her index finger, Riko tilted her head to the side. "My place is far."

"Ano…"

The Seirin team turned their heads in unison over to the red headed tiger, blinking upon seeing him avoid their eyes as he scratched his cheek. "My place is actually nearby," he whispered.

"Eh?" they blinked again.

Kagami lived nearby? Tilting her head to the side, Kagome shared a glance with Kuroko. Was he inviting them?

* * *

"I'll take those, Kagome-chan," smiled Riko as she grabbed the grocery bags from the miko. After Kagami had nicely invited them to his home, they could not miss the opportunity to see their ace's place. Damn their curiosity. But after Koganei had suggested a home cooked meal, they had let Riko and Kagome go to a nearby grocery story – of course sending Kagome to make sure Riko would not grab any weird ingredients.

Having let them inside first, Kagami blinked as he directed both girls to the kitchen. His attention was brought back to his teammates as he heard bags fall to the ground. Kagami took a step back as he watched the wide eyes they gave him.

"I-It's…it's huge!" shouted Koganei.

"Come on in," Kagami's eyebrow twitched, seeing it was a bit too late for the welcome.

Looking left and right, Hyuga could not believe the enormous space their ace had. And super clean too. "Kagami, do you live here by yourself?"

"I was supposed to live here with my dad," he scratched his neck, seeing everyone was still shocked by the big space. Was it really that big?

Looking around, Kuroko continued to hold Nigou in his arms as he noticed that Kagami had gotten a luxurious space for himself. "Kagami-kun, you are a despicable guy after all. I'm not going to be your shadow anymore."

"Why would you say that!?" exclaimed Kagami. What the hell did that even mean!?

"The décor is simple, though," sighed Shun as he came to sit on the floor near the coffee table. "Minimal furniture, a basketball, and magazines."

"You really only think about eating, sleeping, and basketball," spoke Kagome as she came back into the living room as she dried her hands on a towel.

Kiyoshi blinked as he took in Kagome's appearance having her hair up and a red apron. Was she cooking? "Huh? Are you cooking for us, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

"Um, well I was," she chuckled nervously. "I was cutting all the vegetables until Riko pushed me away saying she would take care of the rest. Basically I was denied access to cooking." Kagome quickly took a step back as she held her hands in front of her defensively as the whole team came in front of her with screams of horror.

"You can't be serious, Kagome-chan!" exclaimed Hyuga.

"K-Kagome-chan, did you already forget what happened this summer!?" worried Shun, remembering the horror of her curry tasting day.

Grabbing her shoulders, Hyuga brought the girl close to his face as drops of collected terrified sweat began to trickle down. "We are not going to recover, we are going to die, Kagome-chan!"

"Mah, mah," she responded as she tried keeping her smile up, "I am sure she will do just fine. Have a little trust on her, miina. Besides, I cut the vegetables so I can assure you that she is using ingredients that will be eatable and go well together. Besides, if the dinner isn't good, I got some fruits for dessert, so no need to worry."

"Did you teach her how to cook, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko as he set Nigou down on the ground.

Scratching her cheek, she sighed as her eyes avoided the gazes of the team. "Sort of? We were so busy during training, cooking was the last thing on our minds."

"It's ready!"

Bodies went still at the sound of Riko's voice before heads slowly turned to see the female coach having a covered hot pot in her hands as she held a smile. Gulps of nerves dropped in their throats as they saw the hot pot come onto the coffee table with their gathered drinks the males had bought.

"It is highly nutritious," chuckled Riko before coming to uncover the top of the pot. "It is my special hot pot."

"T-That was fast," whispered Kagome as she saw the souls from the boys' eyes slowly leave their bodies. It was not until she saw the pot filled with broth and vegetables that she was able to breathe again at seeing the normal dish.

"It looks normal?" the boys questioned in unison with shock filling their eyes. Was this a miracle?

"What is wrong with you guys!?" exclaimed Riko as a nerve struck her forehead. Did they really think she would mess this up!? "Can't you say it looks good or something!?"

"G-Gomen," Shun laughed nervously as he watched the rest of the team coming to sit around the meal, "we are just so surprised." Splitting the wooden chopsticks, he gulped as he headed first for the taste. "Well, thanks for the-"

Hyuga quickly placed his hand over Shun's wrist, stopping him from diving his chopsticks into his doom. "Matte! Kuroko-kun," he smiled _innocently _as he turned his head towards the phantom player, "you try a bite first."

"The way you are talking is really shady," whispered Kuroko as he leaned away from the suspicious captain. Sighing, he blinked towards the pot before coming to split his own chopsticks. "In that case, then…thanks for the food." Dipping his chopsticks into the boiling pot, he blinked the moment he pulled out a familiar fruit.

The miko blinked as she leaned close to the phantom player and seeing the yellow fruit dripping with the broth of the hot pot. "Is that a banana? Why is there a banana in there?" She was sure she had gotten those for another purpose.

"It was in the plastic bag," replied Riko; nervously.

"Those were for dessert!" shouted Hyuga. "You put them in whole, too!"

"But bananas…yummy."

Shun blinked as he heard the chopped up vocabulary in Riko's voice. "Why are you speaking like that?!"

"Teehee," Riko stuck out her tongue as she gave herself a light hit on her head with her hand before giving the boys a wink. "Gomen, gomen."

"When did you start acting like that!?" exclaimed the captain, a bit frightened to see the coach's different behavior. Where the heck was this coming from!?

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he grabbed his bowl and chopsticks from the table. Although he agreed the banana appearing was a bit off, he was sure Riko had misplaced it inside. It was only fair to give her chances. "Don't worry about it, Hyuga. Kagome-chan said the rest was okay and it looks normal. You just eat around the bananas." He blinked the moment his chopsticks fished out a whole strawberry from the pot.

Raising a brow at the red fruit, Kagome scratched her cheek at the sight. Had Riko placed all the fruits inside? This was becoming the weirdest hot pot in her life.

"Why are there strawberries in here?" blinked Koganei.

"Because they were in the bag," whispered Riko, her index fingers coming to touch each other to hide her embarrassment.

"I told you, Kagome-chan bought those because there were for dessert!" Hyuga shouted once more. Since when was it okay to put fruits in a hot pot!?

"Take vitamins…"

"You are giving us orders in broken Japanese now!?" exclaimed Shun, taken back by the sudden change in speech from the girl.

The miko sighed as she leaned back from the pot and turned her head to see the banana still between Kuroko's chopsticks. Blinking, she raised a brow curiously. Just because there was fruits, did not mean it could taste bad, right? "What do you think, Kuroko-kun?" she questioned.

Looking down at his meal, Kuroko blinked and tilted his head to the side to see the slightly soggy fruit before coming to peel the banana bare.

"You are going to eat it?" whispered Kagome. Seeing him nod silently, she watched him take a bite and his eyes slightly widening. "Well?"

"This might actually be good," he replied, stopping everyone in midst of their talks. Eyes landed on the phantom player as they watched him take another bite of the banana.

"He is eating it!?" exclaimed the boys in unison. He actually dared to eat it?!

A bit hesitant, Kiyoshi slowly grabbed the strawberry from his bowl once more before bringing into his mouth. "It's not bad."

"Seriously!?" they asked once more.

Koganei grabbed a grape from the pot and blinked at the sight before taking a bite himself. "The fruitiness kind of works."

"This really isn't too bad," chewed Shun as he got a kiwi from the pot.

Having taken a bite herself from a strawberry, Kagome blinked a bit in shock. Turning to the confused captain, she pointed at the bowl with her finger. "It really isn't bad, Hyuga-senpai. Just try it."

Looking at the fruit between his own chopsticks, Hyuga's eyebrows furrowed worriedly to come and taste something that was out of the ordinary. "T-Then…," taking a cautious bite, eyes widened before he slowly turned to face the blinking coach. "I-It's good."

"Oh!" exclaimed Koganei. "Tangerines! Peaches and cherries are in here too!"

* * *

Standing from her seat, the miko smiled as the rest of the boys continued on with their meal. Looking to her left and right, she raised a brow after noticing the phantom player was nowhere in sight. Where had he gone? Kagome looked behind her shoulder to see the window sliding doors leading to the balcony and seeing the phantom player looking out. _'Looks like I am getting better at spotting him,' _giving herself a mental chuckle, she made her way to the balcony.

"What are you doing out here, Kuroko-kun?" smiled Kagome as she slid the door closed.

The phantom player looked over to his side and blinked at the sight of the miko joining him to take in the view of the city lights. "I decided to get some fresh air."

"Did you enjoy dinner?" she chuckled.

"It was…different," he replied, unsure how to word it exactly. Although he would not lie and say it was actually good.

"There you are."

Hearing another voice coming to join their viewing party, the miko looked behind her and blinked upon seeing Kagami coming to join her other side. "I was wondering where you had gone."

"Worried for me?" she grinned, chuckling at sight of his light blush.

"W-Whatever!" he exclaimed. Like he would be worried over her!

"Domo."

The tiger's ears twitched as he heard the familiar voice coming from the other side of the miko. Blinking, he turned his head and noticed the small wave Kuroko gave him before he jumped a few feet back. "H-How long have you been there!?"

"He was with me this whole time," replied Kagome as she raised an eyebrow. Had he seriously not seen him?

Kagami released a sigh as the feeling of his sudden appearance made a comeback to his memories. How long had it been since he had been surprised like that by him? "Damn it. I haven't felt that in a while."

Hearing them bicker between each other – mostly the tiger doing the talking – Kagome could not help but feel her lips curve upwards. It had been a while for herself to be alone with these two where she felt safe. Almost protected. Being with the two definitely set her worries aside. "Ano, Kagami-kun. Kuroko-kun." Keeping her eyes ahead, she slowly lowered them to her hands as they rested over the rim of the balcony. "I want to thank you both for today."

"Huh?" blinked Kagami, raising a brow confusedly. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just felt like saying it. After the game ended and eating with all of you…the thought of thanking you two came into my head. It has been a while since I last ate a meal with so many friends. It has definitely been a while." Memories of her feudal days came back in her mind as she remembered the days she had fed Inuyasha his ramen, Shippo his treats, and Sango and Miroku eating her bentos. Oh how much she missed their smiles and talks. "I am really glad I met you both."

A small smile appeared on Kuroko's expression as he saw the longing expression in her face. Was she remembering something?

"Sheesh!" cut in the tiger. "You and Kuroko are always saying such embarrassing things. You tend to be so carefree."

"Huh?" she blinked, turning her head towards the red head. "Have we?"

"I don't think so," replied Kuroko.

"Well, the Winter Cup is only just starting, but we have already shown everyone almost all our cards," sighed Kagami as his eyes raised to stare at the sky full of clouds. "Our future battles will only be more difficult."

"In that case," chuckled the miko, "we will have to become stronger." Sighing under her breath, the miko placed her hand gently over her forehead as she felt a sudden pulse.

Kuroko nodded as he returned his eyes on the view ahead. "Kagome-chan is rig-," from the corner of his eyes he caught sight of the miko's body slowly falling to the ground. His hand quickly reacted and grabbed onto her wrist before she completely collapsed, surprising the tiger.

"Oi! What the heck happened!?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know-," unable to fully word his worry, Kuroko's eyes slowly closed as he began to fall along with the miko to the ground.

Kagami's arms captured both Kagome and Kuroko before he set them gently on the floor. With wide eyes, he noticed them unconscious. "Kuroko!? Kagome!? What's wrong!? Oi!" Looking into his apartment from his spot, his pupils widened more upon seeing each and every single person inside his home collapsed on the ground and unconscious just like the two in front of him. _'Miina…no…what the hell is going on!?' _Carrying the two inside the living room, Kagami looked around to see Shun and Hyuga collapsed over the table with the rest on the floor with spilt drinks and food. _'Is that even possible? It's like they have fallen victim to a slow-acting poison. Did the foulness of the hot pot have a delayed effect!?' _He quickly flinched and placed a hand over his chest as he felt a sudden pain strike him inside. _'How did she make this with only vegetable and fruits?!'_

Falling to his knees, his eyes scanned over to kitchen counter and noticed a group of strange ingredients. His eyes widened slightly upon reading the labels. _'S-Seriously!? Why did she put supplements in there?!' _Collapsing on to the floor, his world went black as the last thing he heard came from the heavy rain that began to pour outside.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And there it is! A little longer than last chapter. Can you guess who appears in the next chapter? Also, Kagome will have another moment with Aomine and she will have her talk with her old demon friends. Lots of surprises and we are getting close to our favorite tall purple haired guy!

Thank you for reviewing thus far. It truly pushed me to update this story faster compared to the rest due to the popularity. Thank you!

Reminder that the contest I have on Tumblr. is still open until the 16th!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	25. Friends and Enemies

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: Well, here is the new chapter people have been waiting for. Now there are a few things I will say since most people here don't have a Tumblr. Those that are aware know that I have been given hate messages on here and Tumblr for about a month since the last update on Love Hoop. I ignored them at first saying they were nothing but stupid, but we are human and things like that do get to us eventually. So I decided to take a break from Love Hoop and get away from this fanfiction for a while. I want to let you all know that writing fanfiction is hard, but enjoyable and I hate to see that there are people out there that like to take that away from others.  
**

**Also another reason is I have been dealing with depression and low self-esteem these days. Last weekend was not the greatest and probably the darkest I went through. So I did not get near my writing and simply spoke with a good friend. Joker2113 definitely helped me get out of the dark place I was in. I am not completely healed from depression, but I am fighting through it. **

**Third note, this chapter was just hard to write. And the next one will be longer than this one (that I promise!) **

**Now, I have made you wait long enough so enjoy! The romance will be starting up in this chapter! Now don't get angry with the things I decided to do in this chapter. Someone gets a kiss in this chapter and many of you will be angry, but TRUST ME on this. The rest of them will get their special moments with Kagome! Be patient! **

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 25 -** Friends and Enemies

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Hyuga closed his eyes as he came to grab his sports bag from the floor. "Miina, go to sleep as soon as you get home." He shook his head as the symptoms of the supplements still pulsed in his head. He should have known something was off with Riko's hot pot, but it was already too late the moment everyone was knocked out.

"I thought I was going to die," sighed Shun as he walked past his captain and helped the others gather their things. It was truly a miracle to be even conscious.

The miko laughed nervously under her breath as she patted Riko's back while she sulked at the corner of the living room. "Mah, mah, we all make simple mistakes, Riko-senpai. Nothing to be ashamed of." Even she was surprised the moment life was brought back into her mind. Everyone had trouble even getting back on their feet and were shocked to find the supplements on the counter. She was sure she had seen only the main ingredients of the hot pot in the kitchen.

"That was no simple mistake, Kagome-chan," cut in Hyuga as he crossed his arms. Sending a glare to the miko, his eyes were filled with the memory of the horror. "I thought you said you saw her put normal ingredients in, Kagome-chan!"

"She kicked me out!" she exclaimed back. She could not keep an eye on their senpais all the time! With a soft sigh, she returned her attention to the coach, seeing her continued silent sulking. "There, there, Riko-senpai," she whispered while returning to pat her back.

"Kagami!" exclaimed Koganei, turning his head over his shoulder. "Let me use your bathroom."

Hearing the question, the tiger nodded to his senpai. "Ah, hai. It's out the door and to the right."

The miko stood up on her feet as Kuroko handed her school bag. "Arigatou, Kuroko-kun," she smiled as she saw Nigou set in Kuroko's bag.

"Is your head okay, Kagome-chan?" the phantom player questioned. One thing was for athletes to get supplements, but he was sure someone like Kagome who did not take them could have a different side effect. And who knew how much their coach put in the hot pot.

"I am fine," she chuckled in reply. "No need to worry," making her way in front of the group, she came to face the tall brunette. "Are you alright, Kiyoshi-senpai?" raising a brow, she caught him wince slightly.

Kiyoshi scratched his cheek lightly as he felt a slight pulse around his knee. The moment he had gotten knocked out, he had hit knee against the coffee table. Now that he was awake, the pain was barely setting in. "Just a bit tired, that is all," he chuckled. The last thing he wanted was for the others to worry.

Before she could question to make sure, a scream was heard from the hall. All heads turned to see none other than Koganei running frantically to their side. The miko blinked as he fell on his knees and noticed his finger pointing at the direction of the hall. Words barely escaped his mouth as he was caught with a dark red hue over his cheeks.

Hyuga raised a brow as he saw sweat beginning to trickle down his teammate's forehead. "Koga?"

"What's wrong, Koganei-senpai?" questioned Kagome as she saw Mitobe with a questioning look.

With his words getting caught in his throat, he was left with eyes spinning as the image was glued in his head.

"**Hey, what is going on? What is all this noise about?" **

Hearing the unfamiliar voice and language, eyes traveled towards the hall's entrance to see a busty blonde female putting on a white t-shirt. Eyes widened as they took in her full appearance of the woman wearing nothing but her striped underwear and the loose t-shirt as she scratched her head.

"**Hm? Oh, Taiga, you came back." **

"Looks like she is talking to you, Kagami-kun," blinked the miko as she saw the surprise look in the tiger's face.

"Y-You-!"

"**I missed you so much!" **the blonde female exclaimed as she rushed to the tiger's side and encircled her arms around his neck before pressing her lips onto his.

The Seirin males were left with wide open mouth as heat rose to their faces as they witnessed the scene. Who was this babe to be kissing the baka!?

"Oh my," the miko tilted her head to the side as she presumed the two were close.

The blonde separated her lips from the red head as she heard the loud gasps of the team. Turning her head over her shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. **"Hey, who the hell are you guys?" **

"Who the hell are you!?" they shouted back.

The miko scratched her cheek as she felt both Riko and Kuroko come to stand by her. "Talk about first impressions, huh?"

"**What the hell are you doing all of sudden!?" **Kagami covered his lips as he took a few steps away from the blonde. He was shocked and he was shocked to death the moment the girl had laid her lips on his.

With a shrug, the mysterious blonde female placed her hands on her hips. **"What's the matter? You should have gotten used it by now." **

"**Why are you here in the first place, Alex!?" **shouted the tiger as he noticed the attire the blonde was wearing.

"Alex…?" whispered Kagome.

Riko blinked as she tapped her chin with her index finger. "Alex? I was sure Kagami-kun mentioned his master's name being…Alex."

Having overheard their coach's words, the team took a step back in shock to hear that this blonde was actually this baka's master! "That is Kagami's master!?" they shouted in unison.

"Eh~," Kagome tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms. _'Who would have thought?'_

"Kagami-kun has been leading a secret life," whispered Kuroko as he held Nigou in his arms. The miko replied with a nod as their eyes soon avoided the glare from the tiger.

"Uruse!"

"**Ah!" **smiled Alex as she came to face the team. **"I got it! You must be Taiga's teammates!" **Giving them a wide smile, the blonde female placed her hands on her hips. **"I am Alexandra Garcia. Nice to meet you!" **

Silence encircled everyone as they saw her free-of-shame pose with her panties exposed to the world. Kagami wasted no time to find her pants lying near his weights and quickly threw them to her head. **"Shut it and put your pants on!" **

"**Gee~ is that how you treat your teacher!?" **

With a nervous laugh, Kagome scratched her cheek once more as a sweat drop appeared on her head. "Ano…how about some coffee?"

* * *

"**Eh-ah….who…um," **Koganei gulped as he saw the woman sitting in front of the coffee table as he and the rest sat on the other side staring at the blonde. It was not every day they faced a foreigner.

With a light chuckle escaping Alex's lips, the older female closed her eyes. **"Oh, you don't speak much English, do you?" **Opening her eyes, she gave them a genuine smile. "Then, Japanese is fine. I majored it in at college, and Taiga taught some to me, too."

A sigh of relief escaped the team's lips seeing they would have no trouble communicating.

"It's her," spoke Shun, catching the boys' attention to him looking at one of Kagami's magazines. His eyes blinked as he saw the picture of the blonde playing basketball in her red jersey. "Alexandra Garcia. She was a college state champion. She later played in the WNBA."

"The WNBA!?" explained Kawahara. "She is a pro?"

"Seriously?" blinked Fukuda.

"Well," sighed Alex, "I already retired, though. My eyesight was ruined by an illness. Now I just coach a little club team."

Riko blinked as she came to take a seat beside the blonde. Quite an accomplishment for someone to make it to the pro leagues, but it sounded like she was okay with her life now. "What are you doing in Japan, though?" that was truly a mystery and in Kagami's home nonetheless.

"Coach! Don't get so close!" exclaimed Kagami, seeing the spark in his master's eyes.

"Eh?"

"Japanese girls are so cute," whispered Alex as she placed her arm over Riko's shoulder, bringing herself closer.

"She has a kissing bug-!" Kagami's eyes widened as he saw Alex's lips connect with the coach's. Dropping his extended hand, he sighed: "I…told you."

Heat quickly rose onto the coach's cheeks as she backed away from the confused blonde. Her lips had connected with hers! She had no problem with it, but she definitely was caught off guard!

"Don't do that to everyone!" scolded Kagami as he sent a glare to Alex across the table.

Alex slammed her hand on the wooden table while facing her student. It was a simple kiss! "What are you talking about!? I only kiss girls and children!"

"I'm not asking about your kissing policy!"

Coming into the room, Kagome stopped in her steps as she noticed the female coach backed up against the wall with her hand covering her lips. "Riko-senpai?" Was everything okay? Blinking her attention back down onto the coffee table, she set the mug in front of Alex. "Ano, is everything alright? Why does everyone look so shocked?" As she took her seat next to the blonde woman, she was taken back the moment she was brought close to her face.

"Oh? Another kawaii girl~ and she has such beautiful eyes!" Alex inched closer to the miko's lips, unaware of her widen eyes.

"Oh no you don't! Enough with your kisses!" shouted Kagami as he quickly made his way behind Alex to grab her by her shirt. His pupils shot wide as he saw his master move to the side and make him charge into the miko.

In a blink of an eye, everyone's attention was on the duo connected by the lips. Hyuga's mouth opened wide as he pointed at Kagome's and Kagami's connection. "C-Chotto!"

The tiger's cheeks rose in hue as reality clicked back into his head. Without letting another second pass by, he quickly pushed himself away. He could not believe that his lips had touched- "Alex!"

"What?" she blinked, unsure what the whole fuss was about. It was just a simple kiss.

Kagome's ears began to block the voices around as her senpais began to scold the red head. Bringing her fingertips to her lips, she could not help but lower her eyes to her lips. She could not put it to words herself, but how long had it been since she felt like…a girl.

"That isn't fair, Kagami-kun," cut in Kuroko, surprising him and the miko with his words.

"Oi! What the hell do you mean!?" shouted the tiger as he saw the phantom player's eyes lower by a centimeter. Wait…was that glare? Was he mad?

Alex jumped from her spot as she caught sight of the ghostly haired male behind her. "Ah! W-Where did you come from?" she blinked, lowering the cup from her lips.

"I have been here the whole time," he replied. "I saw everything."

"S-Seriously?" blinked Alex as she readjusted her fallen glasses. "Oh, you are the guy Taiga mentioned. I see…"

With silence falling after Alex's words, Kagome shook her head lightly as she saw everyone avoiding eye contact. As much as she wanted to think to herself, she knew the team did not need this pregnant silence lingering forever. Turning her head to the blonde female, she sent her a smile. "So, why did you come to Japan, Alex-san?"

Alex nodded as she heard the question coming from the miko. With a small chuckle, she lowered her eyes onto her mug sitting on the coffee table. "Taiga and Tatsuya. I came to see my two apprentices play basketball."

"By Tatsuya, do you mean, that guy from Yosen you met at the street ball tournament?" questioned Kawahara as he turned his head to the tiger. "So he learned to play basketball from you too?"

The miko's eyes dropped in worry as she saw the expression slide off from Kagami's face. No doubt that Himuro's words of challenging him set his mind in waves. His eyes connected with hers for only a second as he dropped them once more as his cheeks bloomed in color.

"After I retired, I couldn't accept my reality and was acting out," continued Alex. "I played on street courts to vent my frustration. One day, this guy and Tatsuya asked me to take them on as apprentices out of nowhere. At first, I was reluctant. But, before I knew it," the smile on her lips curved even more, "I was playing basketball with a smile. Those two have grown up and are facing each other again here in Japan. Of course I am curious," bringing the mug to her lips, she took a sip of her coffee.

"Actually, we don't know that they will face each other yet," cut in Hyuga, watching as Alex spit out her coffee from the sudden information.

"**What!?" **she exclaimed.

Kagome scratched her cheek as she saw the confused expression on the blonde's face. "We don't have a game tomorrow, so we decided to go see the other games tomorrow night."

"R-Really?"

"Ah," smiled the miko, raising her finger to catch Alex's attention, "but you could come with us if you like, Alex-san. I am sure Kagami-kun and you would like to spend time with each other!"

"Yes!" Alex grabbed the miko's hands into her own. "Take me with you!"

'_Why is Kagome-chan not afraid of her?' _the team asked themselves seeing the new glow in Alex's eyes.

* * *

The echo of a ring and vibrate was caught inside the miko's ears as her eyes scrunched in hopes to completely ignore the sound. She wanted more sleep, but something was telling her otherwise. With a low grunt, Kagome turned her head towards the night stand beside her bed to see her phone vibration against the surface. Who was calling her so early?

Kagome reached for the device before bringing it to her ear with one eye cracked open. "Moshi moshi?" she was sure the person on the other side of the line could hear the tone of pure sleep.

"_Kagome? Did I wake you?" _

"Koga?" opening both eyes, Kagome slowly sat up. "Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"_I wish I could let you sleep, my woman-" _

"Koga, you are picking the wrong hour to be calling me that."

"_Gomen," _he chuckled through the speaker. _"I am afraid someone wants to have a talk with you." _

"A talk?" she yawned. Her eyes widened as she heard the name from Koga's lips.

* * *

"So~ tell me again why he wants to talk to me?" the miko eyes left the window of the car as she turned to see the wolf youkai checking his phone for any left messages. "I find it surprising that Sesshomaru-sama wants to speak with me."

The moment Koga had called her and told her of Sesshomaru's order to have a talk, she was quickly dressed and got ready. She was taken back once she saw Koga waiting outside the shrine steps with a black car behind him. She never expected to be driven to Sesshomaru's home – let alone go to his home.

With a sigh passing between his lips, Koga closed his eyes. "I can't reveal much, Kagome."

"And why not?" she raised a brow.

"Sesshomaru is going to be the one doing the talking. Even I can't understand him," Koga's eyes made contact with the girl's as he lowered his eyebrows. "You know I don't really get along with mutts. Besides," his attention was drawn to the window beside him, "we are almost there."

Hearing that their destination was close, the miko turned her head to the left to see a white mansion being in closer view. Was that Sesshomaru's home? With the car coming to a full stop, she blinked the moment the driver had opened the door for her. Giving him a bow with her head, she stepped out and blinked again as she took in the sight of the mansion. "Is this…his home?" she questioned.

"These are his original lands," Koga placed his hands in his pockets as he came to stand beside the miko.

"Sesshomaru-sama never settled for less, huh?" the miko scratched her cheek as she continued to stare at the enormous and vast landscape. "Are there demons here too?" she whispered as she followed Koga into the steps leading into the entrance.

"Most of them are refuges that had nowhere else to go, so Sesshomaru took them in," he released a scoff as he watched the doors slowly open. "He pretends he is still cold though."

Watching him walk inside, the miko was left in her own thoughts. _'But I wonder what Sesshomaru-sama wants to speak about…'_

* * *

The miko's eyes wandered left and right as she walked through one of the many hallways inside Sesshomaru's mansion. She could not even remember the way towards the exit if she even tried. With Koga beside her and one of the maids in front, she was awed by the enormous paintings and historical décor around.

Moving her eyes ahead, she blinked at the sight of the red head in front of them. _'She is a youkai…'_

"Surprised?" whispered Koga as a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Huh?" blinked the miko, catching the grin on the wolf youkai's lips.

"I figured you read her aura. So to answer your question, yes," Kogo sighed as he placed his phone inside his pants' pocket. "Most people in here working are youkai. Like I mentioned before, they are youkai that literally had nowhere else to go, so the mutt took them in."

A chuckle escaped Kagome's lips as she returned her eyes ahead. "Well, I am glad Sesshomaru-sama still has a heart to take others in."

Koga scoffed as he rolled his eyes at the words. "A cold heart if you ask me."

"Okaa-san!"

Hearing the familiar voice, both the miko and wolf youkai turned their heads ahead seeing the maid moving to the side and letting the kitsune run towards them. Kagome blinked before she was taken into Shippo's arms and given a tight hug.

"S-Shippo?" stuttered Kagome while feeling his chin rest on top of her head. She had to start getting used to his new height! She still pictured him as the young-small kitsune.

"What are you doing here, kitsune?" Koga raised a brow as he saw the orange haired male continuing to keep his 'woman' close to him.

"Why else?" the kitsune's eyes glided towards the wolf as he kept his 'mother' to him. "I wasn't going to let okaa-san deal with Sesshomaru by herself."

The miko leaned away to catch Shippo's attention. Did he know about what Sesshomaru want to talk about? "Shippo, do you have any idea what Sesshomaru-sama could want me for?"

"Uh, well," the kitsune sighed, "he is just a bit annoyed."

"Annoyed?"

"Aho," the wolf youkai smacked his hand behind Shippo's head as he walked past the duo, "you arent' supposed to be saying anything. Sesshomaru is going to give you hell later and don't come crying to me."

"Oi!" Shippo's arms released his 'mother' as he turned to face his attacker. "Okaa-san deserves to know! She has better things to do then come and get scold!"

'_Scold?' _blinked Kagome as she followed the two youkai deeper into the hall. _'Me? Sesshomaru-sama is going to scold me?' _Feeling the tick on her nerve appear and twitch, she closed her eyes. _'If he does, he has another thing coming then.' _Stopping in her steps, she quietly observed Koga release a sigh before knocking on the two double white doors with two purple crescent moons carved in.

No reply was heard from the other side.

With a roll of his eyes, Koga pushed the door open. He was not going to let his 'woman' waste his time because the mutt had better things to do. In fact, she had even told him that she plans to meet with her team. It was no surprise to him to find the mighty inu behind his desk reading over paperwork. "Sesshomaru, I brought Kagome."

The miko took small steps inside as she continued to observe her surroundings of Sesshomaru's office before setting her eyes on him. Left standing a few feet away from his desk, she could feel nerve wrecking sweat trickling down her cheek. What would he say? She was not afraid, but yet she was. Had she done something wrong?

Both Shippo and Koga moved to the side and stood side-to-side as they heard the silence shared between the two. It was not every day the infamous miko that saved the feudal era stood in front of the Great Sesshomaru. In fact, even they were nervous for the miko. Although they had a rough idea what Sesshomaru wanted to talk about, they were not sure how he would bring it up.

Kagome parted her lips apart to speak only to be stopped by Sesshomaru's palm coming in view.

"This Sesshomaru will cut to the chase, miko," lowering the papers from his golden orbs, the inu youkai kept his gaze on the female. "This Sesshomaru saw what happened during the last match."

'_The last match?' _blinked Kagome. What was he talking about?

Sesshomaru's eyes traveled over to the wolf youkai as they narrowed slightly. "This was made clear, but I suspect the wolf did not get my order across." Returning his piercing gaze on the miko, he intertwined his fingers together as his elbows rested over the flat surface of his desk. "You used your miko abilities while saving that phantom player on your team."

It finally clicked on Kagome where this talk was going. She had reacted without thinking in helping Kuroko when he was close to hitting the court walls. She could not let him get hurt like that when she knew there was a way to help! "Sesshomaru-sama, with all due respect-"

"This Sesshomaru will not have you endanger our youkai identities and yours. Using your miko abilities out in the open is a risk. This Sesshomaru won't allow it and this Sesshomaru made it clear to the wolf to inform you that no one is to know of our identities. No matter how close they are to you."

Kagome's eyes widened slowly as she fully registered his words into her head. Did that mean she could not tell Seirin? Nothing about her?

The true her…?

The inu youkai closed his eyes as he heard no reply from the miko. "This Sesshomaru will not allow it-"

"Sumimazen, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome cut him off, receiving surprised blinks from Koga and Shippo. Did she have the guts to interrupt him like that? No. But she could make her own decisions. Her past was for her to decide who needed to know. "I have nothing but respect for you, Sesshomaru-sama."

The inu slowly opened his eyes as he kept his golden glare on the girl in front of his desk. He could smell no fear on her, but she was sweating slightly out of nerves.

"But this is my life, Sesshomaru-sama. I understand telling someone about my past is putting all of you in risk, but please trust me that I would not tell just anyone. If I do some to tell someone about my true self, it solely means that I have come to trust that person fully."

Keeping his eyes on her, he lowered his hands onto his desk.

"I saved Kuroko-kun because I knew I could. I hate seeing the people I are about hurt and I would feel even worse about it if I knew I could do something. I am not hopeless nor weak, Sesshomaru-sama," the miko kept her head high. She was not going to turn back now take back the words she was releasing. Was she thinking of telling Seirin of herself? Perhaps. Was it the right time? Of course not. Even she knew. "If I had to save them knowing someone could catch me using my abilities, I would not give it a second thought. I am a miko by blood and help those in need, Sesshomaru-sama. Simple as that."

Letting silence run between the two as they shared stares, the miko was not sure if she should say more. Was he angry? Did he go against his orders? Of course she did, but she was not a child. She knew what she was doing.

The inu youkai tilted his head up slightly as he released a low sigh under his breath. The miko was right in some ways, but no one outside the youkai world were ready to know about them. No regular human could take in as easily. Closing his eyes, he gave the miko a nod. "This Sesshomaru presumes you plan on telling your team about your past."

Kagome bit her lip as she lowered her eyes.

"They are not ready to know, miko. They are not ready to know about youkai nor the past," Sesshomaru slowly reached to the side of his desk as he opened the drawer on top. "You cannot say anything when you have not had closure."

"Closure?" she blinked, returning her eyes ahead of her. Following his movements of his hand, she was silent upon seeing the small red box he took out. Without any words or questions, the miko waited as Sesshomaru slid the box across his desk for the miko to see. "What is this?"

"This Sesshomaru advices you not to open it until the wolf has taken you elsewhere," he spoke while reaching for a pen. "Remember this Sesshomaru's words, miko. Let time pass first before you decide to say anything."

Slowly, Kagome walked forward and grabbed the box into her hands. Nothing on the lid to give her a clue what it was. Why could she not open it here?

"Koga," spoke Sesshomaru.

"Hai, hai," nodded the wolf youkai as he placed his hand over the miko's shoulder. "Let's go, Kagome," he gave her a small smile before tilting his head to the side. "I am taking you somewhere else."

"Where?" she questioned.

"You will see."

Watching the wolf youkai head towards the double doors, she took one last glance down at the box before giving Shippo a smile. She turned to face the inu youkai once again and gave him a ninety degree bow. "Arigatou, Sesshomaru-sama." She did not expect a reply, but that did not stop her from sending him a smile herself.

Shippo sighed as he watched his 'mother' leave the room with the wolf. Placing his hands inside his pockets, he chuckled before turning to face the inu. "Did not want to see her reaction if she opened the box?"

"This Sesshomaru was told to deliver it to the miko if the paths were crossed," Sesshomaru's eyes traveled side-to-side as he began to read the contents of the paper in front of him. "The job is done."

"How nice of you," snickered the kitsune, receiving a glare.

* * *

Where on earth was she? Why was she taken here? Looking over her shoulder, the miko blinked a she held the red box close to her. "Ano, Koga…what are we doing here?" She returned her eyes ahead, seeing the entrance to a Japanese cemetery. Not only was it a cemetery, but it looked like one of the ones that only those with money could afford with such expensive tombstones and greenery. For a cemetery, it definitely looked peaceful with all the flowers and plants around. Why was she even here?

"Look for a tombstone with a crescent moon," sighed Koga as he leaned against the car's door. Even he was nervous to bring the miko. He was not sure how she would react to see what Sesshomaru wanted her to see. "Keep going straight until you find a cherry blossom tree at the end. Across from it is where the tombstone lays."

"But…why a tombstone?" she blinked as she continued to stare at the entrance.

"You will see," he smiled back. "Go ahead. I will wait for you here until you are ready to comeback."

Left confused, Kagome lowered her eyes once more onto the box. Was she supposed to open it there? Taking her steps forward, she slowly made her observations around of the rectangular tombstones with its offerings of food and flowers. Was this a cemetery to those with money? It sure looked like it.

'_Where is the cherry blossom tree?' _she questioned herself as she continued to look for the tombstone. A tombstone with a crescent moon? She was afraid to even know what it was. She had a feeling she already knew.

The miko spotted the cherry blossom tree at the end of the rows of the tombstones. Making her way forward, she blinked as she looked up the wilted tree. _'I bet it must look beautiful here when this blooms.' _Her mind clicked back to Koga's words. _'Across from the tree?' _Kagome slowly turned her head to see the crescent moon engraved on the tombstone.

Her eyes slowly lowered to see the engraved name. With pupils widening, she was left frozen in her spot. Even with Koga having told her about it, she could not believe what she was seeing. The reality in front of her was hurting more than she thought.

The miko's lips quivered as her hands trembled with each small step she took towards the tombstone. Was this what Sesshomaru meant by closure? The closure to know that _he _was resting in peace?

Extending her arm out, her finger tips brushed against the name. Even the feel of his name on a tombstone pained her. Her eyes landed on the red box in her palm. She was afraid to see what it contained, but she knew she had to. Something told her that whatever was inside was calling out to her.

Slowly, her free hand removed the lid before moving it under the box. With wide eyes, she could not believe what she was seeing. Something she was sure she would never see again. Her fingers carefully lifted the object out of the box to see the old beads that carried so many memories of her 'sit' command.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she released her soft cries once her fingers wrapped around the given beads. School and basketball had kept her mind of things, but she had no idea how much she was keeping it inside. The closure she needed was finally there.

Inuyasha was resting in peace.

* * *

As Koga crossed his arms, he closed his eyes in thought. _'Should I have gone with her?' _He knew it would be hard on the miko to see Inuyasha's name on a tombstone. The reality was solid in this cemetery. Of course being a hanyou did not allow them to live as long as a full blooded youkai. _'But Kagome is strong.' _

With a soft sigh, the wolf youkai checked the time on his watch before hearing the steps of another person coming close. Koga raised his eyes to see a male with red hair stepping into the cemetery. _'Huh? A high school student?' _

He raised a brow as he observed the mysterious male continue down the straight. _'I have a feeling I have seen him somewhere else before…'_

* * *

"Just how many times did I tell you to 'sit'?" a chuckle ran past the miko's lips as she stood in front of the tombstone. After her tears had become dry, her memories had slowly backtracked to the happy and enjoyable moments she had with the hanyou. To the other demons it may had seem like years, but it was recent for her since the last time she had seen Inuyasha.

Looking down at the beads in her hand once more, she gave herself a smile. "I do hope you are resting in peace with Kikyou, Inuyasha. Along with Sango-chan, Miroku, Kaede, Rin." Oh how fragile a human life was.

Kagome gently placed the beads back in the box before feeling a pair of eyes on her. Slowly, she turned her head to the right only to see a pair of heterochromatic eyes. She blinked slowly before realizing the identity of the person.

"A-Akashi-kun?" she whispered. What was he doing here? A cemetery of all places. Keeping still, the miko noticed his attire of a formal white collar shirt and black dressed pants. Did he have someone to visit here in the cemetery?

Watching him walk towards the tombstone across Inuyasha's, she blinked curiously as to his arrival. Silence only grew between them as he stood in front of the tombstone he continued to stare at. Should she say something? Was it right to speak up or even question his presence? Scratching her cheek lightly, her eyes landed on the wilted cherry blossom tree. The last time she faced him was the day he practically wanted to stab the scissors into Kagami.

'_Not the best first impression if you ask me,' _she sighed mentally. If she could be honest, she did not have the best image of him now.

"I don't recall seeing you here before."

The miko's ears caught his words, returning her gaze onto his back. Was he talking to her?

"I have come here for many years and this is the first time I see you here. No doubt you are visiting someone. Didn't think I would see you here of all places, Higurashi-san."

"Neither did I," she replied, setting her eyes back on Inuyasha's tombstone, "but despite our differences, Akashi-kun, I don't think this is the right place to bring them up. So even if I am still annoyed at you for what you pulled the last time, I will forget it for now."

Akashi's lips curved into a small smirk as he took in the miko's words. "Well said. A cemetery should be a resting place for the souls. No need to place a rivalry in such a place."

Kagome nodded before returning her eyes onto the box in her hands. She was surprised by his wisdom and maturity at such a young age. Sure she was the same age as he, but even she had experienced life and death situations. Had Akashi experienced something traumatic? Perhaps he had lost something to mature him this way.

"Death is such an ironic thing," Akashi slowly raised his head to stare at the branches of the tree above. "To us alive, death is seen as an unfortunate event to the ones we love, but after the grieving, it sets our minds at ease."

The miko's eyes blinked as she remained silent staring at his back. She could not see him as the arrogant captain she had met. This was a softer side of him. A side she knew he would not show too many – not even to himself. Coming back to see Inuyasha's name engraved on the tombstone, her cerulean orbs softened. "Death is a part of life. As painful as it is, it helps us grow and find a new strength we didn't know we had. Many see weakness in grieving, but personally, it calms my heart."

The Rakuzan captain chuckled under his breath before turning to face the miko. Her maturity level was definitely different compared to those around him. "You are very wise, Higurashi-san."

Watching him set a bouquet of flowers over the tombstone, the miko was left a bit curious. This was such a different side of Akashi.

"I hope you have good day, Higurashi-san. Take care of Seirin," his gold eye glided to the corner as he watched her closely. "Do take care of Tetsuya for me. Tetsuya seems to have gotten attached. I can see why, though."

'_Attached?' _she blinked. Following his form beginning to walk away with her eyes, she caught sight of Koga coming towards them. For only a moment, the wolf youkai stopped in his tracks as the red head walked past him with no word of greeting nor eye contact.

"Who was that?" questioned Koga, keeping his own gaze glued on Akashi's back. "Do you know him?"

The miko sighed under her breath as she turned her head to stare at the tombstone he visited. "I thought I did…"

Koga raised a brow before coming to check the time on his watch. "You know the game is about to start, right? I am sure Seirin will be wondering where you went."

"Right," Kagome nodded slowly as she came to give one last look at Inuyasha's grave.

* * *

"Ah, sumimazen, sumimazen," with a heavy sigh, the miko made it to her seat beside Riko. She did not think she would come this late, but at least she had made it to see the second game. "I made it."

Seirin blinked in unison as they observed the tired miko. Where had she been? They had called her and she did not reply until Riko had called her during the break in between. "Where were you, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko.

Scratching her cheek, Kagome sighed once more. "Koga kept me occupied with his talking. Gomen, gomen. Some things came up last minute that I wasn't planning."

"Is everything alright?" asked Kiyoshi, as he sat on the other side of the miko.

"Everything is okay," she chuckled before coming to stare at the beads now hanging around her neck. "I was just given something by an old friend."

The phantom player and tiger blinked as they noticed the small smile appearing on the miko's lips. Where had those beads come from? If she had gone to talk to Koga, was it something related to basketball?

"Well, I am glad you made it on time, Kagome-chan!" smiled Alex, cutting into the conversation as she sat beside her student. "The game hasn't been bad at all. At least you made it for the second game. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Japanese basketball. I should apologize for that one."

"Have I missed anything?" blinked the miko, seeing the two teams bow before leaving to their benches.

"The last two teams were lacking in size and power, but their speed and strategies are impressive," chuckled the blonde. Even she was surprised by how well high school teams were playing. "Furthermore, every player is excellent, too."

The miko nodded, agreeing with her words. Of course each player was excellent, but she suspected Seirin was waiting for Alex to witness the Generation of Miracles. "Who are the next teams?" she questioned.

Hyuga raised the tournament bracket from his lap before his eyes scrunched. "Onita High versus…Shutoku High."

'_Shutoku?' _Kagome gave out a wide eyed blink. So that meant-

"My, that number seven guy who just came onto the court," smirked Alex, seeing a player from Onita High with brown hair coming to warm up the team, "he certainly has potential."

"They made it to the top four in the Inter-High last year," commented Shun as he kept his eyes on the brunette. "That is Kobayashi Keisuke of Onita High."

Hyuga sighed as he crossed his arms, seeing where Alex was reading his potential. "At one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters, he is an unusually tall point guard for Japan. He is an all-rounder who can pass and score. He is one of the best players in the country."

"He has something special," smiled Alex, seeing the determination in Keisuke's eyes. "He is pretty good if you ask me."

Kagome blinked as she caught sight of the familiar orange jersey coming onto the court. With a sigh, her eyes landed on the green haired shooting guard. She could feel his aura rising as he neared the court. No doubt his concentration was locked in.

"But," cut in Kagami, narrowing his eyes on the green haired player, "his opponent today is…"

Alex's eyes widened as she read his potential while hearing the name escape the miko's lips. "Midorima Shintaro."

In a matter of minutes, Seirin sat unsurprised the moment Midorima took the first three-pointer shot of the first quarter. No doubt that he had improved himself.

"Sugoi…," whispered Alex. Never in her basketball career had she seen something like this. The Generation of Miracles, huh? Her interest had definitely peaked.

* * *

"Mah, I can never get used to seeing the Generation of Miracles play," sighed Hyuga as he stood from his seat. With Shutoku winning the game (no shock to them) they were left in deep thought what was to come for them. The Seirin captain adjusted the strap of his sports bag as he and Riko lead the team out the doors with the rest of the audience making their way towards the exits. "Honestly, it is depressing."

Kiyoshi nodded as he looked at the tournament bracket in his hands. "Every schools was chosen from its prefecture for its strength. None of them are weak. However, teams with members from the Generation of Miracles are exceptional. They make veterans indistinguishable from ordinary players."

"We know that!" cut in Riko, turning around to face the team. Just where was this negativity coming from? "Besides, the most important thing is our next game."

Walking beside the miko, Alex placed her hands inside her pockets as she kept her eyes on the team's backs. "Kagome-chan?"

"Hm?" she blinked.

"What can you tell me about the Generation of Miracles? Taiga mentioned them before, but I am guessing the one in the last game, Midorima Shintaro is one of them."

Kagome remained silent as she came to stare at Kuroko's back as he and the tiger spoke to each other. With a low sigh under her breath, the miko gave Alex a nod. "He is one of them, but I am afraid the rest of the Generation of Miracles are like…monsters. Their skills are at a whole other level. The last game Seirin went against, Tōō, they struggled. Probably the most difficult game as of yet."

"Your tournament bracket says if you win the next game, Seirin will be going against Yosen," commented Alex in a whisper. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Kagami's back. "I am afraid Taiga is in trouble."

"In…trouble?" she blinked again.

"Who is the next team we are going against?" questioned Furihata, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Ah," taking out the paper herself, Kagome stopped in her steps as she searched for their next game. "It looks like Nakamiya South."

Riko nodded as she placed her hands on her hips. "Let's head home and review the data on Nakamiya South."

"Yeah!" the shouted in unison.

"Will you be coming with us, Alex-san?" asked Kuroko as he turned his head over his shoulder to see the small smile on her lips.

"About that…," she chuckled before coming to grab the tiger's collar and pulling him close.

"Oi!"

"Wari, but could I borrow this guy for a while?" she questioned, seeing the confused blinks on Seirin as she kept her grip tight on the tiger.

Hyuga blinked while raising a brow. "Eh?"

"I will make sure he is back in time for your next game," Alex continued, narrowing her eyes behind her glasses. "Please."

Taking a glance towards the female coach, Kagome gave her a small nod. She was not sure what Alex had in mind, but if she could tell Kagami was in trouble for the next game, then perhaps they had to trust Alex in this.

Riko released a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Very well."

"Arigatou," smiled Alex before pulling the tiger way from the team.

"Do you know why she took him away?"

Hearing the voice beside her, the miko turned to see Kuroko's gaze on her person. "Oh, Kuroko-kun." Feeling her shoulders drop slightly, Kagome shook her head. "Not entirely sure, but I have a feeling Alex-san knows something on Yosen that Kagami-kun should know about…," following the team behind, she gave out a sigh. "If we do come to face Yosen, I have a feeling it will be much tougher than dealing with Tōō." Catching Kuroko stop in his steps, the miko looked over her shoulder to see his eyes down on the floor. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Then that means we need to come with new strategies," he whispered loud enough for the miko hear. "Kagome-chan, could you do me a favor?"

"Huh?" she blinked.

* * *

"What was that about, Alex?" asked Kagami as he walked behind the blonde. After she had dragged him to an empty outside court, he was wondering what was so important that Alex needed to pull him away from his team. It was only on rare occasions she would get this serious.

Alex released a sigh as she kept her back turned to the tiger. "The Generation of Miracles you mentioned…I didn't expect them to be that good. I asked Kagome-chan about them and in her own words – they are monsters. I couldn't agree more after witnessing one of them. Since you have beaten one, as long as you don't underestimate your opponents, you should easily win your second and third games. However," her eyes narrowed at the empty court ahead, "it is unfortunate you will have to face Yosen after that. Not only do they have one monster, but after you returned to Japan, Tatsuya polished his street ball skills under my tutelage. You could say he is on par with one of those monsters now."

Kagami's eyes widened slightly as he was taken back by the news. Himuro was almost as equal as the Generation of Miracles?

"As a result of his training, your matchup with Tatsuya couldn't be worse," she shook her head, closing her eyes. "I wasn't going to say anything, but it's not quite fair. I don't know how much you can do in a couple of days," turning to face the confused red head, she slowly opened her eyes to make eye contact, "but there is something I haven't taught you yet."

* * *

Kagome sighed under her breath as she checked the time on her cell phone. Not only had Kuroko asked Riko and the rest of the team permission for them to go elsewhere, but now she was annoyed that the phantom player had made her text someone she never dreamed of texting first. First!

And here they stood outside Maji Burger as Kuroko spun the ball over his index finger. Lifting a brow, the miko sighed once more with a shake of her head. "I can't believe you made me do this, Kuroko-kun. You know how I feel about it…," flipping her phone close, Kagome looked around her surroundings to see young couples and other people enjoying the night. _'Why does everyone make me contact him? Can't they do it themselves?' _Damn her soft nature. Of course Kuroko and the rest could easily convince her with anything.

"Sumimazen," he apologized, "but you are the only person _he _listens to. If I had texted him, he wouldn't have come."

"But still…," she sighed, turning her body to face the phantom player. No doubt that he was going to think that this was a date of some sort.

"Domo."

The miko stilled as she heard Kuroko's greeting with his eyes glued to whoever was behind her. Slowly, she turned her head over her shoulder to see the familiar scowl on the Tōō's ace. With a twitch of her lip, she gulped her nerves.

"Don't give me that," he glared back before coming to stare at the miko. "Oi, I thought you wanted to meet up with me alone. Wasn't this a date?"

"I never said that," she blinked with a bored look. "I simply told you to meet up in front of Maji Burger."

"Then why the hell is Tetsu doing here?" he questioned tilting his head towards the phantom player. It was bad enough he was meeting with two people who had defeated him.

Kuroko took a step forward as he caught Aomine's attention. "Let me be direct," he spoke, receiving blinks from both the miko and Aomine. "Aomine-kun…teach me to shoot."

"Eh?" Aomine's eyes widened after hearing the request. Was he being serious?

Kagome kept her gaze on the phantom player as she watched the serious expression on Kuroko's face. Teach him how to shoot? Why Aomine of all people? She knew Aomine was the best shooter out there, but could Kuroko even learn how to in a matter of days? _'That is if Aomine-kun agrees to the request.' _Keeping herself quiet, her mind wander off to the reasons why Kuroko would ask for such a request. _'It makes sense why he would want to learn. If Kuroko-kun can't learn to shoot, his Vanishing Drive will lose its effectiveness. He knows he needs to learn a new way to trick his opponents.'_

"Can't do," replied Aomine, cutting into the miko's thoughts.

"Huh?" blinked Kuroko.

"I won't teach someone who just beat me how to shoot," he placed his hands into his jackets' pockets before closing his eyes.

'_Now I see why Kuroko-kun brought me in the first place,' _the miko's eyes dropped as she came to realize that Kuroko knew Aomine would decline. She sighed the moment she caught Kuroko turning his head to her. _'He wants me to ask for him!' _She did not want to, but knowing this would help Kuroko and the team, she had to swallow her pride. Kagome turned to face the tan male, but avoided her eyes to meet his. "A-Aomine-kun, could you please? It wouldn't hurt to teach him."

"Huh?" he raised a brow. This was a miracle to hear her ask for something out of him. With a chuckle escaping his lips, he revealed a smirk. "Oh? What is this? Is neko-chan begging?"

'_He is really enjoying this, huh?' _Kagome's eyebrow twitched the more she came to stare his smug look. _'Can I hit him? Can I sit him!?'_

"Well," he spoke, raising one finger to the two Seirin members, "I can teach Tetsu how to shoot on one condition."

"What…condition?" Kagome questioned. She regretted even asking him that question.

* * *

Adjusting Kuroko's bag over her shoulder, the miko watched as Kuroko bounce the ball in place in the middle of the outside court near their location. She still could not believe that she had taken Aomine's condition and now here he was observing Kuroko's shooting ability. With a gentle sigh, she shook the thoughts away before seeing the tan male's attire.

"You know," she whispered, catching his attention, "this is the first time I see you outside basketball clothing. Never expected you to wear a jacket and pants."

"Huh?" he raised a brow. "It is winter, onna. You want me to wear my uniform in this weather?"

"I was just saying," she chuckled. He definitely had a short temper.

With a low grunt, Aomine's eyes landed on the beads hanging around the miko's neck. That was a first. They look ancient the more the observed them. The paint slightly chipped off with what looked like stone? "Huh? What are you doing wearing such an old necklace?"

Blinking to his question, the miko lowered her eyes to the beads resting on her chest. With her fingers slowly coming up to brush against the ancient artifact, she released a low chuckle. "These belonged to the person I loved."

"Huh?" he blinked. "Then why are you still wearing something that belonged to your ex?"

Taking a pause, Kagome raised her eyes to see the phantom player taking his aim. "He passed away and I barely found out. I was given his necklace today."

Aomine's lips slowly pressed together after hearing her. Lowering his eyes down, he gave out a sigh. What was he supposed to say to that now? His hand rose to scratch the back of his neck while closing his eyes. "I am sorry…"

"It's okay," she smile as she shivered slightly with the cold air dancing between them. "At least I know he didn't suffer."

Their attentions were drawn to the phantom player releasing the ball toward the hoop before it made contact with the rim. Kagome's sweat drop appeared as she saw the ball bounce back to Kuroko's feet.

Kuroko bent down to grab the ball before turning to face the tan male. "How was that?"

"You can't be serious!" he shouted. "What the hell am I supposed to feel after you drag me out here to show off your crappy shooting!? There is something wrong with someone who beats a guy and makes him teach him how to shoot the next day!"

"We can always cancel this and forget about your condition," Kagome cut in, receiving a glare from the Tōō ace. "Besides," tilting her head towards the phantom player, she directed Aomine to look over, "you already agreed to it."

Aomine's eyebrows furrowed the more he saw Kuroko's expression. With a heavy sigh, the tan male walked over to stand under the hoop before sliding down onto the ground. His elbow came to rest over his knee with his eyes glued on the ground. "I haven't slept since then."

"Eh?" blinked Kuroko.

Kagome tilted her head to the side as she saw Aomine's closed eyes. He hasn't slept since their game? Is that what he meant?

"I went home, ate, took a bath, then I went to lie down," Aomine continued, slowly opening his eyes once more to see his shoes, "but I couldn't sleep. My body was exhausted, but when I closed my eyes, I saw scenes from the game. I had forgotten how that felt. My chest feels tight, I feel nauseous like I am going to puke, and my head is pounding." Another sigh passed between his lips as memories of the game against Seirin flashed into his head. "Since I forgot about it, I kind of missed it, but now that I have experienced it again, I don't miss it at all. It still just sucks. It was an awful night."

The miko's shoulders slumped as she stood beside the phantom player. Both of them seeing the soft expression they rarely saw Aomine wear. Aomine was still hurt over his loss and they could not blame him with the streak he had for years. His loss was an eye opener in the most painful way.

"But," he sighed once more, "that is why I want to play basketball again so soon."

"Aomine-kun…," whispered Kagome seeing the Tōō ace beginning to stand from his spot and take off his blue jacket. The passion still ran in his veins and she could see it in his aura that he had calmed down.

"Oh man," he shook his head. "Talking about it made me want to play." Throwing his jacket over the miko's head gently, Aomine walked past her. "Wear it. That sweater can't help you in this weather" Making eye contact with the phantom player, he sighed. "I can't help myself, so I will play with you."

"Eh?"

"I am saying I will teach you to shoot," walking past Kuroko, Aomine continued to speak. "Besides, I want my date with neko-chan so let us finish this deal."

'_Don't remind me,' _Kagome lowered the jacket to her arms as she caught his scent. _'Is this cologne? It smells like cinnamon.' _Raising her eyes to meet the phantom player's, she blinked upon seeing his smile. Her lips reacted back knowing why Kuroko was smiling. He was glad to have his former teammate back.

Aomine heard the small chuckle from the phantom player before turning his head over his shoulder. "What are you two smiling about?"

"We used to practice like this a lot in middle school," smiled Kuroko, turning to face the tan male.

"Just hurry up and shoot! You said you don't have much time!"

As she placed Aomine's jacket over her shoulders, she could not help but smile while watching the two former Teiko members play together. It soothed her heart to see the smiles on their faces. As she took a closer look at Aomine's and Kuroko's faces, she felt her heart thump, making her hand slowly raise over her chest. If anything, she wanted to bring those smiles back on the Generation of Miracles. She wanted people to enjoy life.

She wanted her friends happy.

* * *

Hearing the alarm beside his window, Kagami's hand reached out from under his sheets before turning off the sound to assist his awakening. He sat up, feeling his muscles stiff as he tried to stretch them out. Placing his hand over his right shoulder, he could feel the tension. _'I still feel a little tired. I was up late training with Alex last night.' _

The tiger got off from his bed as he made his way down the hallway of his apartment. _'And Alex said to have practice before the game today. Not sure how I feel about that, but in order to keep winning, I need to become stronger. I have to do it.' _With a yawn, he opened the door leading to his living room only to let his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

There stood Alex in her full naked glory with a red towel over her damp hair as she drank milk right from the carton. Did this woman have no shame!?

"Oh?" blinked Alex before lowering the carton from her lips. "Ohayo. Did you sleep well?"

Kagami was quick to grab her clothing laying on the floor before throwing them towards his master. "I told you to put on some clothes!"

"Yeah, but don't throw clothes at me!" she shouted back. With a low huff, the blonde female grabbed her undergarments before placing them on and giving the tiger a raised brow. "Don't act shy. You have seen me naked multiple times already."

"Doesn't mean it is natural!" he exclaimed.

A smirk made its way onto Alex's lips as she caught his annoyance. "Oh? Are you saying that seeing me has no effect on you?" Grabbing her white t-shirt, she released a chuckle. "I bet if you saw Kagome-chan naked, you would be flustered and blushing like a baka."

The tiger's cheeks bloomed in color as he took in the words to his imagination. Shaking his head, he quickly turned his back on his master. "U-Uruse! Kagome wouldn't get naked out on the open!"

Seeing the red head walk towards the hallway, she could not help but chuckle. _'Oh young love.' _Her blue eyes narrowed, catching Kagami trying to rub his muscles over his shoulder. _'I guess we trained a little hard last night. Our time is limited, though. He has to practice hard. How much he will learn depends not on Taiga's stamina, but on his mental strength.'_

* * *

Sighing under her breath, the miko's eyes scanned the new tournament bracket in her hands as she stood outside Seirin's locker. _'The third day of the Winter Cup is already here. Time sure flies. Over the first and second days, every first-round game was completed. The fifty participating schools were reduced by nearly half - to thirty two.'_ Her eyes scrunched as she read the familiar teams on the paper. _'No surprise to see each of the Generation of Miracles' teams on here.' _

Hearing the door open, she leaned away from the wall and greeted the team with a smile. Hyuga gave her a nod before turning to face his team after Riko had given them the plan. "Let's go!" he shouted.

"Yeah!" they replied in unison.

'_The second round of games has finally started,' _Kagome's shoulder's slumped seeing their confident auras as she followed them out into the court. Making their way toward their bench, she placed her clipboard down as the rest of the team sat.

"Alright," spoke Riko as she faced the team, "our opponent's strength is a slow-half court game. It's not a good matchup for a fast-paced team like ours, so we will change our starting lineup and see how things go. Hyuga-kun, Izuki-kun, Teppei, Mitobe-kun, and Tsuchida-kun! These five will be our starters!"

"Yeah!" the five shouted before making their way into the court.

Hyuga blinked as he looked behind his shoulder and noticed the miko coming to sit in between the first year duo. "Oi, don't look so worried right before the game!"

"I am not worried," nodded Kagami as he placed his hands on his knee.

"Then let me hear you!" he exclaimed.

Kagome chuckled as she she heard the first years on the bench cheer for their team. Of course Hyuga was back to his 'senpai' scolding ways. Was she nervous? Slightly, but she had to trust her team. They were one game away before challenging Yosen. _'Ganbatte, Seirin.' _Blinking, she caught sight of a familiar pair of eyes across the court. The miko's expression softened the moment she came to see Akashi's person with crossed arms. Was he there to observe Seirin?

"What are you staring at, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko.

"Huh?" she blinked her staring away, returning back to the matter in hand. "Uh, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought."

* * *

"Oh?" blinked Shippo as he observed the game from the suite above. After convincing Koga to come with him to watch the games, he did not even think twice in taking Sesshomaru's suite key for the stadium. He flinched as he saw Seirin play against Nakamiya South. He knew something was wrong, but after watching Izuki miss the pass, he was wondering if Seirin was lost in thought. "This is the first time I see the team so disconnected. And here I thought they were getting stronger."

"Yeah," sighed Koga as he crossed his arms, "but the stronger team doesn't always win. You might even say they will lose." His eyes narrowed as he saw Hyuga missing the jump to block one of the shots made by the opposite team.

"What do you mean?" questioned the kitsune.

Koga scratched the back of his head as he closed his eyes after seeing the score board with Nakamiya South in the lead. "There are two reasons. The first is Seirin is far from hitting their stride today. Against Tōō, all five Seirin players gave one-hundred percent, no, one-hundred and twenty percent. But that hardly ever happens. You couldn't keep that up every game."

"What is the other reason?" Shippo raised a brow.

Releasing a chuckle on his breath, the wolf youkai slowly opened his eyes. "They beat Tōō. They say you should never let your guard down after a victory. It is like our own battles against demons. We get cocky. After you win, everyone lets their guard down. Confidence and arrogance are two sides of the same coin. In other words, in today's game, Seirin's greatest enemy is themselves." He sighed as he caught sight of Riko calling out a time-out at the referee table and the worry in Kagome's eyes.

* * *

Kagome sighed under her breath as she watched the five players come to sit on the bench as they made way for them to catch their breath. Handing Kiyoshi and Mitobe a water bottle, she heard Riko's voice.

"Listen closely, guys-"

"Coach," sighed Hyuga, stopping Riko from saying anything further, "hold up." He already knew what the problem was. It was not only the people around that were witnessing their mistakes, but the players themselves were. "Kagome-chan, do you have the tournament bracket?"

"Uh, hai," she nodded before coming to take out the paper from her clipboard. Handing the paper to the captain, she watched silently as his finger came to point at the middle.

"Look," he spoke, feeling everyone lean for a closer look. "I am sure everyone knows, but this is what we are aiming for. Every one of the fifty schools here fought tooth and nail through their preliminaries to represent their prefectures. Every school is carrying the wishes of the teams they defeated in the preliminaries. They practiced until they were puking up blood and survived desperate battles. Only one school can beat them all. Of course being the best in Japan isn't easy! Everyone is desperate. Letting your guard down for a second is fatal. I know it makes sense in your heads, but I think we still have weaknesses in our hearts."

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath before setting his eyes on the two females standing before him with questioning looks. "Coach. Kagome-chan, hit us with your best shot so we can get our heads on straight."

Kagome took a step back at the sudden request. Hit them? Was he being serious?!

"Eh?" Riko began to rub her shoulder as a smile sprung on her lips. "But I am so weak." She gave the miko a smirk as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Come help me, Kagome-chan."

"A-Ah….I don't know," she whispered, scratching her cheek. The only people she ever hit was Koga, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagami. Hitting her senpais was another thing.

"You seem really excited," Hyuga's eyebrow twitched. "Hurry up and get it over with."

"Captain," spoke Kagami as he caught Hyuga's attention. "Kuroko and I are ready to go any time. If things get bad, put us in sooner rather than later."

"Huh?" he glared with his nerve throbbing over his forehead. "Don't worry about us, baka!" The side of his hand came down onto the tiger's head as he gave him his scolding. "If we need your help to win here, we are in no position to be calling ourselves the best in Japan."

The miko smiled as she watched the five stand up to prepare themselves for the upcoming hits. "It is nice having senpais you can count on, huh?" she questioned, gaining the tiger's attention.

"Kagome-chan~ come on."

Kagome sighed as she heard Riko calling out her name. _'Guess I need to hit them all too…'_

* * *

With the buzzer calling the players back on, Kagome was left staring at the red hand prints on each of the player's left side of their cheek. _'I hope it doesn't sting…,' _she never thought she would be forced to hit someone like that. Fanning her hand up and down gently, she could feel her skin throbbing from slapping so many cheeks.

"I am disappointed in myself," sighed Riko as she sat beside the miko.

"You?" blinked Kagome. "I think they have a bad image of me now, Riko-senpai."

"I wish you hadn't hit us though, Kagome-chan," commented Kuroko, catching both females' attention.

The miko flinched as she saw the red print of her hand over not only Kuroko's cheek, but also on Kagami's. She had gotten carried away with Riko telling her to take care of the first-years while she took care of the second-years. She did not even know why the people on the bench needed to be hit! "Gomen!" her hand quickly came to touch Kuroko's cheek as gently as possible before releasing a sigh. "I guess I got carried away." Turning her head to the red head, she gave them an apologetic look. "Gomenasai."

Kagami jolted slightly from her eyes before turning away from her gaze. He could feel his cheeks already beginning to heat up and becoming darker than the hand print.

Both Kagome and Kuroko blinked as they noticed his behavior. This was definitely new to them.

* * *

"What the hell!?" shouted Koga as he witnessed the miko's fingers coming to touch the phantom player's cheek. Not to mention that look she gave Kagami!

"Eh~," blinked Shippo as he rested his chin over his palm. Now that he was observing from that height, he could see what the look in Kagami's and Kuroko's eyes meant. He was not young anymore to now know what they two were thinking. "I am starting to think those two may have feelings for okaa-san."

"What did you say!?" the wolf youkai exclaimed, turning to face the kitsune. "You can't be serious! Those two!? That is absurd!" Was he jealous? Of course he was! No one else was supposed to get close in a romantic way to his 'woman'.

Shippo sighed as he gave the wolf youkai a bored look. "You have always been the oblivious type." Ignoring the glare from the wolf, he returned his attention back onto the court and seeing Seirin beginning to come back to their old selves. "Looks like Seirin is winning now."

Calming himself, Koga sighed before nodding as he saw the scoreboard. "Looks like it. After this game, Yosen will be having their next game."

"Yosen, huh?" whispered Shippo. "No doubt who will come to be victorious."

* * *

The buzzer echoed off as the game came to an end. Seirin jumped in victory as they prevailed and won their second game of the tournament! Hyuga threw his fist in the air as the rest of his teammates followed suit.

"Yosh!" he shouted with a grin.

Riko and Kagome gave each other a smile as they were given the chance to release their worries. After the teams gave their respective bows, they all returned to their locker rooms with Seirin continuing on their excitement.

The miko exhaled with a smile as she saw their grins. Now the real trouble was coming, but she would enjoy this moment to the fullest.

"I see you all did well. I was worried there for a second."

Hearing the familiar voice, Seirin turned around to see Alex waving at them before they came to enter their locker room. "Alex-san," smiled Kagome, "I thought you had left."

"Of course not," she chuckled. "So? Are you going to stay for the rest of the games?"

"No," sighed Riko. "Seeing that we might be going against Yosen in the next match, I am afraid we should practice as much as possible. Who knows what they got under their sleeve."

"Then why not have Kagome stay here with us?"

The team turned once more to see not only Koga walking towards them, but also Shippo coming behind him. Kagome blinked as she was brought into Shippo's arms. "Okaa-san! I am so glad to see you again! I really missed you!"

"Y-You saw me yesterday, Shippo," she muffled into his chest.

Riko and the rest of the team bowed as they saw Koga giving them a nod in greeting. "Are you two staying to see the games?"

"Some observing here and there," replied Koga. "I agree with you that Seirin should do some training. After seeing today's results and the gameplay that was given, I think I shouldn't remind you all that cockiness will lead you nowhere. Never underestimate your opponents, Seirin."

'_Says the one who always underestimated Naraku,' _sighed Kagome as she was released from Shippo's hug.

"Well, it might not be a bad idea to have Kagome-chan here to observe the next team," Riko placed her fingers under her chin in thought. Even she wished she could tape the game. "I am guessing Yosen is the next team to play."

Koga nodded as he tilted his head towards the entrance of the court. "They will be starting soon."

"Do you mind if I come?" Alex spoke, catching Koga's and Shippo's attention. "I would like to see Yosen play in this next game. I am quite curious."

"Oh?" blinked the wolf. "Now who might you be? I have never seen you around."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she caught his toothy grin coming out. Before he could introduce himself with a cheesy line, Kagome's fingers came to grab his cheeks tightly with just one hand. "Koga, watch it. This isn't the place to be flirting with everyone you have your eyes on."

"Is my woman jealous-"

The miko tightened her hold on his cheeks between her fingers as she heard him beg for mercy. With a sigh, she turned towards the team with a smile after letting the wolf go. "I can tape the game if you want, Riko-senpai."

"Yeah, that would help us in analyzing the team later," she nodded. Waving Kagome and Alex goodbye, she adjusted the strap over her bag. At least she would have first-person information on Yosen before they went against them.

Koganei gulped as he came to scratch his cheek. "Kagome-chan can be scary sometimes…"

"I think it her way of showing affection," chuckled Kiyoshi. "You can tell she and Koga are close."

"Too close for him to be getting hit like that," Hyuga's eyebrow twitched.

Seirin was curious to know how they came to meet, but another part of them just did not want to come to feel sorry for the personal trainer.

* * *

Lowering the video camera down, Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. The more she looked at the score board, the more her mind could not put the pieces together. At the beginning of Yosen's match, Alex had sat next to Koga's seat as she sat in the middle of her two youkai friends and were amazed how quickly Yosen was to make points, but that was not was she expecting.

"Is this even possible?" she whispered.

She was expecting a game between two teams, not a game with only one playing!

"This is definitely unheard of," sighed Koga as his eyes narrowed on the score board. Even he was shocked.

"Eighty-one to zero, huh?" commented Shippo as he shook his head. "That team didn't even have a chance." Taking out two lollipops from his pocket, he placed one over the miko's lap. "I need some sugar now after witnessing that."

Alex's eyebrows furrowed as she caught sight of her other student talking with what she guessed was the other member of the Generation of Miracles. _'Kagome-chan was right. Teams with the Generation of Miracles are monsters. Taiga and his team are in trouble.'_

"I don't think Seirin will believe the results," sighed Kagome as she looked down to her video camera screen. Even she could not believe it and Yosen was their next opponent.

* * *

As Alex and Kagome walked down the hallway of the stadium, nothing was shared between them. Even Koga and Shippo said nothing after seeing the last results of Yosen's game. With Kagome giving Shippo a hug and telling them goodbye, she was back in her thoughts. _'Is Seirin in true danger now? Yosen didn't even let the other team score at least once…'_

She had to come up with a plan. She had to remember every detail from every single player. _'At least the video will help me to analyze.' _

"Oh?"

Hearing Alex's voice, Kagome caught the blonde female stopping in her steps as her eyes remained glued ahead. "Is something wrong, Alex-san?"

"Those guys…" she whispered back, blinking at the sight of a familiar male the whole team behind him.

Kagome blinked as she noticed the Yosen team walking towards them. _'Yosen? Are they already coming out?' _Before she could question, in a blink of an eye, she watched Alex run towards Kagami's childhood friend. "M-Matte, Alex-san!"

"Tatsuya! I've missed you!" she exclaimed, making his team stop in their steps as they watched the blonde place her arm over Himuro's shoulder. Who on earth was this blonde!?

"Alex!" blinked Himuro, taken back by her sudden appearance. "What a surprise to see you. When did you come to Japan?"

Kagome sighed the moment Alex inched her lips close to Himuro's. _'She surely doesn't waste time.' _She could see the shock in Yosen's faces as they noticed the close proximity the foreign woman was taking.

Himuro chuckled under his breath before placing his finger over Alex's lips. "Don't do that, Alex. People don't often kiss here."

"What?" sighed Alex. "You're no fun."

"Anyway," he smiled, seeing her disappointed expression, "why don't we go somewhere we can be alone to talk?" Turning towards his teammates, he looked at the captain of his team while ignoring his wide open mouth. "Sumimazen, but could I step out for a minute? I will be right back."

The Yosen captain nodded slowly as he watched Alex giving them a peace sign. "Ah…yeah."

Kagome stopped in her steps behind the blonde as she came to face her. "Alex-san, w-where are you going?"

"I am going to have a talk with my student here. I will be right back, Kagome-chan," she smiled as she laid a kiss on the miko's cheek.

The miko was left speechless while turning her head to see both Himuro and Alex leaving not only her, but her with the team! A shiver ran down the miko's spine as she could feel eyes on her back. Slowly turning around, she was found staring at the Yosen's wide eyed expression.

"Ah, Gome-chin."

Kagome blinked as she was noticed the purple haired male coming towards her. Taking a step back, she dug for the lollipop inside her pocket before bringing it out for the tall male. "H-Here," she gulped. No doubt he was coming to pick her up and she definitely did not want that when his teammates were around or in public for that matter.

Murasakibara's eyebrow rose before taking the lollipop into his hand. "Eh~ Gome-chin actually brought me a candy? Gome-chin loves me."

"Please don't think that," her eyebrow twitched.

"C-Chotto matte. I am dumbstruck here," commented the vice-captain as his eyes switched from the miko to where Alex had left with their player. "Who was that blonde girl anyways and who is this now?"

"Why!?" exclaimed the captain, startling the miko from his sudden outburst.

Was this the captain of the team? _'I think his name was…Okamura Kenichi?'_

Okamura's tears streamed down his cheeks like a waterfall as angry tick pulsed on his forehead. "Didn't Himuro get a letter from a girl the other day, Fukui!?"

"Yeah, you're right," nodded Fukui.

"And now this tall bastard has this kawaii girl giving him sweets!? I have never even had a girl talk to me!" dropping to his knees, Okamura continued his cries of despair. "Were they lying when they said joining the basketball team would make me popular?!"

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she heard Okamura's words. _'T-That is why he joined!? You got to be kidding me…'_

"It's not like that," sighed Fukui as he placed his hand over his captain's shoulder. "Whether or not you play basketball, you will never be popular."

"Hidoi!" shouted the captain.

'_Well that was harsh,' _sighed the miko. What was she even doing here? Could she leave? This was not her team to deal with.

"You should start by getting rid of those sideburns and that chin," spoke the tall transfer student behind him. "You are even scaring the girl, Captain."

"H-How am I supposed to get rid of my chin, Wei Liu!?" he exclaimed back.

"Can Gome-chin and I go eat some snacks together?" cut in Murasakibara, receiving a confused look from the miko.

Okamura's eyes widened as he watched the tall male continue to suck on his lollipop. _'He isn't even going to tease me!?' _Placing his hand over his mouth, he struggled to keep in the remaining tears inside his eyes. "I'm sick of this team! No one respects the captain." Setting his eyes on the miko, he leaned in close as she leaned back for personal space. "Y-You don't think I am ugly right?! A girl will talk to me, right!?"

"U-Uh…" what kind of questioned was she brought with? Kagome's lip twitched as she gave him a small nod. "I am sure someone will come and love you for who you are, ano, Okamura-san."

"Ah! You know my name!" the Yosen captain turned towards his teammates. "She knows my name! It is meant to be!"

'_Meant to be?' _blinked the miko.

"Gome-chin is mine," cut in Murasakibara as he brought the miko close to his person while holding the lollipop in his other hand. "You can't have her, Captain."

"Oi! Who said that!?" she exclaimed. He couldn't just claim her that way! The Generation of Miracles were beginning to get to full of themselves at this point.

"Hai, hai. That is enough joking around."

The miko blinked out her yells as she came to see a slightly older female with long black hair wearing business attire come into the team's line of sight. _'Ah, she is Yosen's captain from what Koga told me during the game.'_

"Coach Araki?" whispered Fukui.

"I got the Seirin videos from our recon team," she sighed before showing them the DVD inside the case between her fingers. "Let's go back to the hotel."

Narrowing her eyes down slightly, Kagome came to see Araki's eyes meet hers. So Yosen had their hands on information on them. Now she knew could confirm that Yosen was wasting no time.

"And who is this?" questioned Araki.

"Gome-chin," answered Murasakibara.

"Gome….chin?" she repeated.

"Higurashi Kagome," the miko bowed down slightly before coming to face the female coach. "I am Seirin's manager."

The Yosen team's eyes widened as she revealed her identity. She was Seirin's manager!? Then how did Murasakibara know her and even get along with her? "You are part of Seirin's team?" questioned Fukui, catching the miko's attention.

"I see," whispered Araki, lowering the DVD to her side. "I have heard Seirin has come to have a high reputation. I hope you don't mind us reviewing your team's data."

"As long as you don't mind us reviewing yours," she smiled, showing them the video camera. Giving her one last bow, she straightened herself. "I should return to my team."

"Yes," nodded Araki with a chuckle under her breath. "The next time we see you and your team will be on the court." Watching the miko leave, she released a sigh. She did not recall on Seirin having a manager, although rumors were circulating that someone in the team was a great observer. "We should be careful with her," she whispered, catching her teammate's attentions. "I am afraid she could be our biggest threat in the next game."

* * *

"Where did Alex-san go?" whispered Kagome as she stepped outside the stadium. She never thought she would encounter the whole Yosen team or the coach for that matter. She could feel her energy drained already. _'Such a long day…,' _she sighed before catching sight of the blonde female standing in front of Himuro. _'Ah there they are.' _Taking a step forward, the miko stopped as she noticed Himuro's aura slowly rising. It was not until she heard his voice, cutting off Alex's smile that made her unsure if this was the friend Kagami cherished.

"Alex…," spoke Himuro, "could you stop treating me like a kid?" his eyes narrowed as he watched the blonde's expression in confusion. Hearing her speak about Kagami learning a new move and she cheering for the two them – it was obvious Alex did not understand what this game meant. "I don't enjoy it. This isn't some child's quarrel. Taiga is only my enemy now."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly along with Alex's as they heard the words escape Himuro's mouth. Did he really think of Kagami that way now? After so many years he was disregarding their past relationship as brothers.

"You are not my mother," he continued as his fingers curled into his palm. "I am grateful you taught me to play basketball, but…I am stronger than you now."

Narrowing her eyes back, Alex watched as Himuro turned his back on her before giving her a nod. So Himuro was taking this path? Without a word back, her eyes landed on the miko giving Himuro a glare back. Had she listened to their conversation? Would she tell Kagami later?

"Ah, you are Taiga's friend, right?" smiled Himuro, unaffected by Kagome's tight glare. "How is Taiga doing?"

She could not take his smile sincerely after hearing talk with Alex. He truly meant in becoming Kagami's enemy, but she knew Kagami could not see it that way himself. If anything, Kagami was having trouble accepting that he was going to go against Himuro. Keeping her head high, she gave him a nod. "Are you sure about becoming Kagami-kun's enemy?"

Himuro raised an eyebrow at the question. Why was she asking such a thing when he had made it clear.

"It isn't my business – that I know, but Kagami-kun is a dear friend of mine. I know he doesn't think of you as an enemy in this upcoming match, Himuro-san."

Keeping his lips pressed, Himuro's eye slowly tightened before relaxing down to send a smile to the miko. "I will see Seirin and Taiga the day after tomorrow. Do tell Taiga to get enough rest."

As Himuro walked past her, Kagome was left to turn to face his back while Alex came to stand beside her. His aura was conflicting within himself. This was not a match against old friends. This was a match against themselves and their feelings.

"This game won't be easy," sighed Alex as she scratched the back of her head.

Kagome nodded slowly as she lowered her eyes onto the video camera in her hand. _'Kagami-kun and Seirin will not only have to deal with Murasakibara-kun, but also Himuro-san. The moment I show them this video, they will be speechless.' _

"Are you heading to Taiga's apartment?" questioned Alex, grabbing the miko's attention.

"Yeah, Riko-senpai said to meet there to review Yosen's game after their practice."

Alex shook her head as she returned her hand into her pockets. "The surprise they will get once they see the score."

* * *

"_Game over!" _

Eyes widened as the final score was shown on the television inside Kagami's apartment. They had expected to see Yosen's tactics from Kagome's video, but they never thought to see the final score ending with a zero on the opposite team. Yosen had completely defeated them.

The miko sat at the back of the room as the rest of the boys along with Riko sat in the front with their eyes glued on the screen. She knew they would be taken back, but even she could not believe what a strong team Yosen was. _'And now they have Murasakibara-kun and Himuro-san.'_

"That was crazy," whispered Shun as his eyes brows furrowed.

"That was a basketball game, right?" Koganei's eyebrow twitched as she turned his head towards the coach.

As Riko clicked on the rewind button, she heard Hyuga's voice coming to speak out as he studied Yosen's plays. "In a localy tournament, that score wouldn't be unreasonable in a game between a strong school and a weak one, but this a national tournament."

"It was more unbelievable in person," sighed Alex as she leaned against the wall of the living room.

"It is the complete opposite of Tōō's super aggressive style. They don't give up a single point to their opponents," Kiyoshi's eyes narrowed as he saw Murasakibara on the screen. He would be his toughest opponent yet – once again.

"It's not enough to call their overwhelming defense impregnable," sighed Riko, resting her fingers under her chin. "This is the power of Yosen High."

Curious to see the miko's reaction, Kuroko slowly turned his head over his shoulder and blinked at the sight of the silent manager. Her eyes glued on her lap as her fingers played tapped against each other. "Kagome-chan?" he whispered.

Her ears rung with the call of her name before bringing her head up to meet Kuroko's gaze. Blinking once, she noticed his worried expression on her person. Releasing her breath softly, she presented him with a smile before giving him a reassuring nod. _'I have one day to get as much information I can on Yosen's data, but…,' _her eyes slowly rose to stare at Kagami's back as he spoke with Kiyoshi on the defense they should take against Yosen, _'I think will need to talk to someone else that knows Murasakibara-kun well.' _

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And that is a wrap for this chapter! I will say this now...Kagome will be showing her abilities to ONE person very soon. Take a guess who it will be. I dare you. Also, can you guess who Kagome will go talk to? Next chapter a bunch of things will start up with romance, Yosen vs. Seirin, and Kagome showing her abilities to one person.

I hope you really enjoyed. I want to thank you all for the reviews thus far. Never thought this story would come this far. I truly am grateful to all of you! To think it all started with a one-shot.

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	26. Triggered Anger

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **After sort of a long wait, I have finally completed this chapter. The outline was super~ long so that is why I had a harder time writing this, despite my fingers having been burned a few days ago. So yes, my typing was slowed down. But we have finally entered the Yosen vs. Seirin match. Let's just say a lot of anger goes into this chapter so I was like - "I need something happy" every thirty minutes. Hopefully it is to your liking.

Thank you so much for the kind and supportive reviews/messages I have received on here and Tumblr. It truly keeps motivated to continue on with this story.

Well, enjoy!

**Chapter 26: Triggered Anger **

* * *

The arc of the basketball was followed by two pair of eyes before it hit the rim of the hoop. With the ball bouncing down onto the concrete court, hands reached downwards before the ghostly haired male turned his attention to the audience he had present.

"Six out of ten," sighed the tan male with a scratch of his head. "Did you actually get worse, Tetsu?"

Kuroko's eyes dropped down to stare at the ball in his hands. He was trying his best to get the shots, but something held him back. His body was not use to the form of shooting a ball after years of only doing passes.

"Don't say that."

Aomine flinched as he felt a jab in his ribs from an elbow. With a nerve pulsing on his forehead, his attention was brought to the miko beside him. "O-Oi!"

The miko sighed with crossed arms before coming to see Kuroko's silent position. "You are supposed to be teaching him. Don't be putting him down."

"It isn't my fault he doesn't know how to shoot," he grumbled under his breath before sneaking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. It was not like he was in the mood so early in the morning to be teaching someone how to shoot, but the moment Kagome had called him, he used it to his advantage to bring out the condition. He could care less on the sigh she gave afterwards.

"Aomine-kun," spoke Kuroko, pulling in their attention, "how do you shoot?"

Catching the call into his hand, Aomine quickly and smoothly threw the ball towards the hoop. He returned his attention to the two Seirin members after the ball was made in. "Like this," he replied with a bored expression.

Kagome's sweat drop trickled down her head as she saw he was being serious. _'So much for being a teacher…'_

"I need a more concrete explanation," the phantom player blinked.

"Concrete, huh?" he sighed back. "Maybe you would make more shots if you threw the ball like you are passing to the hoop."

Making his way towards the basketball under the net, the phantom player bent down to retrieve it. "Shooting and passing are completely different," he replied. "When I pass, I push the ball with the palm of my hand."

The words were caught by Kagome's ears as she began to realize that Kuroko indeed did pass with his palm. He rarely ever used his hands like normal basketball players. _'Perhaps that is the reason why he has trouble getting used to the normal forms of basketball.' _Placing her index finger over her chin in thought, her lips parted to speak. "Kuroko-kun, why don't you try pushing the ball with your palm so it's easier for you to shoot?"

"Eh?" he blinked.

"Shoot with his palm?" Aomine questioned with a raised brow. What was this girl thinking now? His eyes followed the slow movements of Kuroko's hands before he placed the base of his palm under the ball as his elbow inched closer to his body. The ball was pushed from behind by Kuroko's other palm as he had taken his aim. It was not long before the ball made the arc over them and into the basket, earning him a blink from the tan male.

The miko clapped her hands together once as she turned around to face the two males. "See? That seemed to be easier, right?"

"Well, that makes it seven out of ten," Aomine released a sigh. He could tell that by using his palm, Kuroko seemed to be more comfortable in the form. If that helped, then he had done his job. "That should make it usable in a real game."

"Sugoi, Tetsu-kun!"

Kagome and Aomine jolted slightly at the sight of the pink haired female coming into their view before her arms wrapped around the phantom player. Where had she come from?

"That hurts, Momoi-san," whispered Kuroko as he found his balance from her sudden hug.

"If you are here to distract us, go home!" Aomine's eyebrow twitched the more he viewed his childhood friend getting snuggly with his former teammate. They were practicing for Kami's sake!

Kagome's finger came up to scratch her cheek as she mentally questioned Momoi's sudden appearance. How did they know they were here? She was sure only Kuroko and she had called Aomine to meet up this morning for shooting practice in the public courts of the park. "Ano, Momoi-san, how did you find us?"

"Eh?" she blinked, releasing Kuroko slightly from her hug. "Well, Dai-chan texted me yesterday night saying he was busy with Tetsu-kun, so I decided to check what it was. I am surprised Dai-chan agreed to teach Tetsu-kun in the first place."

'_If only she knew why…,' _the miko's eyes glided to the corner, not wanting to see the smug look on the tan male beside her.

"But…how did Tetsu-kun get so much better in so little time?" asked Momoi, bringing them all out of their inner thoughts. She had seen his last few shots before deciding to make her appearance and she was quite surprised. She never thought she would see Kuroko making so many shots with so little practice.

The miko tilted her head to the side as she glued her eyes on the blinking phantom player. "We didn't do anything special," she spoke out – at least she did not think so.

"In middle school he didn't need to shoot," Aomine added in with an exhale, "so I never noticed, but Tetsu sucking at shooting is like a side effect of specializing in passing. Not that he had any shooting sense to begin with." Coming to stare at his former teammate, he narrowed his eyes: "Lose that side effect, and you will be just as good as everyone else. Combine that with your misdirection, and you have a real weapon."

"Sugoi, Tetsu-kun!" exclaimed Momoi as she came to hug the phantom player even tighter.

Kagome chuckled in a low tune as she saw Momoi clinging onto her teammate. What Aomine had mentioned was true – if Kuroko could master it, he had a true weapon to use against Yosen. _'Kuroko-kun's misdirection is a skill people on the court should be nervous about.'_

"There is one thing that bothers me, though," Aomine whispered under his breath.

"Huh?" blinked the miko.

Seeing the two in front of him were far from listening, Aomine placed his hands inside his pockets. At least he could warn Kagome in advance about his only concern. "Akashi is the one who taught Tetsu his current style. Didn't Tetsu notice this? Or is he doing it on purpose?"

Kagome's eyes widened only a fraction after hearing the piece of information she never knew about. This whole time Kuroko's skill was based by Akashi's teaching? "Akashi-kun…?"

"Aomine-kun."

The two returned their gaze to the phantom player having been freed from Momoi's hug. A smile graced his lips before he took a small bow in appreciation to his former teammate. "Arigatou."

"What are you thanking me for?" he raised an eyebrow at the sudden 'thanks'. "I just couldn't stand how badly you sucked. Besides," his arm was soon placed around the miko's shoulder, earning him a surprise look from the pink haired female, "I get to take neko-chan on a date."

"Don't remind me," she sighed, closing her eyes.

Turning the miko around with him, he took one last glance towards the phantom player over his shoulder. "See you later. The next time I see you, we will be opponents. You better not lose, Tetsu."

With the wind blowing her hair slightly over her eyes, she was sure she had seen a smile appear over Aomine's lips. She gave Kuroko a nod before giving her 'goodbye' as she began to walk next to the tan male.

Kuroko chuckled under his breath while watching his two friends argue as they left his presence. He was not surprised to see the miko already establishing her space, but Aomine would have none of that. Taking out his phone from his pocket, he began to look through his contacts.

"They are going on a date?" questioned Momoi with a few blinks. She never thought Kagome would agree to one in the first place.

"We are all going together," he replied. "They are just going on ahead."

"Huh?" Momoi blinked in confusion. All of them together?

* * *

A sigh passed between the miko's lips as she started the noon with Aomine in their first – _'…date.' _She could not believe she had agreed to the condition in the first place. The problem was not necessarily going on a date with Aomine, but that this was technically her first date. The only things she could consider as a date were the times sitting in a field or tree branch with Inuyasha back in the feudal era. The expression on her face dropped slightly at the memories replaying in her head. She could not help but feel her heartbeat accelerate at the thought of telling Aomine this was her first date. What if he laughed? _'No doubt he would laugh.'_

Opening her eyes to her surroundings, she was surprised by the amount of couples walking around. She was not even sure where she was going herself. Taking small glance at the tan male beside her from the corner of her eyes, she noticed his yawn. _'He doesn't even look interested,' _her eyebrow twitched at the observation, _'but I guess I could ask him about Murasakibara-kun later.' _

Kagome came to a stop the moment she caught sight of a claw machine in front of an arcade. She blinked once before noticing a white dog with a crescent moon on its forehead. Stifling a chuckle, she placed her hand over her lips to hold it in. Of course she thought it was cute, but the thought of Sesshomaru witnessing it was a thing she could easily picture with his irritated face.

"Oi, what are you looking at?"

"Huh?" she blinked, turning her head to the question. Kagome shook her head with a smile after seeing Aomine's questioning stare.

Raising a brow, Aomine followed her line of sight before noticing the claw machine. Ah, that thing. What is it normal for girls to want something from there? With a sigh, the tan male walked past the miko before coming to face the machine and the mountain of stuffed animals. What was so exciting about these things anyway? "Which one did you want?" he asked in a monotone.

The miko raised a brow of her own as the question was given. She shook her head before releasing a chuckle once more. "Oh no, I didn't want anything. I was just looking at the white dog right there. I was just reminded of something, that's it." Her ears rung at the sound of a few bills going inside the machine before she quickly turned her head to see Aomine's hand coming over the joystick. "C-Chotto! You don't have to get it!"

"Oh shush," his eyebrows furrowed, "I can't concentrate-" his eyes widened the moment the claw slipped behind his target. "Oi! What the hell!?"

"I told you to forget about it," she sighed, seeing the annoyance begin to spread over his expression.

Aomine quickly took out another five hundred yen before glaring at the white dog being protect by the glass. "This dog better be worth the yen I spend."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome could not help but exhale at the sight of a stubborn teenager. Then again, she could not help but smile at his persistence.

* * *

"Oi, what are we doing here?" red orbs switched from left to right as the Seirin ace could only see shops, arcades, and restaurants in the city. For whatever reason Kuroko could have dragged him here, he was not sure. He had hoped after Alex's training he would go home and shower to rest, but before he could step inside his apartment, he had received Kuroko's message telling him to meet in front of Maji Burger. He could not even get a hint on what this meeting was about. All he could do was follow the phantom player beside him.

"We are just going to check if Kagome-chan is okay," replied Kuroko as he continued his way forward. Even if Aomine was his former teammate and friend, Kagome was another he cared about. He was only doing the right thing to make sure she was safe. As for where they were, he already knew Aomine's favorite place. It could not be too difficult to find them.

Kagami raised a brow in confusion. Why could he not just give him straight answers? Did he forget he was not the smartest person in the basketball team? Besides, checking on Kagome? So many questions were beginning to pile in his mind and the phantom bastard would not give him one answer. He only hoped Kagome was okay if Kuroko felt the reason to check on her.

"Ah! Kurokocchi! Kagamicchi!"

The two Seirin members felt their spines shiver at the familiar voice coming from behind. Before they could continue to walk and pretend they had not heard anything, they were pulled back by an arm draping over their shoulders. It was not until their eyes caught sight of the blonde hair they recognized too much.

"Not you…," Kagami's eyebrow twitched as he spoke, seeing the grin on the Kaijo ace.

"Aw, don't be so mean, Kagamicchi~," the blonde male pouted.

"Kise-kun, what are you doing here?" questioned Kuroko as his former teammate released them both. This was a surprise for sure.

Kise scratched the back of his head while chuckling nervously. "Well, I was being chased by some fan girls and lost my way."

"This guy is rubbing it in," glared the tiger.

"No! I am the telling the truth! I was coming out of practice with Kasamatsu-senpai and he got angry we were being followed so I decided to go ahead and they were begging for autographs! You know, I could only take so many at a time, but Kasamatsu-senpai wants me to fully concentrate on the Winter Cup," Kise sighed under his breath before coming to rest his forehead over the tiger's shoulder.

"Oi!" Kagami shouted as he tried to retreat from the blonde.

"But I was lucky enough to find you two!" Kise smiled as he straightened up. Turning his head side to side, his grin only widened in hopes to hug the one person he knew was always with these two. "Where is Kagomecchi? We have been separated for too long!"

Kagami shrugged his shoulders after giving a sigh: "Who knows. Kuroko said we were going to go check on her."

"Check on her?" he blinked before returning his eyes on the phantom player.

"Hai," Kuroko nodded. "Kagome-chan is on a date with Aomine-kun."

Kise's and Kagami's eyes widened as the words continued to echo in their heads. A date with Aomine!? What kind of spell was she on!? Both teens took a step forward until they were face-to-face with the phantom player. "Nani!?"

* * *

The smooth slurping sound of the straw irritated the miko slightly as she saw Aomine continue on drinking his soda pop in front of her. That was his second drink already and he was not even making any eye contact. After the whole claw machine fiasco, he had suggested going out for food. _'Is he anxious or something?' _The corner of her lips curved slightly as she found a ticket to his embarrassment. "Are you nervous?"

Aomine choked on the liquid before placing the glass cup down on the table between them. Raising a brow, he quickly returned a glare. "Nervous? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well ever since we arrived here, you haven't spoken a word," she replied as her fingers wrapped around her smoothie. "I just figured you were nervous."

A scoff was released before he returned his lips onto the straw of his drink. "Like I would be nervous."

"Right~," Kagome chuckled before setting her eyes on the dog plush beside her. It was a miracle that after four tries, he had become successful in getting her the white dog. It warmed her heart the moment he gave it to her. She was sure there was light blush dusting over his cheeks, but she had decided not to push him after witnessing his determination. "Arigatou," she smiled, surprising him from the sudden thankfulness.

"Huh? For what?" he questioned.

"For my stuff animal," Kagome chuckled, seeing him avoid her eyes once again.

The Tōō ace cleared his throat before grabbing his drink back. "Well, as long as you are happy…"

With a small nod, the miko lowered her eyes to stare at barely sipped smoothie. It was unusual to see this side of the Generation of Miracles, but she was beginning to think there were rare sides to them that they had lost after middle school. Perhaps these were the true Generation of Miracles Kuroko loved as friends. _'Something must have happened for them to have changed like this,' _raising her eyes to the tan male, a worrisome expression took over. "What happened to the Generation of Miracles?"

The question had caught him off guard, stopping him from his enjoying his drink. Returning his eyes onto her person, Aomine stayed silent for a few seconds. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," she dropped her eyes once more, "I was just wondering what had happened to all of you to turn against each other as so. Don't get me wrong, but in the beginning I was annoyed by your and the others egotism. But Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, and even you have grown on me." Kagome sent him a smile as she brought her smoothie close to her lips. "Of course Seirin is a special family of mine now. The only ones who I cannot understand are obviously Murasakibara-kun and Akashi-kun."

"I can't tell you much about Akashi-kun if that is what you are asking," he sighed, dropping his eyes to observe the bubbles slowly rising up to the surface of his drink. "His mind is very different from the rest of us, so I can't help you with that."

"And…Murasakibara-kun?" she questioned in a whisper.

"Kagomecchi!"

Her mind could not even register the name before she was tackled in the booth with arms wrapping around her shoulders. Her eyes rose to see the grin spread on the familiar blonde. "K-Kise-kun?" she stuttered as he settled onto the seat beside her.

The nerve popped out of Aomine's forehead as he saw the close proximity between the two across him. Who the hell invited him? "Oi! Kise get away from her!"

"Why should I?" he smirked. "I can't allow you to have a date with her when I haven't gone on one with her."

"Oi, Kise, let her go," glared the tiger as he pulled the blonde from the back of his jacket. "You are practically suffocating her."

Taken back by his sudden appearance, Kagome blinked a few times before finding her voice once again. "Kagami-kun?" her eyes lowered to his side, seeing the smile on the phantom player. "Kuroko-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Aw, I just wanted to hug Kagomecchi," Kise pouted as he tried to get his seat back next to the miko. "Besides, I couldn't believe she was on date with Aominecchi when Kurokocchi told us! I needed to see it with my own eyes!"

Aomine's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the three males having appeared in the middle of his date with Kagome. "Get out! No one invited you three here! Tetsu you know this was a condition."

"Oh, what a coincidence," Kuroko blinked his eyes before coming to sit beside the silent miko. If anything, he could tell she was silent with uncertainty how to enter the conversation.

"Coincidence my ass," he growled under his breath. "How did you find us anyways?"

Kuroko blinked before giving him a shrug. "Lucky guess?"

"Kuroko told me about this condition on the way here," Kagami returned the glare as he came to sit beside the Tōō ace. "There was nothing about joining you, so we are here to make sure Kagome is okay."

"So Kagomecchi is here against her will?" blinked Kise as he came to sit beside the phantom player. "Now that isn't fair, Aominecchi."

A chuckle entered their ears before coming to see the miko matching her closed eyes with a smile. They were surprised by her enjoyment of their arguing and hearing her laugh was another thing.

Calming her laughter, the miko placed her hand over her chest in an attempt to find her balanced breathing. "Gomen, I didn't mean to laugh like that. I am just always taken back seeing all of you together outside the basketball court." Taking in a deep breath, her eyes lowered to the table. Not only did she have Aomine in front of her, but she had two other former members from Teiko. Her mind was clouded with ways Seirin could go against Yosen, but it always ended up being empty after remembering their game play. Her gaze caught sight of the four basketball players talking casually (Aomine and Kagami bickering mostly) and it only made her question if the Generation of Miracles had to go through defeat to turn back into their old self's. _'Perhaps that is what Kuroko-kun truly wants. That is what he means by wanting to show them his 'basketball'.'_

"Ano…," seeing she had caught their attention, she decided it was now or never to bring out her questions, "what can you tell me about Murasakibara-kun?"

"Murasakibaracchi?" blinked Kise.

An exhale was released: "After seeing Yosen play, I have come to see that he is different from the Generation of Miracles we have faced so far. That is why I am asking what is different about him."

Aomine sighed as he closed his eyes in thought. How could he put in words? Giving it some thought, he parted his lips to speak. "Murasakibara is strong. It's even hard for me to score against him."

"Seriously?" Kagami cut in, a bit surprised to hear those words coming out of Aomine's mouth.

"Uruse!" he glared. "You will experience it yourself soon!"

"Well, Murasakibaracchi is strong, but lazy," Kise chuckled as he rested his chin over his palm, "but once he gets into it, he can be scary. Even I get chills thinking about it. I remember back in Teiko Kurokocchi and he would fight constantly on their beliefs of basketball."

The miko turned her head to face the phantom player as she heard Kise's story. Kuroko had gone against Murasakibara in the past? He did not seem to react to Kise's words as he remained silent. _'Will Seirin be okay going against Yosen?'_

"This is not how our date is supposed to go," glared the Tōō ace.

"Like we would leave her alone with you," Kagami scoffed as the waitress came in to take in their order.

"Yeah!" chuckled the Kaijo ace as he tried his best to ignore the long list of Kagami's order. "Besides, she doesn't like your company, Aominecchi."

Coming to take another sip of her smoothie, the miko placed the straw between her lips after giving them a low whisper she was sure they heard. "I actually don't mind your guys' company."

The four males on the table sent her confused blinks, noticing she would not go further into her statement. She was enjoying their company? Kuroko took one blink before his own lips curved into a smile.

* * *

Purple orbs scanned the different options of drinks offered in the vending machine before pressing the button of his decision. He was glad Coach Araki had given him permission to buy a drink before the game started; a game he knew would be boring like the rest.

"I don't feel like playing~," bending down to grab the can drink from the vending machine, the Yosen player straightened up before seeing his second year teammate staring at the ring on his palm. He could not feel the excitement in playing basketball, but he definitely could not understand Himuro's reasoning behind the ring. "That promise you made over your ring…," he spoke, "it's not a bet at all." He was not dumb to understand that Himuro and Seirin's ace, Kagami, had a bond in the past. But he knew winning could ruin friendships. "No matter who wins, you won't be brothers anymore."

Himuro chuckled as his eye continued to stare at the silver ring. The day of the game had finally arrived. The day he would settle his score against his 'brother'. He could hear the stadium being filled with an audience compared to the beginning days of the tournament. It was only a matter of minutes before the game began. With a gentle sigh, Himuro closed his eye. "Did I tell you about that? The bet I mean, Atsushi."

"On the way home from the street ball," replied Murasakibara as he opened his drink. "You're not fooling anyone."

"That's right," Himuro nodded, his gaze returning to the ring, "I don't want to be Taiga's brother anymore. When we were younger, I didn't feel anything because of the obvious difference in our abilities. But when I saw he was nearly as good as I was in middle school," his fingers curled around the chain holding the ring as his tone got a bit more venomous, "I realized something. I didn't want to lose to him. Our relationship as brothers was getting in our way. Even if he thinks he is trying his best, subconsciously, he holds himself back. I want to fight Taiga at his strongest and crush him."

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed slightly before bringing the can drink up to his lips. _'Crush him, eh?'_

* * *

"Alright, that should be everything."

The miko took off the rubber band from the around her pen before placing it around her wrist and making sure everything on towels and water bottles was in order. After the 'group' date, she had gone home with thought after thought on how to beat Yosen. She had watched the video over and over again non-stop to get an idea on what kind of team they were. _'The defense is their core, so their stamina and speed aren't at an all-time high, but it looks like they didn't give their all in the last match they played.' _

With a low sigh, Kagome's eyes landed to the closed locker room door where Hyuga had wanted to talk to the team alone. _'Guess as a captain, he has the responsibility to set the team at ease.'_

"Is everything ready?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the miko turned to face non-other than Riko with her own clipboard in hand. "Ah, hai. Hyuga-senpai is just talking to team right now."

"Yeah," she nodded, placing her hand over her hip, "he and the whole team are aware that Yosen will be their toughest opponent yet. It is normal for them to be nervous."

The door slowly opened before revealing a determination painted over Seirin's face. "Yosh," exclaimed Hyuga, "is everyone ready?" As he made his way forward and led the team towards the court's entrance, he narrowed down his eyes. "Let's go!"

Kagome closed her eyes slightly as cameras began to flash at them while making their way towards the bench. She had never seen so much attention on Seirin before, but she only guessed it was due to their rising status as rookies in the Winter Cup. Setting down the bow of towels and water bottles, her ears were filled with the crowd's cheering increasing in volume as cameras began to flash once more. Seirin looked behind their shoulders as Yosen made their entrance. Their height was enough intimidation for them. At least three guys were at the two meter mark.

"They are here," whispered Shun as he placed his jacket on the bench. "It's the Shield of Aegis, Yosen High."

Kagome's eyes remained glued on Murasakibara before moving them down to stare at Himuro's back. Curious, she slowly turned her attention to the tiger, seeing him already staring at the ring on his palm. _'This is going to be a difficult match. Not just physically, but emotionally for Kagami-kun.' _She was beginning to worry that his emotions were going to get the best of him during the game and as much as she agreed that they should not be enemies, Kagami had to realize Himuro had a different mindset.

"Alright," spoke Riko, bringing the team together to her person, "I am sure you know, but today's opponent is at least as strong as Tōō. Half measures won't work against them," she continued as she saw her starting line up taking off their jackets. "We will go with our strongest starting lineup. Give them everything you have out of the gate!"

"All right!" shouted Hyuga.

"You're a little stiff, Hyuga," chuckled Kiyoshi as he saw the serious look on Hyuga's face. "Let's have some fun."

"I know that," he scoffed.

Shun smirked as his eyes glided to see the strong faces of the first-year duo. "I am looking forward to seeing the results of your training."

"Of course!" exclaimed the tiger as he rubbed the tense muscles from his shoulders.

"I expect I can expect great thing from you," snickered Shun with pride as he gave out his pun to the team – hoping he could alleviate some of the pressure.

"Don't distract us with lame jokes," Kagami sent him a glare.

The miko smiled as she saw the irritation taking over Seirin's expressions. Leave it to Shun to make the jokes. Exhaling, she moved to the side as Hyuga huddled the other four in a circle for a cheer.

"Let's go, Seirin! Fight!" he shouted before his team followed suit.

Cerulean orbs slowly caught sight of Yosen's coach coming in front of their own starting lineup. Murasakibara and Himuro were being placed at the first quarter. _'We have come a long way. We can't give up now.'_

* * *

"We saw our opponent's style in the video last night."

Araki crossed her arms as she took her eyes away from Seirin. Turning her attention onto her own team, she raised a brow: "They will come at us hard right out of the gate. But we don't have to do anything different. Rebuff all their attacks." Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw her five team members slowly getting up from the bench. "Show them our strength."

"Let's go, then," smirked Okamura with a chuckle.

"Are you ready?" questioned Himuro as he took a glance at the bored purple haired male beside him.

"Hm?" he blinked. "Okay."

* * *

"The Winter Cup second quarter-final game between Seirin High and Yosen High will now begin!" As the referee held the ball in his hand, he observed both teams at the lineup. "Bow!"

"Let's have a good game!" they bowed in unison.

Hyuga gulped nervously as his hand came to shake Okamura's hand in respect as captain. He could not believe what he was seeing. This guy was tall!

"Let's have a good game," smiled Okamura before releasing the grip.

Hyuga nodded slowly in reply. "H-Hai."

As Kagome sat at the bench, her eyes could already measure the difference in height just by Hyuga coming to shake Okamura's hand. Even she could see their intimidating status as they held their pride. "They are huge…," she whispered.

"It isn't like we have faced big guys before, but Yosen has three guys over two meters tall," Riko sighed. "That is what is intense. It is completely different from Tōō's piercing intimidation. They have the intimidating presence of an immobile and giant tree with deep roots."

Both Kiyoshi and Murasakibara prepared themselves at the center with bent knees in preparation for the jump. Purple orbs blinked as he stared at the brunette across from him. He could see that determination firing inside his eyes. "Haven't seen you since our street ball game this summer," he commented, catching Kiyoshi's attention. "I didn't forget you this time. Maybe I will start by crushing you, Kiyoshi Teppei."

"I am glad you remember me," Kiyoshi returned the smile, "but I would like to see you try."

Kagami's eyes narrowed as he heard Murasakibara's threat, making him turn towards his left. Seeing his childhood friend in preparation for the game, he straightened out to give Himuro a final talk. "Tatsuya. Honestly, I didn't want to play you. I wish things had stayed the way they were. But I am done worrying about the details. If you are standing in our way, I won't hesitate! I will crush you with everything I have!"

"I'm relieved," he replied back without a change in his expression. "Now I can play without reservations, Taiga."

The referee's whistle was blown before the ball was tossed up in the air. Kiyoshi grunted as he reached for the tip off only to see Murasakibara having the upper hand and tipping it off to his own team. Fukui blinked as he caught the ball and began to dribble it in place. The court immediately stopped any movements from continuing as the referee's whistle was heard again.

"Huh?" blinked Kagome seeing everyone confused just like her over the sudden call.

"What happened?" questioned Riko.

Murasakibara blinked as the referee came towards him: "Oh, whoops."

"Sheesh," sighed Araki as she placed her hand over her head. "He did it again."

"Jumper violation, white number nine!" called out the referee.

"N-Nani?" blinked Hyuga as the rest of his own team was surprised. They did not even catch the violation themselves. _'A jumper violation?' _he questioned himself.

Fukui's eyebrow twitched as he saw the unaffected expression on the purple haired male. "Atsushi!" he shouted. How many times did he had to go through violations to learn his lesson?

"Oopsies~," he whispered as he scratched the back of his head.

Liu poked his chest in disapproval and irritation now that the ball was going to be given to Seirin. What was the point of putting Murasakibara at the jump off if he was going to get a violation at the end? "You touched the ball too early," he scolded.

"He is always doing it!" Okamura grunted under his breath. "Don't be so easy on him, Liu."

The miko blinked once more as the referee passed the ball over to Kuroko. Her mind was still in the process of registering the violation Murasakibara had been given. _'I thought the referee tossed the ball high enough. I can't believe Murasakibara-kun touched it before it reached its highest point. He can reach even greater heights than Kagami-kun.' _Her eyes followed the height of Yosen's ace as she began to realize something herself. "I didn't notice while watching the videos," she whispered to Riko, "but Murasakibara-kun isn't just huge. His wingspan is exceptional, too."

"The question is…how wide can he go?" Riko cursed under her breath, seeing what the miko was observing. "His build is unfair enough, but he also has unusually long limbs for a Japanese guy."

With the referee giving the signal, Kuroko passed the ball over to Shun after the whistle was heard. Okamura chuckled under his breath as he lowered his hand from behind his head. "Well, we can't help that. Let's stop a basket."

As Yosen took their quick defense, Shun's eyes narrowed before he passed the ball over to Kiyoshi. The ball was in a continued flow of passes from the tall center to the tiger before Kuroko assisted in his misdirection to move the ball towards the Seirin captain.

"It's a battle of speed," smirked Riko, seeing the game flowing in their favor. "Their defense may be strong, but no one can outrun a pass."

"He is open!" shouted Fukuda as he saw Hyuga take aim for a three-point shot.

"Who is open? I'll crush him."

Hyuga's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Murasakibara coming in front of him with his arm already blocking his view. _'H-He's too tall!' _With no other choice in mind, Hyuga released the ball into the air as it was pushed away with ease by Murasakibara's hand. _'I thought I had enough space! He is unbelievable! He makes Shinkyo's Papa look cute!'_

The miko shook her head in disbelief at how easy Murasakibara made it look in his block. _'He is not just tall. He is unbelievably fast for someone with such a giant body. Even tall demons in the feudal era had low speed due to their build.' _

With a sigh, Araki returned her arms in a cross position across her chest as she saw the ball bounce into Shun's hands while Fukui stood behind him. "Countless teams have come at us in the same way before, but we are not easily beaten."

"Their defense isn't half-hearted," whispered Riko, seeing Shun having a hard time in passing the ball to his teammates. "But what if we go faster?" Riko smirked the moment Shun passed the ball towards Himuro only for Kuroko to intercept and push the ball towards the tiger.

"All right! Nice pass, Kuroko!" shouted Kagami as he prepared his aim to the hoop.

'_We completely outsmarted them!' _Shun nodded to himself seeing the shock take over Yosen. _'And Kagami's shooting percentage is high!'_

Kagami took his jump only to widen his eyes at Murasakibara's sudden appearance in front of him. He was sure he was not there a second ago! Where had he come from!? _'T-That's impossible! How…how is he already there!?'_

"Sorry," whispered Araki under her breath, "but it doesn't matter how fast you are. It's not just his arms. His legs are long, too. On top of that, his reflexes are exceptional. He can cover that distance in a step."

The miko's eyes shook as she watched Murasakibara push the ball away from Kagami's aim. She could not believe someone that tall had such fast reflexes. _'His defensive range covers everything inside the three-point line!'_

As the ball comes into Fukui's hands, he quickly took the shot only for the ball to the hit them rim and bounce back. Both Kagami and Kiyoshi jumped up for the rebound, but found themselves over taken by Liu's and Okamura's height. Liu's hand tipped the ball back into the basket, making it Yosen's first two points in the game.

"Damn it!" cursed Hyuga as he gritted his teeth. _'I can't believe Kagami and Kiyoshi lost an offensive rebound. They are not just tall for show!' _

Kiyoshi retrieved the ball before passing it onto the phantom player. Without hesitation, Kuroko spun in place as he gathered momentum to throw the ball in a curve towards Shun.

Okamura's eyes widened slightly as he felt the wind of the ball fly past him. _'This is…the Cyclone Pass!'_

Dribbling as fast as he could towards their hoop, Shun made sure to get his distance away from Yosen's defense. _'If we can't score by passing, we will strike after they score! With this strategy-,' _his pupils stretched as he found himself staring at Murasakibara's jersey with his body blocking his path. Shun took a step back as he clenched his teeth. _'Damn it, Murasakibara!'_

"Huh~ you're not coming?" questioned Murasakibara.

The miko watched as the tall Yosen member continued to stay in the same spot. He had not even mode away from his defense position. _'Is he going to stay under the net instead of participating on offense!? It that is the case…there is no opportunity for a counterattack!'_

"That is how it is," chuckled Okamura as he came with Wei Liu to stand in front of Shun's space. "Counterattacks don't work against us."

"Murasakibara is just lazy," sighed Liu.

Araki nodded as she heard her players loud and clear. Although she liked her members to work hard, she hated the fact Murasakibara had a talent he would not use efficiently. _'I don't like players that won't run, but…I make an exception for him and his absolute defense.'_

"Izuki!" Hyuga shouted, catching the passed ball into his hands. He took his aim once more as he leaped up for a three-point shot. _'If we can't score from the inside, we will score from the outside!' _His eyes widened a fraction with the sight of Okamura's finger grazing over the ball's surface. _'So tall!' _He was sure he had thrown the ball higher than before!

The ball rebounded back into the air before Murasakibara jumped upwards to retrieve it. Kagami cursed under his breath as he watched the height difference in their jumps. It was annoying the hell out of him now! _'It's too hard to score from under the basket!'_

"This isn't good," Riko whispered as she brought her thumb in between her teeth. "Even though their defense is strong, it's not as though we can't shoot at all, but we can't get any rebounds!"

* * *

"Did we make it in time?"

The kitsune turned his head over his shoulder to see not only the familiar wolf, but the blonde his 'mother' had brought the other day. Why was the wolf even with her to begin with?

"Gomen for picking you up late," spoke Koga as he closed the door behind the blonde. "I was just surprised by Kagome's request to pick you up to join us in watching the game."

"I am thankful that you brought me here," Alex chuckled as she came to see the suite once again. She was surprised that the young girl knew such people to have rented out a luxurious place to watch the games.

Koga nodded before landing his eyes on the kitsune already sitting near the balcony of the game. He raised a brow as he tried reading Shippo's hand signals. _'Huh?' _Taking his steps closer, he ruffled the kitsune's hair. "Oi! Speak up! I don't understand sign language-," he stopped in his actions the moment his eyes landed on inu youkai sitting on his own seat in the middle. "A-Ah…Sesshomaru, I didn't know you would be coming to this game."

"This Sesshomaru was not aware of you bringing in _guests _into the suite," the inu youkai's golden eyes pierced into the wolf's nervous stare.

Alex's blinked as she heard the conversation between Koga and someone else she did not recognize. Tilting her head to the side, she caught sight of the silver haired male. "Woah~ they were right when they said Japanese men don't age! You have some amazing skin," she chuckled before extending her arm out to the inu. "My name is Alexandra Garcia. I am one of Seirin's trainers I guess you could say."

Clearing his throat, Koga smiled nervously as he placed his hand over Alex's shoulder. "Sesshomaru, this is one of Seirin's member's teacher back in America. She has played for the WNBA."

Sesshomaru kept his gaze on the blonde before returning his eyes on the court. "Hm," he would lecture Koga later seeing that he could not with a human witness.

"Huh…?" whispered Alex as she stared at her empty hand.

"He says 'hi'," Shippo grinned. "Don't worry about it so much," he added, catching her attention. "Sesshomaru is just like that. He never gets along with anybody, but he is a big softy-," his upper torso bent forward as he felt a jab to his ribs.

"Shut it," whispered Koga, "before Sesshomaru kills us both."

Alex nodded as her head turned towards the view of the court. Seirin had yet to make a score and just with a glance, she could see Yosen had the upper hand. "How is the game going?"

"Well~," the kitsune spoke as he rubbed the side of his ribs, "let's just say Seirin is having some trouble. They can't even get rebounds." Even he was a bit shocked to see Yosen defending so well against a fast team like Seirin.

"They can't get rebounds?" blinked Alex.

Koga sighed as he took his seat on the opposite side of the inu. Looking at the scoreboard, he noticed time quickly ending on the first quarter. "Most players have a shooting percentage around fifty to sixty percent."

"In other words, almost half the shots are missed," Alex added.

With a small nod, Koga rested his cheek over his knuckles. "That is why getting rebounds determines possession of the ball and is an important factor that influences the game. At this rate, Seirin might really be shut out."

* * *

Riko bit her lip as she watched the time on the scoreboard. "There are only fifteen seconds left. Their defense is no joke. It's unbelievably strong. They are not giving an inch."

Hearing the coach's worry, Kagome could only feel stressed herself as she felt Seirin's aura rise with pressure and anxiety. What could they do when Yosen's defense left them with no choice to score?

"The level of mental fatigue from a twenty-point difference versus an eighteen-point difference at the end of the first quarter is completely different," added Riko as she narrowed her eyes on the tired teammates. "If we can stop this basket, we can keep fighting. If we can't, though, it will be fatal."

Kagome followed the path of the ball as Liu passed it over to Fukui. Fukui released the ball towards the hoop only for Kagami to jump in between and let his finger brush below the ball. The player waited before watching the ball hit the backboard of the hoop.

"He missed!" shouted Furihata.

Kiyoshi and Hyuga clenched their teeth as each stood behind Okamura and Liu respectively. The heavy weight of their blockage was taking a toll on their own body. They knew they had to catch the rebound with the last few seconds ticking in.

'_I won't lose!' _Kiyoshi planted his legs on the floor before he took his jump and extended his arm up in the air. _'I will defend Seirin's basket!' _He quickly used his grip to catch the rebound with one hand while shocking Liu and Okamura from his sudden grab.

'_H-He grabbed an air ball with one hand!?' _Okamura's eyes widened, never having witness someone catching the ball like that.

Kiyoshi landed back on his feet with the ball coming between his hands before the buzzer echoed throughout the stadium.

"Kiyoshi!" smiled Shun, seeing they were guaranteed the ball for the second quarter.

"He defended the basket!" shouted Furihata with excitement.

Kagome released a sigh of relief as she saw the smiles still on Seirin's expressions. She was worried that their spirits would be crushed if Yosen had made another basket. But even if they had stopped it – _'we are eighteen points away from their score.' _

* * *

"Eighteen to zero."

Koga scratched the back of his head as he watched both teams walk over to their benches. "Thanks to Kiyoshi's rebound, they are hanging by a thread."

"But they are still in trouble," sighed Alex, seeing Riko take out a white board with everyone having their eyes on the formations she displayed.

* * *

"Let's go over the facts," Riko got onto one knee as she placed the markings of Yosen's formations she had observed during the first quarter. "They are running a two-three zone. Murasakibara-kun's defensive range covers everything inside the three-point line. When you add the other four to that…"

Furihata's eyes widened slightly as he saw the expansion on Yosen's defense on the board. "There is no opening. How are we supposed to score like this?"

"With Murasakibara-kun holding his position in the middle, the other four are free to move beyond his range and pressure the outside," Riko continued as she raised her eyes to see the five Seirin members sitting on the bench in concentration.

"Couldn't we still manage to score a three?" questioned Shun as his eyebrows furrowed.

Hyuga exhaled as he caught on what Shun was planning, but he had to break the news for him. "A single shot won't make any difference."

"In order to win, we have to score from the inside," added Kiyoshi, switching his view to stare at his teammates.

'_Score from the inside?' _the miko's eyes landed down to the phantom player in front of her as she stood behind the bench. Keeping her clipboard close to her chest, she lowered her eyebrows worriedly. _'At this point we need to take risks. Our only shot right now is…Kuroko-kun's new move, but is he confident?' _Inhaling some clam oxygen back into her lungs, the miko bent forward as she whispered beside Kuroko's ear. "Kuroko-kun, how confident do you feel in using your shooting?"

"My shooting?" he blinked questioningly. "I probably have a fifty percent chance of making it in, Kagome-chan. You think I should use it already?"

"We need to take the risk," she sighed. "At this point we need to put the only trump card he have right now."

The phantom player nodded slowly before turning his head towards the court ahead. "I understand. I will make the shot."

Kagome straightened herself up before turning to face the team. Closing her eyes and exhaling her nerves, she spoke out softly. "Ano, I think Kuroko-kun can do something."

"Eh?" blinked Riko.

"The ball needs to be given to Kuroko-kun for him to shoot," she continued as she saw the slight shock on Seirin's expressions.

* * *

"Dai-chan, hurry up!"

"Ugh, why did I have to come, too?"

Momoi pouted as she turned her head over her shoulder and watched the yawn Aomine released before he came to stand beside her at the edge of the balcony where the audience was seated. "You are the one who suddenly ditched our shopping trip the other day! You can at least make up for it." As she and Aomine turned their heads to the scoreboard, they blinked at the sight of the 'zero' under Seirin's name and Yosen being eighteen points ahead.

"E-Eighteen to zero!?" she exclaimed.

"Uh-oh," sighed Aomine, seeing both teams back on the court, "they are nearly at their limit." His eyebrows furrowed as he observed Seirin's formation. _'I am surprised, though. Seirin's offensive power is far from weak. And that guy,' _his eyes landed on Murasakibara already retaking his spot under the net, _'managed to shut them out in the first quarter.'_

With the buzzer set off, Aomine watched the ball being passed from the referee to Shun at the start of the second quarter. His eyes narrowed as he saw the pressure each Yosen member was giving to Seirin. "Of course they are being crushed like this. Yosen is trying to finish them off. If they don't score now, Seirin will be screwed. If they don't get any points off this play, it will mean the end for Seirin."

* * *

Shun quickly found his opening around Fukui before passing the ball over to Kiyoshi. He knew it was a risky move, but he had to try! Kagome's and Kuroko's plan was an uncertain move, but they had to continue to hold on their hope and faith on them.

Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes as he felt Murasakibara keep his person behind him in defense. _'I won't fail this play!' _Pivoting from left to right, Kiyoshi was able to lose Murasakibara's blockage as he turned and faced the hoop to shoot the ball.

"Huh~," blinked Murasakibara, "you think you can get around me like that?"

Keeping his concentration locked in, he was not surprised to see Murasakibara appear before him to block the hoop. "No," he spoke, "of course I don't." With a flick of his wrist, Kiyoshi threw the ball around Murasakibara's arm, catching him off guard by the sudden move. Eyes widened as they noticed Kagami appearing on the other side of the hoop to take the ball for himself.

'_A combined attack from Kiyoshi and Kagami!?' _Okamura's cursed under his breath.

Kagami flinched slightly the moment Murasakibara's hand touched the other side of the ball. _'Murasakibara again!? This guy's reflexes are no joke!'_

"It's over," Araki sighed.

Anger filled his head as Kagami held his grip against the ball before placing his right hand over the ball and passing it down onto Kuroko's hands. Yosen's eyes widened at the unexpected move. Murasakibara's eyes followed the slow movements of Kuroko's arms as he got into a position. _'There is no way Kurochin can make a shot. But what is this? What is that form!?'_

Kagome smirked after catching the surprise on Yosen's faces as Kuroko got his palm behind the ball. She watched the eye contact Kuroko and Murasakibara gave each other before the tall giant quickly made his jump in front of the phantom player.

'_He can still keep up with the ball!?' _Kagami exclaimed in his head. Just how fast was he!?

* * *

Aomine sighed under his breath as he scratched the back of his neck. Although Murasakibara did have fast reflexes despite his tall build, he knew Murasakibara had no chance against Kuroko's new move. "No. Not even you can stop that shot, Murasakibara. After all, it's like his drive – it disappear."

* * *

Pushing the ball with the base of his palm, Kuroko watched the basketball disappear through Murasakibara's hand. Yosen was left speechless and frozen as the ball went into the basket. Two points were quickly added into Seirin's side as the crowd cheered at the sudden comeback.

"All right!" shouted Hyuga.

The miko placed her hand over her chest as her shoulders dropped down in relief. Kuroko had made the shot!

"We finally scored our first points against the Shield of Aegis!" exclaimed Koganei.

"Nani?!" blinked Araki. She was just as speechless as her team over the event. No one could have seen that coming.

Okamura turned his head to face the phantom player as his own eyes remained on Murasakibara. What the hell had just happened? _'Number eleven made a basket? I would understand if he just made the shot, but…that mysterious and abnormal form. Not to mention the ball he shot disappeared?'_

Narrowing his eyes tightly, Murasakibara kept his gaze on his former teammate in front of him. "Kurochin!"

"Looks like Kagome-chan was right in using my palm," he whispered only for Murasakibara to hear. "We won't lose, Murasakibara-kun."

"Honestly, I am surprised," Murasakibara commented. "I didn't think you would be the first to score against me in this tournament."

"Really?" sighed the phantom player. "In that case, I hope you will be careful in the future."

The tall giant watched him leave as he stood frozen in place. Their manager had helped Kuroko make the shot? Murasakibara turned his head towards Seirin's bench only to see the miko cheering for her team. _'Gome-chin…'_

* * *

"Sugoi," whispered Momoi under her breath. "Are those the results from your training?"

"No," he replied with a monotone. "Kagome was the one that taught him to stop shooting with textbook form. Because Tetsu perfected a unique pass, he uses his palm when he shoots, too. That is why Kagome suggested him to change his form. But the one who turned it into a special technique was Tetsu himself."

* * *

Yosen quickly got the ball onto their side and made their offense. With Fukui bouncing the ball in place, his eyes narrowed the moment Shun came into his line of view. _'Man-to-man defense is their standard. This guy is on me. Number seven is on Liu. Numbers four and eleven are double teaming Himuro. And…,' _his eyes landed on the tiger struggling to push back Okamura' weight.

Kagami grunted under his breath as he stood behind the Yosen captain. He felt his own feet beginning to slide back the more Okamura took his steps backwards. _'He is securing his position by force!'_

Fukui quickly found his opening and passed the ball towards his own captain before Okamura made the shot. Okamura scoffed as he looked at the tiger beside him. "Oh? Were you there the whole time? I forgot. You are just so light."

"What did you say?" glared Kagami as he caught the insult.

Watching his anger already getting the best of him, Kagome sighed before noticing Mitobe shaking slightly. "Mitobe-senpai? Are you alright?"

The silent basketball player turned his head towards Koganei as he moved his hand in a circle and shifted his eyebrows up and down. Koganei quickly nodded and turned to both girls beside him. "Coach, Kagome-chan, Mitobe says it's not working with Kagami."

'_He understood him like that?' _the miko's sweat drop appeared.

"I know that," sighed Riko while returning her attention onto the court, _'but Kagami and Teppei are the only ones who can face off against Yosen's height.'_

Kuroko was quickly given the ball before he disappeared from Fukui's defense. Fukui's eyes widened slowly as he experienced Kuroko's movements for the first time head on. _'H-He really does disappear! This is the Vanishing Drive!'_

As Kuroko prepared his form once more to shoot, Liu came forth to stop the ball. _'It's a disappearing shot!'_

"Don't be fooled, Liu!" shouted Himuro.

The ball was passed to the side and into Shun's hands before it was released into the air. Seirin cheered once more as two more points were added to their score. "He made the shot!" shouted Tsuchida.

'_Good,' _sighed Shun as he ran back to defense, _'thanks to Kuroko, we can attack. But Kagami…,' _his eyes landed under Yosen's net seeing Kagami struggling once again with Okamura. Okamura was quickly given the ball from Fukui before he pivoted around the tiger and made the shot.

"It's no use," whispered Koganei as he began to see the anger inside the tiger increase. "He can't stop him."

Kagami cursed under his breath as he placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Why could he not stop him? It was beginning to irritate him to no end. _'This guy's size and power…his movements make it obvious he is a former center, too. I don't know what to do!'_

"Kagami."

The tiger flinched while a tick on his forehead began to throb the moment he felt a familiar hand begin to pat over his head over and over again.

"Your hips," spoke Kiyoshi after another pat. "Drop your hips."

"That hurts!" he shouted back as he backed away. "I am already doing that! Don't you have any other advice?"

With a blink, Kiyoshi tilted his head to the side slightly in thought. "Other advice?" He looked away for a second before giving Kagami a serious look. "He is big. You should be careful."

"I know that!"

"Really?" chuckled the brunette. "Never mind, then. We ran our legs off over the summer to strengthen our hips and legs. As long as you remember those two things, you won't lose."

Kagami blinked as he watched Yosen returning back in offense. Planting his feet on the ground, the tiger was met with Okamura's back once more. Kiyoshi's words continued to play over and over in his head as he felt Okamura push him back. _'Damn it!' _he grunted. _'In any case, I need to keep him out of the inside. First, I need to lower my hips. Then- there is no second piece of advice! Hold on!' _Kagami's eyes widened as he finally realized what Kiyoshi meant about the size. _'If I should be careful of his size, that means…'_

Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath as he saw the tiger bend his knees further down until he found his ground. "See?" he whispered. "I told you you wouldn't lose."

'_H-He's not moving!' _Okamura's eyebrow twitched as he felt his body completely stop under Kagami's built. "You little brat!"

"I figured it out," scoffed Kagami in return, loving to see that he was giving back the irritation. "I subconsciously wasn't lowering my center of gravity enough because of your height."

"Don't underestimate me!" shouted Okamura as he caught the ball in his hand and went straight for a dunk.

"Not deep enough!" Kagami jumped beside the Yosen captain while his hand reached up to stop the ball. "I can catch up!" Slapping the ball away from the hoop, he looked at the Seirin center. "Rebound!"

Kiyoshi quickly used his strong grip to capture the ball before throwing it across the court. As Hyuga captured the ball into his hand, he dribbled it towards their hoop. With Murasakibara in his way, he faked his shot before throwing it under the tall giant's legs and towards the phantom player. The Seirin's captain's eyes widened as he watched Murasakibara pivot around behind Kuroko to stop his shot.

"Kuroko-kun!" shouted Hyuga in a warning before seeing him release the ball once again in his disappearing shot.

"Kurochin!" Murasakibara grunted under his breath as he failed to stop the ball again.

The crowd cheered along with Seirin as the points were counted and added to their score. The miko smiled as she heard the buzzer announce the end of the second quarter. Her eyes landed on the scoreboard and noticed the point difference. _'Twelve points away, but we can catch up. I know we can.' _As she handed Hyuga and Kiyoshi a towel, the referee's announcement was heard.

"We will now take a break."

The five Seirin members sat on the bench while cleaning off their sweat as their eyes remained on the leaving Yosen team. The miko handed Kagami a water bottle whispering his name. "Kagami-kun…"

"Yeah," he nodded, turning his head to face her. "Man, it's eerie. This isn't all they got. The worst is still coming."

* * *

"Well, that certainly was a surprise," chuckled Koga as he stood from his seat, "but no doubt Yosen hasn't revealed everything they can do."

"If you ask me," sighed Shippo, coming to rest his elbows over the rim of the balcony, "Seirin has plenty to worry about in the next half."

Alex hated to admit to their truthful words, but there was no hiding the fact on Yosen's strength still hidden within. Even she could see Himuro had not shown everything he was capable of doing. "If their offense keeps relying on Kuroko, they will run out of steam in the second half."

The inu youkai raised a brow while following the miko exiting the court behind the team. _'What will you do, miko?'_

* * *

Araki crossed her arms as her team stood across from inside the locker room. She was not sure what to say after witnessing Kuroko's shooting. That definitely had not been in their data. With a sigh, she closed her eyes as she began to form a plan for the upcoming quarter. "Seirin should bench number eleven in the second half," she spoke while opening her eyes to see the seriousness in Yosen's eyes. "The disappearing shots were a surprise, but there must be some necessary condition since they didn't put him in until the second quarter. It is most likely related to his misdirection. If it is, they will definitely return him to the bench. This will be accompanied by a change in their formation."

"But they might keep him in like they did against Tōō and use his Overflow," cut in Okamura.

"No, they won't," she shook her head. She was afraid of the same thing, but after having gone through their data, she had seen Kuroko's Overflow was a risky move to take in a match. It was not worth using in every single match if they planned to beat their opponents in the future. "In the second half, Murasakibara's opponent will be Kiyoshi and you will handle their ace Kagami, Himuro."

"Do you best," Murasakibara spoke as he looked at Himuro from the corner of his eyes. "I am starting to hate him. Well, I hate Kiyoshi more now since they have Gome-chin with them."

Himuro snickered under his breath as he heard Murasakibara's comment. "Don't worry, Atsushi. I will handle him."

* * *

"We can't use Kuroko-kun's Misdirection Overflow against Yosen."

Riko lowered her eyes as she and Kagome stood side to side in front of their team. The second half would be difficult and coming up with a plan had to hold no mistakes.

"What?" blinked Koganei. "Why not?"

"We can't expect the same explosive effect we saw against Tōō. Kuroko-kun's Overflow has two effects," Riko sighed as she closed her sight. "He increases his team's offensive power by granting them the ability to use the Vanishing Drive. He also increases his team's defensive power by reducing the accuracy of his opponent's shots."

The miko looked over at the phantom player before parting her lips to speak up. "The problem lies in the defensive power. It's highly effective against outside shooters and slashers, but it will have hardly any effect at all against a team like Yosen that is based on inside plays. We have to score against Murasakibara-kun without Kuroko-kun now."

"In order to do that, Teppei, your strength will become important," Riko spoke as she got a nod in response from the brunette, "and your defense too. The cornerstone of Yosen's offensive will move in the second half. Number twelve…Himuro-kun. If there is anyone who can stop him, it's Kagami-kun. In other words, Kagami-kun needs to beat Himuro-kun and Teppei needs to beat Murasakibara-kun."

Taking a glance over at Kiyoshi and Kagami, the miko felt their auras rise slightly as a new determination draped over their expressions. _'The worst is to come and something tells me Murasakibara-kun has not shown his full potential.'_

* * *

Hyuga took in a deep breath as he and his teammates stood in a straight line before the court. The second half definitely held a heavier pressure than the first, but they had to go in with a prepared mind. As a captain, he could not falter. "All right, let's go!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison as they followed their captain.

"Kiyoshi-senpai, Kagami-kun."

Heaving heard their name being called, both males looked over their shoulder to see the miko giving them a smile. "Murasakibara-kun and Himuro-san are both strong," she spoke, getting confused blinks from the two. "But I don't think you two are any different. You two are strong as well. Go beat them for us."

"Of course we will," scoffed Kagami as he came to flick the miko's forehead.

"Itai…," she whispered before sending the tiger a glare. "Oi!"

"Beat them up, huh?" chuckled the Seirin center. "Sounds good, Kagome-chan," his hand landed over her head before he came to ruffle it in a gentle manner.

"Leave it to us!" they nodded in unison before continuing their path behind their captain.

Kuroko smiled as he sat down on the bench and heard the encouraging words Kagome gave to the two. She knew that the pressure was mostly on them for this game and even he was beginning to worry that they would push themselves too hard. But after hearing Kagome speak, he felt at ease that she was the one to calm everyone down from their nerves.

'_Arigatou, Kagome-chan.'_

* * *

As the buzzer was released for the start of the third quarter, Aomine raised a brow at the sight of Yosen running in offense towards their hoop. His eyes landed on Seirin's bench; Kuroko was bench. _'So they benched Tetsu for this quarter.'_

"This is…," whispered Momoi with a blink upon seeing the formation Seirin had taken over, "a triangle offense!" Her eyes scanned the full court and pinned pointed Hyuga, Mitobe, and Kiyoshi having taking defense against Liu and Okamura under the net. "Kagami-kun is marking Himuro-san and Izuki-san is on Fukui-san? Is this the same formation Yosen had used against them?"

* * *

"They are completely unaffected by our strategy," whispered Riko as she saw the unchanged expression on Yosen's coach. "Obahan must have expected this."

Both Kagome and Riko jumped slightly the moment Araki turned her head towards the two with a twitch of her eyebrow as a glare was sent towards them. The miko nervously chuckled as she whispered beside Riko's ear. "She might have heard you, Riko-senpai."

"F-From that far?" she stuttered. Their attention were brought back onto the court the moment Fukui passed the ball over to Himuro, surprising them on how quick they were to give Himuro and Kagami their one-on-one.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," glared Kagami, keeping his guard up for any movements his opponent would make against him. "Don't hold back, Tatsuya!"

Himuro scoffed with an accompanied smirk as he took in Kagami's expression. "I like the look in your eyes. I am relieved. It sounds like what you said before the game was true. But I will be the victor, Taiga!"

* * *

'_They still had this guy up their sleeve,' _Aomine's eyes narrowed as he observed Himuro's stance. "Number twelve is pretty good."

"Eh?" Momoi raised her eyes to see Aomine's own attention stuck on Kagami's opponent on the court. _'Since this is his first appearance at a tournament, I don't have any data on Himuro-san. Is he good enough to put Dai-chan on guard at a glance?'_

The Tōō ace watched as Himuro moved the ball over his head as he took his stance with the tiger following behind in a jump to block. _'Bad move,' _he sighed seeing Himuro's feet planted on the ground. _'It totally looked like he was going for a shot.' _His eyes followed Himuro's movement as he ran behind the tiger. _'I have never seen such a perfect fake.'_

* * *

"No, you don't!" shouted Hyuga as he came in front of Himuro's path to stop the intended shot. Both he and Kagami froze in place the moment Himuro smoothly transitioned to his next position before jumping up. Eyes followed the movement of the released ball before it was made into the basket.

Seirin could not believe that Hyuga and Kagami had remained locked in place while Himuro moved gracefully in front of them. What the hell had happened?

"I can't believe the captain and Kagami couldn't react at all," whispered Furihata with wide eyes. "What kind of trick is he using?"

"He is not doing anything," replied Riko as she kept her attention on Himuro. "He simply stopped and made a jump shot. However, because he transitioned so smoothly, neither of them noticed him enter his shooting motion. It's an incredibly ordinary play, but each element is of the highest quality."

Kagome exhaled as she lowered her clipboard down to her lap. The form was entirely different from what she had in past games. "He is the exact opposite of the formless Aomine-kun. He adheres strictly to orthodox methods. It's like a…refined dance." Although the comparison was far different, she could help but remember seeing Sesshomaru wield his sword in a graceful manner compared to Inuyasha's and Koga's fighting style. Something that had her captivated.

As the ball returned back into Himuro's hands, Kagami stepped in front of him. Himuro chuckled at the sight of his perseverance to stop him. "You still do, don't you?" he questioned. "Somewhere in your heart, I hope you don't still think of me as your brother."

Kagami blinked at the moment Himuro jumped up and took his aim with the ball. _'It's not a fake this time! Block!' _Jumping in front of him, his arm extended up only to see the ball go through his hand.

"Don't underestimate my Mirage Shot," smirked Himuro as he loved the look of shock on Kagami's face.

The ball was smoothly dropped into basket, surprising Seirin once more with the tricks that were beginning to appear. Hyuga cleared his chin from the sweat as he eyed Himuro closely. _'That is impossible. The ball passed through his block!' _

'_This happened when we played street ball,' _Kagami's eyes stared at his palm. He was sure he was in time to block it. Why did it look like the ball had gone through his hand? Was this some sort of illusion?

"You and I are enemies," Himuro spoke, bringing the tiger out of his thoughts. "Come at me like you are trying to kill me."

Seeing the glare tighten on his person, Kagome closed her eyes with a sigh. "Riko-senpai, it looks like we will need to do a member change."

"Already on it," she nodded as she got up and walked over to the referee table.

Kagami's fingers curled into his palm as he watched Himuro run back into defense. He just could not find it in himself to think of Himuro like an enemy. He couldn't! The sound of a buzzer caught his attention towards the referee table and blinked at the sight of Tsuchida already prepared with Riko behind him.

"Kagami!" Tsuchida called out.

"E-Eh? Me?" he pointed at himself.

"Should we be doing this?" questioned Shun, seeing the tiger walk towards the bench without further arguments.

Kiyoshi exhaled as he placed his hands on his hips. He was surprised as well for the sudden change in members, but even he had seen that Kagami needed to cool down a bit. "They are probably giving him time to cool his head. Kagami's weakness is he can't separate his emotions from the game. He is too kind."

Walking towards the two, Hyuga met up with Kiyoshi and Shun with Mitobe and Tsuchida following behind. "We have bigger problems now. We need to score two points off Yosen. In other words, we have to pierce the Shield of Aegis." The captain turned his head to the center before placing his hand over his shoulder. "You know everything is riding on that first shot, Kiyoshi."

"I know," he smiled back. "Honestly, it is outside my specialty, but I will make the shot."

Taking their offense positions, Seirin kept a close eye on their opponents. Kiyoshi stood in front of Murasakibara as he waited for Shun's move, but his struggle with pushing Murasakibara away was becoming even more stressful on his body.

"You never learn," grunted Murasakibara. "I don't understand why people work so hard when they can't win."

Kiyoshi stayed silent for a second before sending a smile his way. "Whether or not I can win doesn't matter. Working towards a goal is just so much, I can't help myself." Seeing the irritation take over Murasakibara's expression, he could not help but chuckle lowly. "Don't you enjoy basketball?"

"Huh?" he glared back. Rage was beginning to boil in his veins as he watched Kiyoshi catch the passed ball and jump up for a shot. Following in front, Murasakibara clenched his teeth. "It's annoying that you can say things like that. Both you and Kurochin! Don't act like you have accomplish anything when you are only going to lose!"

Himuro blinked as he watched his teammate slap the ball away as it bounced to the other side. With wide eyes, he noticed Shun already in the way to catch the ball. "It's not over yet!" he shouted. Moving forward to defend against Shun, he was surprised the moment the ball was passed towards Kiyoshi on the three-point line. _'N-Nani? When did he get there?!' _With wide eyes, he stood in place while Kiyoshi took the aim and released the ball towards their hoop. _'The center is shooting a three!?'_

The miko was taken back the moment the shot was made. No one had ever mentioned to her that Kiyoshi was able to make three-pointer shots. _'Well what do you know…?'_

"It must have been a fluke," sighed Murasakibara as he watched Seirin cheer for their new points.

"Kiyoshi didn't have any threes in our data," whispered Okamura, keeping his eyes on their opponents. "He can't keep it up."

Fukui scoffed as he rested his hands on his hips. Kiyoshi surely did surprise them, but even he could tell Seirin was unsure about it. "It's not even a clever plan." Passing the ball over to Himuro, he was not surprised the easy shot Himuro had taken after he passed both Tsuchida and Hyuga with his Mirage Shot.

"Damn it!" cursed Tsuchida.

"It's okay," Kiyoshi smiled, placing his hand over his shoulder. "We are just getting started."

"We have taken enough precautions," nodded Hyuga. "Let's go!"

Fukui blinked as he found himself staring at Kiyoshi other than Shun. What was this? Why was he here? _'This guy is the point guard?'_

"Let's have some fun," smiled the brunette as he bounced the ball in place.

The Yosen captain narrowed his eyes at the sight. Even he was on edge by the sudden change in positions. "What do they think they are doing?"

Kagome blinked as Kiyoshi quickly faked his way through Fukui's path and jumped upwards for another three-pointer shot. She never expected for Kiyoshi to take Shun's spot. Then again, she remembered having heard Kiyoshi being not only good as a center, but as point guard. _'Kiyoshi-senpai, don't strain yourself too much.' _Her eyes landed on Murasakibara having taken a step forward and jumping in front of Kiyoshi's person.

"Everything you do is so annoying, Kiyoshi!"

* * *

"So that's how it is," chuckled Aomine as he caught Seirin's plan. "Seirin is going to win this battle." He smirked the moment Kiyoshi swiftly passed the ball over to his right. With Shun catching it with ease and going forward to shoot the ball. "Repeated attacked can't beat Murasakibara's defense. With those reflexes and his huge body, he can reach most shots without jumping. However, even Murasakibara has to jump to stop Kiyoshi's mid-and long distance shots. If he jumps, his next move is delayed by the time it takes for him to land. He can't stop attack like that, even if he knows they are coming."

* * *

Seirin's bench were left wide eyed the moment they caught both Liu and Murasakibara behind Shun in attempt to tip off the ball. "Murasakibara is following!" shouted Kawahara.

"It's all right," smirked Riko with crossed arms. "His Eagle Eye is truly useful in situations like these."

"His Eagle Eye?" whispered Kagome as she returned her attention on the pun user and noticed him pass the ball over Murasakibara's head without looking back.

"I said it doesn't matter if I win, but don't get the wrong idea," Kiyoshi took his jump behind Murasakibara as his hand reached for the passed ball. "I don't intend to lose, either!" he shouted before gripping the ball in his hand and dunking it in the moment Murasakibara's body was close to touching ground.

Speechless at the sudden move, Kagome was surprised by how well Kiyoshi was carrying himself. But another part of her was beginning to worry for the tall center. He was never the type to show pain or tiredness. Her eyes followed the movements of Seirin as they formed the same formation in their offense. _'Is Kiyoshi-senpai going to shoot again?' _she questioned herself, seeing Hyuga pass the ball over to the brunette. _'But,' _her eyes landed on the purple haired male under the net, _'Murasakibara won't fall for the same trick twice…right?' _In a matter of seconds, she found herself staring at the tall giant jumping in front of Kiyoshi as his aura slowly rose. _'His aura…'_

"Atsushi!" shouted Himuro as he caught the fake.

'_What the hell am I doing?!' _Murasakibara clenched his teeth together. He knew he should have not jumped, yet here he was! He could not believe how easily Kiyoshi had pushed his buttons. _'I am doing the same thing as before!'_

Kiyoshi quickly passed the ball around Murasakibara's back before Shun captured it and confronted both Okamura and Liu. Despite their blockage, Shun smirked before sending he ball to the side towards Hyuga's way.

"Yosh!" exclaimed Hyuga as he caught the ball between his hands. "Things are starting to flow well here, too!" Without a second to waste, Hyuga took his aim and shot the ball right into the basket; three points added to their score.

The buzzer was heard throughout the stadium as everyone stopped in their actions. "White, time out!" called out the referee.

* * *

"A time out, huh?" sighed Aomine as he watched Yosen's bench. "Looks like they weren't expecting that."

Momoi nodded as she placed her fingers under her chin, seeing the serious look Araki had on her face. "Considering Kiyoshi-san's long range shooting percentage, Mukkun doesn't need to jump." She figured Murasakibara knew better than to let his opponents rile him up.

"They took precautionary measures to stop him. The first was the three he made earlier. Making that made a huge difference," Aomine spoke. He had to agree that although it was a risk to take considering Kiyoshi's specialty was not shooting, it had worked to put Yosen at the edge. "Even if his percentage is low, making them think he might make another had a big impact. Furthermore, Kiyoshi has his Right of Postponement. When he goes for a shot, he is really trying to make it at first instead of faking."

"Could there be another reason?" questioned Momoi, taking a glance to her side. "I know Mukkun wouldn't have made the same mistake twice."

Releasing a heavy sigh, Aomine's hand came up to scratch the back of his head. "The last one is only a guess, but I think he provoked Murasakibara."

"Eh?

"I don't know what he said. He doesn't like those kinds of guys in the first place, anyway. And I think Murasakibara has seen Kagome's potential to the team. She is the one who helped Tetsu find a way to create a better way to shoot. Those measures are moving Murasakibara's body. He is even using his own hatred against them. Seirin may look nice, but they are tough."

* * *

"Kiyoshi-senpai."

Lifting his head from his inner thoughts, the called brunette blinked as he came to stare at a white towel. His eyes landed on the miko as she sent him a smile. With a smile of his own, he took the towel and began to clean the sweat off his forehead. "Arigatou, Kagome-chan."

The miko nodded in reply as her eyes remained glued on the center in front of her. _'He is sweating so much,' _she commented to herself before coming to stare at the rest of the players sitting on the bench. _'Of course he is. He is the point guard on offense and the center on defense. It's like doing two jobs at once.'_

"Kagome."

Hearing her name, the miko shifted her sight to the tiger as he sat beside the brunette. With a few blinks, Kagome tilted her head to the side: "Yes?"

"Kagome, I need a favor," he spoke in a low voice. "Could you go throw this out?"

"Throw it out?" she questioned as she placed her hand under his. The moment Kagami removed his hand from hers, her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the ring she recognized as his special memory. Taking a glance to the phantom player having the same surprised expression, she was unsure if to comply with his favor. "Are you sure?" she asked, turning back to face the silent tiger.

"I thought this was an important memento," added Kuroko, seeing Kagami narrow his eyes slightly.

"It's fine. Keeping it only makes it harder to let go. Besides, between my past with Tatsuya and my future with you two," Kagami sighed before sending the miko a smile, "it is obvious which is more important."

Kagome's shoulders slumped before setting her eyes back on the ring necklace as her fingers curled around it tightly. As the buzzer called them back, Kagome stood still as Kagami was placed back in and walked past her.

"Don't throw it away, Kagome-chan," whispered Kuroko, grabbing her attention away from her fist.

"I know…," her lips curved into a smile, "I know." Turning her head over her shoulder, she watched the tiger confront Himuro the moment the ball was passed into his hands. She could see Kagami's aura having more stability the more he began to concentrate on the opponent in front of him. _'He is changing his mindset.' _Her eyes widened slightly as Himuro went up in the air for another Mirage Shot. In a blink of an eye, Kagami's arm extended out in between Himuro's hands as he pushed the ball back.

'_Impossible!' _Himuro's eyes widened. He was sure he had acted quickly on his shot. _'He reached me with that form and from that distance?!'_

"The real battle is only starting, Himuro!" shouted Kagami before he landed back on the ground and ran towards their hoop. Looking to his right, he noticed Shun having caught the ball in his hands. "Izuki-senpai!"

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed as he watched the tiger head his way. It was bad enough Kiyoshi was on the same team annoying the heck out of him. "I will crush you this time, Kagami!"

As the distance decreased between him and the net, Kagami narrowed his eyes in thought. _'What should I do? Should I keep going, or- tch, what am I thinking? The answer is obvious! If I turn back now, I am no ace!' _Kagami planted his feet on the ground before he took a leap forward with the ball in his left hand. "Murasakibara!"

'_So high,' _Murasakibara's eyes rose to see the height of the jump Kagami had taken as he inched closer to the net. _'But if that is all you think it takes to win…,' _he quickly took off in his own jump as his arm extended upwards. "Don't get ahead of yourself!"

Kagami flinched with the force of Murasakibara's hand as the ball was slapped away from his grasp. Gravity took over as he was taken down to the floor.

"Kagami!" shouted Hyuga as he ran to his side. "Are you all right?"

"Sumimazen," Kagami apologized under his breath while taking Hyuga's offering hand to help him back up. "I'm fine."

Yosen's center tightened his gaze on the tiger as he watched him regain his breath. He did not imagine what he had experienced. He had seen the new look in Kagami's eyes. _'What was that? He was trying to do something.'_

The miko raised a brow at the observation she made herself. Not only had she gotten a different reading in Kagami's aura, but Murasakibara's aura was slowly rising in strength. _'What is going on?' _she questioned herself. Her concentration was broken as the ball was passed across the court with Kiyoshi being triple teamed by Yosen.

Kiyoshi looked left and right for any openings to pass the ball until Okamura snaked his over under and tipped it away. _'Crap!' _Kiyoshi eyes widened as the ball was passed from Fukui all the way across the court to Himuro.

"You're not going anywhere, Himuro!" shouted Kagami as he came in front of him and took his stance. Watching him go for a jump, Kagami blinked before setting his feet ready.

The miko's eyes widened slightly as she noticed Kagami's balanced thrown off the moment he stepped over the droplets of sweat. _'Damn it, slipping on sweat at a time like this?' _Kagome followed the tiger's jump as his fingers stretched as far as they could to stop the ball. _'It's no use! He won't make it in time!' _

As Kagami's index finger grazed below the basketball, hers and the tiger's eyes widened as they caught the trick to Himuro's Mirage Shot. "Kagami finally stopped Himuro!" shouted Koganei.

'_No,' _Kagome gripped her pen in hand, _'Kagami-kun just happened to slip which delayed his jump. Then that means…'_

Kagami quickly retrieved the rebounded ball and dribbled it before sending it over to Kiyoshi's person. Cursing under his breath, he found the brunette once again surrounded by three members from Yosen.

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Shun, giving him the signal to pass the ball. With the ball flying towards him, Shun quickly turned around and blinked upon seeing none of his members free to catch the ball. _'They're not open! I have to take the shot!' _Preparing his shot from the three-point line, he released the ball without a second thought. _'Crap!' _he clenched his teeth as the ball bounced back from the backboard.

"You're rushing," spoke Murasakibara as he felt Kagami behind him to catch the rebound. Jumping up to catch the ball, his eyes widened as he noticed another hand coming behind the ball with a tight grip. With a heavy dunk, Murasakibara's eyes narrowed tightly as his head turned over his shoulder to see Kiyoshi having appeared. "Kiyoshi!"

"Kiyoshi is amazing!" shouted Furihata.

"We made another basket!" Fukuda cheered.

The miko quickly stood up from her seat while Kuroko and Riko blinked at her sudden action. Her eyes were wide as she continued to stare at the brunette running back to offense. _'His aura!' _Kagome ran to the edge of the court as Kiyoshi began to lose his balance forward. Despite his heavy weight, the miko wrapped her arms around him before she was pushed down to her knees along with the center. "Kiyoshi-senpai!"

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Hyuga as he caught sight of Riko and Kuroko joining Kagome with his fallen friend.

The referee ran to their spot and took a look at the brunette before blowing on his whistle. "Referee time out!" he called.

Her ears caught the heavy breathing Kiyoshi gave as sweat continued to trickle down his face. With shaking pupils, the miko moved his bangs slightly to the side as he had come to support himself on his hands and knees.

"Gomen, Kagome-chan. I just tripped and fell dramatically," he chuckled as he sent her a smile. "I know how heavy I am. D-Don't worry about me," he slowly stood on his feet with shaking limbs before coming to help the miko up herself. "Don't look like that, Kagome-chan. A smile suits you best."

"Teppei, are you really okay?" questioned Riko.

"I am fine," he nodded back. "Let me play. Please."

'_No, you aren't fine,' _Kagome turned to face the brunette as the rest of his team players questioned his being. _'His aura is becoming weaker and he is pushing himself too much now. He needs to be benched before it gets too late.' _Her fingers curled into her palm as she saw the smile stretch on Kiyoshi's lips.

"We finally rose this far," Kiyoshi spoke as he took a glance over at the scoreboard. "I don't want to interrupt this flow. I can keep playing. Let's all win together!"

Kagome and Riko stood side-to-side as they watched their team walk back to the court. Were they worried? Of course, but they just could not say 'no' to him when he gave them that smile.

In only a matter of seconds, Seirin took their defensive spots before Hyuga intercepted a passing ball by Yosen.

'_Damn it, a steal!' _Fukui cursed as his eyes followed the ball's path into Kiyoshi's hands.

Kiyoshi grabbed the ball between his hands as he took a step back upon seeing three members from Yosen surround his space. Clenching his teeth together, he threw the ball to his right the moment he caught Shun's signal. Shun nodded towards Kagami and Mitobe as they charged towards Murasakibara's post under the net.

"A three man attack!?" exclaimed Furihata.

"Huh~ you think you can take me?" scoffed Murasakibara. "I'll crush you all at once!" The tall giant blinked as the ball was bounced behind Shun before Kiyoshi came forth and prepared his aim to the net. _'His rhythm and form are off. He won't make this one.' _Murasakibara bent his knees for a jump only to be stopped by Mitobe's body coming in front of him and pushing him down. _'This bastard. Is he using all his strength to slow me down?'_ Extending his arm upwards, his eyes widened the moment Kagami had beat him to the ball before it was taken down into a dunk.

"He made it!" shouted Koganei. "We are only five points behind!"

As she heard the cheering from the crowd and the team, Kagome could not help but notice Murasakibara standing alone under the net with a fuming glare. Even as both teams returned to their game play, she could see his aura slowly rising from his body. _'C-Chotto…'_

The purple haired male flexed his muscles as his fingers curled into his palm. His eyes remained on the target of his irritation. _'I'll show you just how cruel a sport basketball is.' _

Kagome shook her head as she watched Murasakibara take his steps forward. She could not believe what she was seeing. He was leaving his defensive post. _'This isn't good…,' _her eyes landed on the tall center the moment he stepped on the middle of the court.

"I can't take it anymore," grunted Murasakibara. His eyes narrowed at the sight of everyone's and even his own team's eyes widened at the sight of him having crossed the other side of the court. "It's so displeasing, I could puke. Watching you squirm.'

Hyuga's pupils shook at the sight of the tall center coming closer. _'H-How are we supposed to stop this?!'_

'_Hard work, determination, faith…I will crush them all! All of them!' _Murasakibara's glare tightened as he saw each Seirin member place their guard up at the sight of him.

"Murasakibara is on offense?" questioned Tsuchida.

"I thought his specialty was defense…," whispered Koganei.

Kuroko's eyes lowered to his lap while remembering back to his middle days when he would go against Murasakibara's beliefs. Although he was surprised to see him move from the defense position, he knew the worst was yet to come. "Murasakibara-kun is one of the more combative members of the Generation of Miracles. While he has little interest in basketball and is lazy, he is actually better at offense."

"Seriously?" questioned Kagome as she looked at Kuroko from the corner of her eyes. Why had he not informed her of this when she asked at the café the day before?

The phantom player gave her a nod in response while keeping his gaze on his former teammate now having placed a new pressure. "In games like this that incur his wrath, he has scored a record hundred points in a single game."

"A hundred!?" exclaimed the first years on the bench.

Kagome sighed before turning her head towards Yosen's bench. Blinking at the sight of Araki in a standing position, she began to question if this was even part of their plan.

Crossing her arms, Araki was careful not to show shock on her face. She was beyond surprised to see the laziest member on her team moving on his own. _'I didn't expect Murasakibara to move on his own, but it's a fortunate miscalculation on our part. Thanks for waking the monster.'_

"I'll show you," Murasakibara spoke. "I'll show you such unfair play, it will make your pretty words meaningless!"

Hyuga cursed under his breath as he, Mitobe, and Kiyoshi rushed to surround their newer threat. They could not risk it at this point. They had to take Murasakibara's threat seriously now that they were hitting the end of the third quarter.

"We don't expect to stop you with one," grunted Kiyoshi as he stood behind the tall male.

"Eh~," Murasakibara's tone stretched as he caught a glimpse of the brunette over his shoulder. "So what?" Taking steps back, his limbs and back collided with the three Seirin members. With every step he took back, Seirin flinched at the pain of their own bodies hitting against Murasakibara's. Seeing the ball coming his way, Murasakibara caught the ball in the hair before he slammed his feet back down on to the court. With a growl under his breath, he quickly turned around to face the hoop in mid-air before slamming the ball into the net with full force; the three Seirin members knocked down onto the ground from the strength.

"The hammer of destruction: Thor's Hammer," whispered Araki as she nodded at the sight of her true weapons showing their strength.

"Ah, gomen~. I didn't think you would be knocked down so easily," scoffed the purple haired male as he watched Kiyoshi from over his shoulder.

"We are not finished yet!" he shouted back. Kiyoshi retrieved the abandoned ball from the floor before passing it to Shun who had already taken a head start in his run.

'_With Murasakibara on offense, we will have opportunities for counterattacks! We will take back our points with fast breaks!' _Shun's eyes widened as he felt a shadow overcasting his person. Turning his head back, he could not believe Murasakibara was already behind his tail. _'He caught up!? You're kidding!'_

"Izuki!"

Hearing Kiyoshi's voice, Shun wasted no time in passing the ball to their center only to realize Yosen had gone to a man-to-man formation.

"I will stop you myself," Murasakibara grunted, keeping a close eye on his target. "Come on!"

Kiyoshi ran forward before leaping into the air for a dunk. As Murasakibara met him eye-to-eye, Kiyoshi's eyes shifted to the corner to see Shun ready for the pass as planned. Murasakibara slapped the ball away from his grasp, ending the plan completely.

'_H-He blocked the path with his left hand!?' _Kagome's eyes widened at having seen Murasakibara stop Kiyoshi's Right of Postponement completely in mid-air.

"I am tired of that strategy!" shouted Murasakibara, seeing the shock fill inside Kiyoshi's orbs. As the ball bounced down onto the floor, Fukui ran past the brunette before taking the ball for himself and heading the opposite way. In a matter of seconds, Fukui threw the ball into the air for Murasakibara to catch as he took a jump towards their hoop.

"No, you don't, Murasakibara!" Kagami jumped in between the basket and Murasakibara as he reached to stop the dunk.

Kagome's eyes widened as Murasakibara gave out a yell before slamming the ball into the basket with full force. The entire structure shook as Kagami was thrown back into the protective wall wrapped around the steel bar of the hoop. "Kagami-kun!" she shouted in worry before watching Murasakibara let go of the hoop and jump down onto the court. She and the rest of the audience around witnessed the hoop beginning to lean forward in a slow pace as the screws became lose.

"Basketball is a contest of shortcomings," grunted Murasakibara. "The hoops is three meters in the air. You can't call that fair. The game favors the tall. That's the foundation of this shitty sport. What's so fun about this?"

Everyone flinched as the hoop completely fell down onto the court as the glass behind shattered into pieces. Eyes remained glued on the destruction that was a rarity in the basketball world.

"To me, all ideals are nothing but trash," Murasakibara continued as his eyes stayed on the piece of glass.

Kuroko's eyes shook as this was the first time he had ever seen Murasakibara in such a manner. He never thought Murasakibara would be able to brake the entire structure of the hoop to the floor.

"That's not funny…," whispered Hyuga with wide eyes.

"Honestly, I have never been more glad he on our side," Fukui sighed. He would be lying for the team if they said they were not shocked to see Murasakibara having broken the hoop entirely.

The miko quickly turned her head to see Kiyoshi's condition. With his hands on his knees, his breathing was heavier than before along with his aura slowly decreasing in strength. What could she do? She was just standing there. She had to do something!

The referee's whistle was heard before he made his announcement: "D-Due to the broken hoop, the game will be put on hold until it can be replaced!"

* * *

Releasing a low whistle between his lips, the kitsune blinked a bit astonished at the sight of the broken hoop structure. "Woah~ talk about human strength. I never thought basketball would have such…surprises."

"Even I am taken back," scoffed Koga as his eyes shifted to the teams returning back to the locker rooms.

"He can be classified as a demon…," whispered Shippo under his breath.

Alex sighed with crossed arms as she followed Himuro with her eyes. _'Tatsuya. Taiga….'_

Koga scratched the back of his head: "Well, the fourth quarter is coming soon and Seirin will need a comeback soon."

"You think they will even have the spirit to do so?" Shippo raised a brow. He could not blame Seirin if their determination had been flushed away after Murasakibara displayed his new hidden strength.

The wolf youkai clicked his tongue inside his mouth as he noticed the miko's worrisome expression before she disappeared into the exit. _'That girl is the most worried at this point…'_

* * *

"Atsushi."

The tall male stopped in his steps before turning his head over his shoulder towards his caller. With a raised brow, he noticed Himuro's serious look. "Nani?"

Himuro sighed as he watched the rest of his team walk inside the locker room before he could have a one-on-one talk with the first year. He could tell Murasakibara was boiling with anger at this point and it was only a matter of minutes into the game before he fully exploded. But there was still one thing in Seirin they needed to stop. "Atsushi, if Kuroko makes a disappearing shot, don't slap the ball way."

"Eh~?" he blinked. "Why are you bringing up Kurochin?"

"Listen to me," he continued as his eye lowered to the tile floor, "his shot appears to disappear, but the ball doesn't disappear. Kuroko's Phantom Shot is a true weapon in this match. Even if you can't see it, the ball is following a flight path like a normal shot."

"So how do you stop it?" questioned Murasakibara.

"When blocking his shots, keep your arm out between him and the hoop. That is the trick to Kuroko's Phantom Shot."

* * *

Silence.

Dead silence.

Shifting her eyes from left to right, the miko could not help but feel her mind pulse slightly as her stress levels began to increase. There had to be something even she could do to help the team. Everyone's auras were distressed and wavering in so many levels of emotions – even hers. Setting her eyes on Kiyoshi and Kagami, she could sense their auras were at their lowest in strength. _'My only option is-,' _the thoughts were quickly shaken away. She could not do what she wanted to do no matter how much her conscious was telling her to do so.

"Miina…"

Attentions were drawn to the phantom player as they noticed him standing from his seat. "I think I have a formation that can go against Yosen's offense and defense."

The entire team blinked in silence as they registered Kuroko's words.

'_A formation?' _questioned Kagome. _'What kind of formation?'_

* * *

Making her way down the quiet and vacant hallway, the miko sighed softly as she looked at the two yen in her hand. _'Hopefully some coffee can alleviate this headache,' _she thought to herself as the vending machines came up in her view. _'Kuroko-kun's formation plan sounds like it could work, but it really depends if Murasakibara-kun plays like we hope he does.' _ And perhaps he would seeing he had broken the hoop due to his anger.

Kagome blinked as she caught sight of a familiar purple haired male coming her way. Stopping in her steps in front of the vending machine, she could not help but begin to feel her nerves suddenly crawl out of her skin in goosebumps. Of all people she had to come across him?

Murasakibara took a glance towards her before turning to the vending machine besides her. Placing his money inside, he found his desired treat and pushed the button before it dropped down.

The miko raised a brow as she caught him grabbing a bag of chips. "I am surprised you can eat such a thing before the game resumes," she commented.

"Eh~," he blinked, gliding his eyes to the corner to see the petite female beside him. "It isn't like Seirin is much of a challenge, Gome-chin."

A nerve twitched beside the miko's eyebrow as she caught the insult. He was calling her weak too. Deciding not to answer, Kagome placed her money into the vending machine before choosing the canned coffee of her choice. As the canned coffee dropped, she bent down to retrieve it before coming back up and staring at the label of her drink. The silence between them was thick to the point she could feel it weighing her down. Her thumb grazed over the label as she parted her lips to speak. "I can't read you, Murasakibara-kun."

Murasakibara's eyebrow rose with narrowed eyes.

"Unlike the other Generation of Miracles I have met so far and gone against in matches, I can't read you," the miko sighed before bringing up her next question she was afraid to ask. "Do you like basketball?"

The tall male's eyebrows furrowed to the question as he had heard it before. The words were a like trigger to his annoyance.

"I don't understand why you would hate other people's hard work," she continued. Was it jealousy or perhaps lack of ambition?

"You wouldn't understand, Gome-chin," he replied as his grip tightened on the bag of chips.

Turning to face him, the miko lowered the can to her side. "I believe it is you who doesn't understand, Murasakibara-kun-" Her pupils widened the moment she found herself backed against the vending machine. Her eyes raised to meet the purple irises tightened in a glare. Being this close in this situation, she finally understood the intimidation most people would have.

Murasakibara kept his gaze on the miko as his hands remained on either side of her body despite his tall figure easily over towering her. He had her caged in with fear like most people would feel. "Don't make me hate you, Gome-chin…or I will crush you."

The threat breezed into her ears before sending him a glare back. Most people would be writhing in fear under his gaze and presence, but Kagome was not a normal person to begin with.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well looks like the rest of the match will move onto Chapter 27! A big thing will also happen in the next chapter along with us moving to season 3 of Kuroko no Basket (technically by the anime timeline). So please continue with the support, I truly appreciate it!

Side note: 'Obahan' means 'middle-aged woman'

P.S: For some that have not checked my Tumblr or don't have one, I am going to start selling mugs (to raise money for my study abroad program) with drawn chibis on them soon! I have a few Kuroko chibi mugs ready and will be drawing Magi, Gintama, Gangsta, and other anime characters! I will post an Author's Note when they are ready to sell! On my Tumblr there is a picture on what they look like.

Thank you for reading.

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	27. Quitting Bonds

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **This. Is. The. Longest. Chapter. Yet. My gosh did it take a long time to type up. I am at only two hours of sleep, but mainly because I caught up writing, drawing, and watching Shougeki no Soma...oops. But anyways, since school starts next Monday, updates may begin to slow down. So hopefully long chapters can counter that?

I truly appreciate all the love and support I have been given by all of you. Your reviews and messages definitely help me continue and lift my spirits up when I don't feel like writing (or do anything).

So what happens in this chapter? A lot. That is all I have to say. I do hope readers like it because...I am super nervous on this chapter. NERVOUS. So enjoy!

**Chapter 27: Quitting Bonds **

* * *

Keeping her expression unchanged to the giant's threat, the miko raised her head to send her own glare back. Who did he think he was to deliver such a threat? Crush her? If only he knew the pain she could inflict herself; at her height she could do so much.

"No one is telling you to hate, Murasakibara-kun. You are doing that to yourself," she spoke, receiving a raised brow from the purple haired male. "Now," Kagome leaned away from the vending machine, "move as I have a team to look after."

Murasakibara released her from her his body cage before he placed both hands on either side of the chip bag. "I will crush Seirin," he opened the bag with ease before digging his hand inside for his snack. "You should stick to just making mochi, Gome-chin. I would hate to crush you."

The miko's shoulder slumped as her eyes followed Murasakibara's form leaving her presence. After Murasakibara had displayed his strength onto the broken hoop stand, she was sure there was more to him that he was still not revealing.

'_His lack of caring are stopping him from showing what he is truly capable of,' _Kagome's eyes lowered to the ground as she looked at the canned coffee in her hand. _'But if he were to show it, I am not sure Kiyoshi-senpai or the rest of the players could handle it.' _

"I am amazed you handled yourself well with Atsushi."

Kagome's eyes snapped up before turning her head to the right and meeting the pair of different colored eyes. Relaxing her composure from within, Kagome's body turned to face him before taking her steps down towards the locker room.

"Not everyone can stand up to Atsushi like you did. Even the Generation of Miracles had trouble controlling him, but I can see that you are handling them all well."

She stopped beside the former captain of the Generation of Miracles while keeping her gaze down the hall. Running into him was starting to become more of a frequent event than a coincidence. Running into the captain of Rakuzan would be taboo in her own mind as she was keeping this a secret from Seirin. A sigh passed between her lips before they parted to speak back: "It isn't that I am handling the Generation of Miracles, Akashi-kun," she turned her head to the side to see his gold orb staring at her from the corner of his eye, "I am protecting Seirin with the best of my ability."

"Protect, huh?" he chuckled under his breath. Akashi nodded slightly before resuming his path the opposite way: "but what can you do as their manager, Kagome?"

Her fingers curled into free palm as she stared at Akashi's back. What could she do? Was he testing her or simply making fun of her in his own way?

"Seirin can't depend on Kagami nor Tetsuya forever, Kagome," he spoke as his voice fainted into the hall. "I do hope you find an answer to _protect _this team of yours."

Returning her eyes onto the floor, she closed them momentarily as she felt a familiar aura appeared behind one of the pillars inside the current lobby. "Koga…," she whispered, having sensed his presence the moment Murasakibara had cornered her. She knew he had appeared for a reason, but kept his presence down while patiently waiting to reveal himself.

"The moment that tall giant cornered you, I was ready to kick his ass," the wolf youkai scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Just because he is tall doesn't mean he can go around threatening everyone he wants. Especially not my woman. Not to mention that kid that I had seen at the cemetery. Now I know why he looks familiar," a scoff was heard from his throat, "the captain of the top high school team in Japan: Rakuzan."

Kagome chuckled softly, letting the 'woman' comment slip past her mind as other things were clouding inside. "Aren't you supposed to be with Sesshomaru-sama and the others?"

"I should be," he sighed, returning his gaze to the miko. The wolf's eyes softened upon seeing her worried gaze down the hall. "But how can I sit tight when someone I care about is in an inner storm with her feelings?"

The miko's head turned to face the serious expression on Koga's face: "Koga…"

"I know what you are thinking. I could read your face from miles away, Kagome," he chuckled. "Although Sesshomaru did say not to do it, I believe you are mature enough to do what is right. Like you said, protecting Seirin is your priority now. If you must do it, we can't stop you."

Upon hearing his words sink into her mind, a small ray of hope enlightened her expression.

"Just know things are going to get complicated once you act upon those decision you make," the wolf youkai passed the miko's body after gently patting her head with his hand, "but I know you will make the right decisions for your team. Good luck, Kagome."

A small smile graced the miko's lips as she looked back at the canned coffee in her hand. Turning body towards her old friend, she called out his name: "Koga!"

Koga blinked as he turned around to see a can drink coming his way. He caught it with ease in one hand before seeing the coffee label. The toothy grin on his lips appeared as he saw the miko run to the locker room for her waiting team. Opening the drink, the wolf brought the can to his lips before twitching at the taste.

"Baka, I hate coffee," he chuckled as he continued to take sips of his gift from the miko.

* * *

The referee's whistle was heard before the ball was given to Shun. With the game resuming with a repaired hoop, both teams had gone head-to-head as time quickly ticked to the end of the third quarter. Seirin knew they had to make as many points as possible if they wanted to catch up before the fourth quarter.

Riko and Kagome remained seated on the bench as they watched Seirin's movements against Yosen's defense. With Shun having passed the ball to Hyuga and then Kiyoshi, Seirin cursed under their breaths the moment Murasakibara had stopped Kiyoshi's dunk and slapped the ball away.

Hyuga clenched his teeth together, surprised to see Murasakibara even more fired up than before. _'He is doing this right out of the gate? We can't stop Murasakibara!'_

With Murasakibara having retrieved the ball into his hands, he quickly made his way towards the other side of the court before pivoting on his foot and slamming the ball into the basket.

'_No doubt his hate is fueling his play,' _the miko bit her bottom lip as she watched the scoreboard. After the break was over, she had seen Kiyoshi's aura continuing to waver in both determination and weakness. Murasakibara definitely had a way to break someone's spirits. The game continued on with Seirin having the ball stole once more from Shun's grasp by Himuro before it was throw towards the hoop.

Kiyoshi felt his knee throb in pain, making his fingers curl into his palm tightly. _'Aren't I good enough?' _he questioned himself as sweat made its comeback. This game was becoming heavy on his injury and even his pride. What could he do?

"Rebound!" shouted Shun.

Hearing his teammate's words, Kiyoshi's head snapped up as his eyes landed on the ball in air. _'No! It's not over yet!' _Kiyoshi quickly ran towards the falling ball before he made his jump. As he reached for the ball, his eyes widened the moment a bigger hand had appeared and gripped the orange ball.

"Is this how you do it?" sighed Murasakibara.

Kagami's pupils widened as he saw the technique Murasakibara had used. "Murasakibara used the Vice Claw!?" he exclaimed.

'_Impossible…,' _Kiyoshi could not believe what he was seeing. Murasakibara had executed his move perfectly without any trouble.

The miko shook her head as she watched Murasakibara dribble the ball to the other side of the court with his eyes on the hoop. He easily passed Shun and Mitobe with his height without losing his concentration.

"You can't be serious!" shouted Kagami as he plated his feet on the ground.

Kiyoshi made his way to assist the tiger in attempt to stop Yosen's ace. "No you don't!" he exclaimed, as he and Kagami prepared their stance for their defense. _'I won't let it happen again!' _Kiyoshi and Kagami jumped upwards with extended arms before Murasakibara's forceful dunk took them down onto the ground.

"Kagami-kun! Kiyoshi-senpai!" shouted Kuroko, seeing both males on the floor.

Riko's hands clasped around her knees as she saw the pain on the brunette's expression. She hated seeing her team in pain and forcing themselves in ways she knew they could not. They had limits for Kami's sake.

'_Damn it,' _Kagome cursed mentally before setting her eyes on the collapsed brunette. He was barely moving onto his hands and knees with his body shaking with pain and heavy weight. "Kiyoshi-senpai!" The miko stood from her seat as her eyes shook at the sight of his aura at a thin line. Taking a step forward, she blinked at a stop the moment she caught Murasakibara offering a hand to their center.

"Wari…," whispered Kiyoshi as he took the help without looking before he was pulled up high to Murasakibara's eye level.

"This is reality," scoffed the purple haired male as he saw how easily it was to pick up another. He had Kiyoshi in his hand with his feet off the ground. "Unable to do anything, you ran out of strength," he spoke, seeing the look of defeat in Kiyoshi's orbs. "If you're benched, you will die completely inside. No matter how you struggle, Seirin will lose. How do you feel?" he asked mockingly. "You weren't able to protect anything again, but did you have fun playing basketball?"

Kagome's eyes scrunched in anger as she saw her senpai bite his lip in complete defeat. She had to do it; the decision was made.

"Murasakibara, what do you think you're doing!?" shouted Hyuga as he came to his friend's aid.

"I just helped him up," he replied with boredom. "Here," he pushed Kiyoshi's body towards the captain before making his way back to the defense position under the net.

Hyuga caught the brunette in his arms as he saw how weak his friend's body was. Had he reached his limit already?

"Seirin, member change!" the referee called as the buzzer sounded off.

Kuroko pulled on his wristband before coming to Hyuga's and Kiyoshi's side. He blinked in worry as he saw Kiyoshi's arm around Hyuga's shoulder. He could barely stand on his own. "Kiyoshi-senpai…," he whispered.

The brunette sent the phantom player a smile before releasing Hyuga from his weight. Making his way to Kuroko's side, he weakly supported himself with his hand coming on top of Kuroko's shoulder. With shaking lips, Kiyoshi closed his eyes: "Sumana. The rest is up to you."

Kagome gripped her sleeve from her elbow as she saw Kiyoshi's own hand clasp tightly over Kuroko's shoulder.

"Please win," he spoke as he bit his lip hard enough to draw a small amount of blood. Letting go of Kuroko's shoulder, he made his way towards the bench as Riko helped him sit with Kagome quickly getting the first aid and coming onto one knee to check his injury.

"Murasakibara, teme!" Kagami turned with a glare towards the Yosen center.

"Ah~?" Murasakibara blinked. "What are you so mad about?"

Kuroko walked over to the two before tightening his own glare on his former teammate. "You said if we benched Kiyoshi-senpai, Seirin would lose, no matter how we struggled."

"Yeah," he replied.

"The game isn't over yet. Besides," Kuroko's fists clenched on either of his body as he saw Murasakibara's unaffected emotion, "even if he is not on the court, his will is with us. I will beat you in his place!"

"Beat me? If you're being serious, I'll crush you! Even you, Kurochin."

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed as he heard the threat loud and clear. "I will never lose to someone like you who denies the efforts of others!"

"I keep telling you, your pretty words are so annoying, Kurochin!"

The miko reacted herself with a tightened glare as she heard both Kuroko and Murasakibara argue on the court. Her eyes remained on Kiyoshi's knee as she could see the extent of his injury. Taking out some tape to wrap around his knee, the miko's eyes tightened in thought. _'Kiyoshi-senpai has had this injury for quite some time, but I can heal what he has made worse recently. In order to heal a 'permanent' injury, it is going to take some time. I may not be able to heal it completely right now, but I can heal him at least to be able to continue on with the tournament,' _her eyes rose to see his head hung down with a towel overcasting his eyes, _'if he would like.'_

The referee blew on his whistle as the game resumed with Kuroko catching the passed ball into his hands before dribbling it over to their hoop. With Liu in coming in front, Kuroko passed him in a blink of an eye with his Vanishing Drive. Kuroko got into his stance to shot before Murasakibara appeared over him with his hand coming up to stop the Phantom Shot.

Shun blinked as he noticed the close gap Murasakibara had put between himself and their phantom player. "He is closing in faster than the last half!" Has he figured out the trick to Kuroko's shot?

Kuroko narrowed his eyes as he saw Murasakibara's hand covering the basket from his view. Unfazed, Kuroko pushed the ball out into the air by his palm, letting it disappear over Murasakibara's form.

The purple haired male's eyes widened at the sight of the disappearing ball. He had listened to Himuro's advice, so why could he not block the ball? _'I can't touch the ball at this height?!' _

"Atsushi, no!" shouted Himuro the moment he noticed Kuroko's primary intent. "It's a pass!"

Kagami jumped behind Murasakibara as he reached for the ball before he gripped it and dunked it into the basket. The tiger's fingers curled around the hoop as he tried to shake it before his feet came slamming down onto the court. "Tch," he clicked his tongue, "I can't break it after all."

"Teme…," grunted Murasakibara as he heard the mocking tone.

"All right!" shouted Koganei as he threw his fist up in the air. "We got two more points!"

Releasing a sigh, Murasakibara slowly made his way towards the phantom player. This was pissing him off to the ends of the earth! "You're all about working together, aren't you? But I told you. Everything is trash before me."

All eyes widened at the sight of Murasakibara having marked Kuroko. Kuroko held his ground as his shoulder came into contact with Murasakibara's back. "Of course we are working together," spoke Kuroko, "however, I told you. Murasakibara-kun, I will beat you!"

"If you keep playing around, you will get hurt, Kurochin!"

"I am not playing around," he replied, struggling to push Murasakibara's weight away from him. "I am going to stop you, Murasakibara-kun."

* * *

"Mukkun is marking Tetsu-kun?" Momoi blinked astonished at the sight. She never imagined Murasakibara finding Kuroko as a threat. "What is going on?"

Aomine raised a brow as he began to see Murasakibara taking steps back with Kuroko's feet being dragged. No surprise to him to see the difference in strength there.

'_I see what Tetsu is doing…'_

* * *

Murasakibara blinked as he felt the weight of Kuroko's strength behind him. _'This is- He is so light,' _he blinked with shock as he continued to take steps backwards, _'you are so light, I can't even tell you are there! What are you made of, cotton candy!?'_

Fukui scoffed as he saw the struggle Kuroko was having on defense. Like anyone could stop Murasakibara in the first place. "It's like he is not even there!" he shouted before throwing the ball towards the purple haired male. "Make the shot, Atsushi!"

Turning around, Murasakibara blinked as he found himself with a missing Kuroko. _'He is not there?' _he questioned himself. He was there a few seconds ago! _'Where did he go!?' _

"Atsushi!" shouted Himuro.

The moment Murasakibara moved his elbow, he felt it collide with someone. All eyes witnessed the phantom player falling back onto the floor as Murasakibara stood frozen. The referee's whistle was heard within a second of the hit and made his signal: "Charging, white number nine! Seirin ball!"

Kagome took a few blinks as she noticed what Kuroko had been trying to do from the start. If Kuroko wanted to make his formation plan work, they needed to take the ball back from Yosen's possession.

"Are you okay?" asked Kagami as he helped the phantom player back on his feet.

"Arigatou," Kuroko nodded. Setting his eyes on Murasakibara, he slowly tried regaining his breath. "Basketball's not so simple that you can win just by being big, Murasakibara-kun."

"You have done it now," he glared back.

* * *

"I see," sighed Aomine, placing his hands inside his pockets. "He used his lack of power and presence to make him think he wasn't even there, and moved into his path. He used the similar tactic with me."

A small smirk made its way up onto his lips. Kuroko was sure full of surprises himself.

* * *

"Nice work, Kuroko," Hyuga gave the phantom player a pat on his back as they huddled together for the next strategy.

Shun chuckled with his hand coming to scratch the back of his head. "When you said you would take on Murasakibara alone in the locker room, I couldn't believe it, but that worked."

"I won't be able to use that strategy anymore," Kuroko whispered. "After this, let me use _that _defense formation I spoke about."

Hyuga nodded before the whistle was heard, putting them into formation. With Shun passing him the ball, Hyuga scooted back the moment Okamura blocked his path.

'_Barrier Jumper!?' _Okamura blinked. _'Is he pulling that out now?' _Extending his arm out in a jump, he cursed under his breath after Hyuga released the ball over his hand and towards the hoop.

The Seirin captain smirked as he saw the shock spread on Yosen's faces as the ball went straight into the net. "Kuroko is not the only one. I want to throw a wrench in your plans too! Let's go! New formation!" he called out.

The miko sighed as she came to sit next to the brunette. Kuroko's plan had finally been brought with a full court man-to-man defense, each having to defend one Yosen member. It was risk, but if the plan worked smoothly, it could be a success.

Himuro blinked before furrowing his eyebrows at Kagami having gone to defend against Murasakibara. _'So this is their strategy. If they let Atsushi get the ball, they won't be able to stop him. By setting up their defense before Murasakibara gets under the basket, they are forcing a battle of stamina and speed.' _Himuro clicked his tongue with annoyance over the plan being presented. _'In order to break through, we will have to use speed too!' _

Liu passed the ball over to Fukui before making their way towards their hoop. Fukui continued his way down the court while shouting to his members: "if you stop moving, they will jump on you!"

All Yosen members made their way down while struggling with Seirin's defense. Okamura blinked the moment he came to see the tiger beside him. _'Chotto matte! How long as he been marking me?!' _He was sure Kagami had gone to defend against Murasakibara.

"Atsushi!" Fukui called out before passing the ball to their tallest member. He was taken back as he caught sight of the phantom player charging towards the ball. _'It's not just a full court man-to-man defense. They are switching their marks continuously!'_

"A new formation," smirked Riko, seeing Kuroko's plan working smoothly. "I was skeptical at first, but then I realized this formation gives Kuroko-kun the highest chance of stealing. It's the 'Stealth Full-Court Man-to-Man Defense' formation."

Watching Kuroko intercept between Murasakibara's and Fukui's pass, Kagome smiled the moment Kuroko caught the ball between his hands before making his way towards the hoop. Within a second, the ball was shot with the help of his palm.

"Sugoi…"

Hearing Kiyoshi's whisper, the miko turned her head slightly to the side as she saw the small smile curve onto Kiyoshi's lips. _'His aura…is slowly gaining strength,' _her own lips mimicked his as she realized that Seirin indeed did have hope to win. "They are amazing, aren't they?" she whispered.

The brunette chuckled softly before dropping his view to the wooden floor underneath his feet.

Kagome kept her gaze to the game, seeing Kuroko continuously steal the ball from Yosen's grasp. Seirin was trying everything they could to have their determination lit up; she had to do her part now. The buzzer echoed throughout the court, signaling the end of the third quarter.

"We will now take a two minute break," announced the referee.

* * *

Murasakibara made his way towards the bench as the rest of his teammates sat on the other. Glaring at the wooden object, his foot kicked it away before Araki slapped him with a shinai. He grunted at the pain stinging on his skin from the hit: "Ow!" he shouted.

"Don't take your anger out on objects!" she scolded with a glare. Sighing under her breath, she walked over to her seated players before squatting down to their level. The game was becoming more difficult than they had planned and she needed to have a new strategy to overcome Seirin's. "The fourth quarter will start with a throw-in from us. The game will start automatically as half-court, so we have to make this shot. After that, if we move carelessly against their full-court man-to-man, it's easy to lose sight of Kuroko. If we pass, the risk of these ball being stolen increases. Consequently, we have only one option from breaking through," her head turned to face Himuro's serious expression, "Himuro will dribble the ball through."

Araki released a sigh as her eyes lowered to the ground before setting them back on Himuro and Murasakibara. "Yosen's ace isn't Murasakibara. We have the double aces of Murasakibara and Himuro."

* * *

"Arigatou, Kagome-chan," smiled Shun as he was handed a water bottle. Taking a gulp to quench his thirst, he lowered the bottle down from his lips after giving a heavy sigh. "Running a full-court defense is rough. Can we last until the end of the game?" he questioned, turning his head to the captain.

"We will make it last," he replied.

Kagome came to stand beside the coach as she watched Yosen from the corner of her eyes. "But I can't imagine that Yosen won't try anything," she spoke before bringing her attention back to the team. The worst was yet to come.

"About that…"

Heads turned to the tiger as he held everyone's full attention.

"Once they break through our full-court defense and move to a half-court game, let us run a two-three zone with me in the middle," he suggested, seeing the blank blinks from Riko and Kagome.

"The same formation as Yosen?" questioned Kagome, taken back by Kagami's sudden plan. He was going to try what Murasakibara did in the first half? Was he crazy?

"Like Murasakibara, I will cover the entire two point area."

"You can do that?" Koganei asked, surprised himself as he handed him a towel.

Kagami tightened his eyes on the court, seeing his intended spot. "No matter who comes, I will stop them. For Kiyoshi-senpai."

The named brunette was speechless as he heard his teammates speak. What was this feeling that was beginning to pour out from inside?

"Got it," nodded Riko. Although it was a big job for anyone to take in the two-point line alone, she had to give it a try. "In the fourth quarter, we will run the Stealth Man-to-Man Full-Court and a two-three zone half-court."

As Riko talked with the team of the next plan, Kagome turned her head towards the brunette before blinking out her slight shock at seeing tears clinging at the corners of his eyes. "Ah…Kiyoshi-senpai?" she blinked again.

"Huh?" having heard her voice, Hyuga turned his head to the brunette. "Oi, Kiyoshi, why are you just sitting there? If you have any good ideas- o-oi!" His eyes widened at the sight of Kiyoshi's tear sliding down his cheek. "Why the hell are you crying?!"

"Teppei?" blinked Riko as she turned to the center.

"Oh?" Kiyoshi noticed all eyes on him, making him confused as to why he felt water drops on his cheeks. Turning his head to the miko, he blinked: "why am I crying?"

"That is what we would like to know!" Hyuga shouted.

Kagome tilted her head to side as she caught Kiyoshi's aura becoming calmer than before. Had he realized something? "Are you okay, Kiyoshi-senpai?" she questioned as she took a closer look at his face.

"Ah, well, I don't know how to put it, but it is probably…," releasing a low chuckle, Kiyoshi dropped his head once more as a smile appeared on his lips. "You guys seem so reliable, I am relieved. When I realized I wasn't alone, I couldn't help myself."

A tick on Hyuga's forehead popped as he glared at his friend. "Huh? Why are you stating the obvious now? I am actually kind of pissed!"

"Eh?" he blinked.

"Sumimazen, honestly, I am angry too," commented Kagami.

"Me too," Kuroko nodded afterwards.

Shun sighed as he turned his head over his shoulder and pointed towards his sports bag. "Koganei, could you get my slap stick out of my bag?"

"Huh? Did you really put-," he blinked as he opened the bag to see Shun's requested item, "you did!?"

"Oi! This isn't the time for that!" scolded Riko as she stood on her feet.

Kiyoshi chuckled as he caught the miko's attention from the arguing bunch beside them. Blinking at his smile, Kagome watched as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "Now I get it," he whispered to her. "A team isn't just something to be protected. A team also protects you."

Matching his smile, the miko took off his towel from his head before coming to wipe his tears away. "Kiyoshi-senpai," she whispered back, "we don't support each other because we are a team. We are team because we support each other."

"You're right," he nodded as he watched his team stand back up, "I promise I won't waver again."

The miko turned towards the leaving team and parted her lips to speak: "Ano, why don't you all make a circle together?" she suggested, receiving blinks from the five in front of her.

"A circle?" questioned Hyuga.

"In some ways," she continued, "I think Murasakibara-kun was right when he said basketball isn't fair." She lowered her eyes at the memories of her past with her always having been compared to Kikyou and jealousy overcoming her of wanting to be like her. _'Being a miko wasn't fair neither with Kikyou having gotten the proper training and I had to learn as I went, but I didn't do it on my own,' _she raised her eyes to meet the rest of the team. "However, basketball isn't a game you play alone. I want to win together, and I believe we can do it."

The team smiled as Kagome's words encircled all of them together. "Okay then," nodded Hyuga, "let's go! Seirin, fight!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

Kuroko gave the miko a nod before walking towards the court. His eyes caught sight of the Murasakibara walking beside him before stopping at the sound of his voice. "It looks like you were hyping each other up, but…I am going to crush everything."

"Seirin is not that weak," he replied.

Coming to stand beside the phantom player, Kagami glared at the sight of Himuro appearing behind the purple haired male. "I won't hold back," he spoke.

"Of course. Let's settle this."

"Let's go!" shouted Hyuga. "Let's win this game!"

As the miko saw Seirin's new determination fire up, she was left standing as the rest of the members came to sit on the bench. Taking a glance to the suites above, she caught sight of Sesshomaru looking down at her closely. She released a sigh before rolling up her sleeves and grabbing the rubber band from her wrist. "Kiyoshi-senpai, I know you really like basketball, so I am going to help you."

The team blinked, along with Riko as they heard her words. Help? Help how?

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko.

"Riko-senpai," turning around, Kagome gave a bow to the coach, "please give me three minutes with Kiyoshi-senpai. I will put my medical assistance to use."

Riko blinked in silence as she heard the request. She knew Kagome had knowledge on the medicine, but how much? Was she going to fix Kiyoshi's injury or something? Kiyoshi had no stamina left in him to continue. But as she saw the begging look in her eyes, she could not turn her away.

"I promise I will make him return," Kagome continued as she came to stare at the coach's eyes. "Just three minutes."

The coach took one last look at Kiyoshi before returning her attention on the miko. "Three minutes, then."

"Arigatou," she bowed back before coming to see Kiyoshi questioning look. It was too late now; the decision was final.

It seemed a little weird for the miko to suddenly beg for permission, but Kiyoshi could see it was a serious matter in her eyes. Giving a nod himself, he slowly stood from his seat before he followed the miko out of the court.

"Are you sure about this, coach?" asked Koganei, blinking as he lost sight of the two. "What do you think Kagome-chan will do?"

"I am not sure," she answered in a low tone, "but I have a feeling Kagome-chan is going to show us what she truly made of. If Teppei comes back, then it will be a miracle."

* * *

"Huh? Where is okaa-san going?" questioned Shippo, seeing the miko having left the court area with the brunette close behind her.

Raising a brow at the question, Sesshomaru watched the miko disappear into the exit. He had caught her eyes on him before and he knew something was up. If anything, that miko had something planned. With crossed arms, he kept his gaze on the game. "Koga, do you know anything about this?"

"Not at all," he replied, receiving questioning blinks from Alex and the kitsune. After he had come back from seeing the miko, he had simply given them a reply he caught her talking to Murasakibara. He had to make up something with her scent already on him.

Sesshomaru remained silent as he took one last look at the silent wolf.

'_I hope you are ready to deal with this youkai, Kagome,' _Koga gave himself a mental sigh. He could only hide so much from the great inu youkai.

* * *

"You can sit there on the bed."

Kiyoshi nodded as he looked around the medical room located in the stadium. No one was around due to the medical team being on the court in case of an emergency. Sitting on the bed, he watched as Kagome checked out the door before locking it. He could see her fingers shaking slightly around the knob as her eyes continued to look left and right. He raised a brow in confusion at her sudden change in behavior. Was Kagome always this…mysterious?

"Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" he questioned, watching her stiffen. "Hyuga told me you knew about first-aid and you had helped Kuroko during the practice match against Kaijo, but I don't think my knee can be fixed up anymore," he gave a low chuckle. "Shows how useless it is."

"Nothing is useless," she replied, turning to face him. "I…," she dropped her eyes, unsure if she could continue with the plan. What if he took it the wrong way once he saw her abilities? Would he tell others? Ridicule her? Or worse…chase her out of the team? Kagome quickly shook the thoughts away: _'Chigou. Kiyoshi-senpai isn't like that. I know people and can read their auras. I trust him and Seirin,' _her eyes locked on his silent self, _'and now they need my help. It is my turn to save and protect Seirin.' _The thought of telling someone about her true past was terryfing. She never thought there would be a day in telling someone outside her family about her past and her abilities. Her stomach was beginning to flip with nervous as her mind tried coming with the best way to tell Kiyoshi about herself.

"Well, manager, probably more tape is needed on this knee," he laughed it out before finding the miko coming to roll a chair in front of him. His laugh came to a halt with a blink of his eyes the moment her expression fell to a serious one. "Kagome-chan?" With eyebrows furrowing in, he came to observe her facial expression closely. This was not the Kagome they knew.

The miko took in a deep breath before closing her eyes: "Kiyoshi-senpai, I only have three minutes. Three minutes is not enough to explain what I am about to do, but please believe me when I say I _will_ explain everything to you."

He remained silent as his eyes met with a cerulean hue.

"Please do not freak out. Do not run away, and trust me, Kiyoshi-senpai. I only want to help Seirin," she continued before coming to unwrap the tape from his knee.

Kiyoshi could tell she was more than worried of whatever she was going to do. What type of medicine practice did she know that got her so worried? His hand clasped around her wrist, receiving a questioning blink from the girl. "Kagome-chan, I trust you. Seirin trusts you. We are a _team_ after all. Whatever it is that you do, I know that you are doing it to help. Trust me and Seirin."

As the words sunk into her head, the miko gave him a small smile in return. With a nod, she felt Kiyoshi's fingers slowly set her hand free before she resumed to fully take off the tape from his knee. "I can only give you a small summary of things, Kiyoshi-senpai."

Exhaling softly, the miko examined his injury before coming to place her hands over his knee. Silence take over as Kagome concentrated on her miko-ki, letting it flow to the palm of her hands before it enveloped around Kiyoshi's knee.

The brunette's eyes widened as he caught sight of the pink orb around his knee. What was this? Had Kagome done that? His eyes glided forward and noticed the miko's eyes focused in on her task in hand. He wanted to say something, but the words were stuck at his throat. He never expected something like this to happen. "Kagome-chan…"

"I am a miko," she whispered. "I come from a blood line of shrine maidens who have lived more than five hundred years ago. Mikos have been known to protect shrines and help those in need, but what most people don't know any more are the abilities a miko possessed in the past; healing and purifying being some of them."

"So…you are healing my knee?" he blinked. He was not sure what to say. His lips and most of his body were frozen under the miko's hand. He was too shocked as he saw the pink light coming from her hand. His mind was in a complete jumble of thoughts that he could not put together. He never expected to come across a shrine maiden with such strange abilities.

"The story of my…past is long, Kiyoshi-senpai," her eyebrows dropped at the memories of her feudal days. "Before I came to Seirin High, I was in a journey with…youkai."

His breath was caught at his throat before gulping his shock back down. Demons? What on earth was she talking about?

"I live on a shrine and on my fifteenth birthday, I was dragged by a centipede youkai down a well. The centipede youkai was after a jewel called the Shikon no Tama – a jewel that could grant power and wish to any youkai. Well, I was taken five hundred years into the past."

The miko's eyes narrowed as the memories continued to flood inside her head. Everything crystal clear as if it had happened yesterday. "The Shikon no Tama was inside me and when the jewel was ripped off my body, many other youkai tried to steal it for their selfish desires," a small chuckle was heard from the miko, "but when it was stolen and I tried to retrieve it, my amateur archery skills shattered the jewel into thousands of pieces."

He continued to hear her story with the minor details of her having to start her journey to collect the jewel shards. Although the story was quite absurd and something that seemed out of a fairy tale book, he could not help but let her continue. Her voice was not trembling with lies, but with worry; he could see her lips tremble with every word that came out.

"I had friends along the way to help me," Kagome sighed, not wanting to give names just yet. She did not want to put Koga, Shippo, nor Sesshomaru in danger. "But I was able to complete the jewel and I was returned here." She smiled the moment her pink glow diminished. The details of her true past were kept minimal seeing her three minutes were already passed over. "I know you are still confused Kiyoshi-senpai and I know you have questions yourself, but we don't have time for my story…yet."

Looking up at his expression, Kagome was unsure how to read him. Was he shocked? Mad? She closed her eyes as she came to stand on her feet. "I healed your knee to last through the rest of the tournament. I…can heal it permanently, but that will take time, Kiyoshi-senpai. Just try not to make it worse."

The brunette was taken back as he saw the miko bow in front of him. What could he say? If Kagome had told him that story without showing her abilities, no doubt that he would think of her as crazy. His body relaxed as he could see the miko's shoulders begin to shake: _'but she told me something that is precious to her. Something that is not easy to tell anyone and yet she sacrificed her secret to help me…,' _

"I am sorry for keeping this a secret, Kiyoshi-senpai, but please keep this secret. I want to tell Seirin…at the right time. I trust all of you, but I need to make sure everyone would take my story seriously. Sumimazen, senpai!"

Silence.

Not a word.

Kagome remained in her bow as her eyes closed tightly. Did she want to hear what Kiyoshi was thinking? She was afraid, but she felt content for helping him. He was pain free for now; she was able to help in her own way. Although the risk was big, she knew that this was her time to protect Seirin.

Slowly, she lifted her head up to see Kiyoshi's eyes hidden underneath his bangs' shadow. Her nerves were wrecking her with sweat forming at the back of her neck. The miko parted her lips to apologize once more only to hear Kiyoshi's soft laugh along with a partnered smile.

"Kiyoshi-senpai…?"

"Well, what do you know!" he smiled. "Not only do we have such a supportive manager, but a special one." Kiyoshi's hand came over his healed knee as he moved it gently. He felt no pain whatsoever. "Definitely special," he chuckled as he came to stare at the silent miko. His laugh softened down before coming to meet the miko's confused eyes. "I am still in a bit of a shock, but shocked in a good way. All this time you had this secret and I can't imagine how much it has been eating you from inside. There were small moments I caught of your behavior every now and then. Sometimes you had a look of worry as your eyes were lost in the distance. Other times, I could see that smile would form on your lips to distract you of other things."

Kagome's words were caught in her throat as she heard Kiyoshi's voice. His words calming her beating heart as she came to realize that Kiyoshi was taking her story well. Although she did not expect him to fully trust her or believe her, that gentle smile of his set her at ease.

"Now I know you told Riko that only three minutes, so go on ahead. I will stretch out here until the last minute of the quarter." He placed his hand over her head before gentle ruffling her hair: "Your secret is safe with me, Kagome-chan. I know you are not hiding it because you want to. You have your reasons for keeping it a secret."

"Senpai…"

With his smile still glued on his lips, he waved her off. "Now go, Kagome-chan. Seirin needs you on that court."

The miko dropped her eyes to his knee before giving herself a nod. Standing from her seat, she gave Kiyoshi one last bow: "Arigatou, Kiyoshi-senpai…"

"Mah, I should be the one thanking you," he chuckled. "But I do ask for one thing."

"Huh?"

"I enjoy long stories, Kagome-chan. I look forward to hearing about your adventure."

The corner of her lips lifted as she saw his own smile. Kiyoshi truly had a big heart for anybody. There was no way she could regret her decision in telling him. His smile was enough to know that she had done the right thing.

* * *

Araki's eyes widened as she noticed the formation Seirin had taken the moment Fukui's hands gripped the ball. "This is…it's a two-three zone! They are running the same formation as us?" What was Seirin thinking now? There was absolutely no way Seirin could do their formation when they were an offense team!

Himuro noticed the tiger having taken the middle spot of the formation, realizing what his childhood friend was doing. _'Is he trying to cover the entire inside like Atsushi?' _It irked him that Kagami thought he could do everything. He would show him that he could not protect the net like Murasakibara.

"Tch," scoffed Fukui, "all we have to do is pass. After all, our center is Murasakibara." As Fukui broke past Shun's defense, he threw the ball up in the air before Murasakibara jumped up to catch it between his hands.

"It's an alley-oop!" shouted Hyuga.

"Murasakibara!" Kagami sprung up behind the giant before he was thrown back down by Murasakibara's backward dunk. "Dammit!"

"Do you really think you can stop me alone?" Murasakibara scoffed the moment his feet heavily landed on the ground. "Don't be so conceited, Kagami."

The tiger slowly stood on his feet as he returned the glare back to his opponent. "If that is what it takes to win, I will do it. I will stop you." It was his job as Seirin's ace to protect the team and do the impossible. He knew the risks, but would gladly take them if it meant winning for the people that worked so hard to get where they were. Getting back into position for their defense, he and the rest of Seirin blinked in confusion the moment Okamura passed the ball to Himuro.

Hyuga looked over his shoulders as the rest of the players quickly rushed back to their net. _'Everyone left after giving Himuro the ball. Is he…,' _his eyes darted out to the center of the court, noticing Himuro facing the tiger, _'trying to go one-on-one with Kagami?'_

"You are not going anywhere!" shouted Kagami as he planted his feet on the ground. Even with the sweat sticking to his skin and his stamina already lowering, he would not give up on his position to protect the net.

"Do it, if you can!" Himuro glared as he charged forward.

Kagami's eyes widened as he caught Himuro's fake step to his left before he noticed him passing to his right. _'Seriously!?' _he looked over his shoulder as Himuro passed him easily with his fake. _'His fakes are good enough, but he is going even faster now!'_

"Murochin, stop!"

As Murasakibara's warning was heard, Himuro took a step back with the ball the moment he caught Kuroko's hand snaking to steal the ball back. Where had he come from? If it were not for Murasakibara's warning, he was sure the ball would have been Seirin's!

"Domo," he greeted as Himuro sent him a glare of his own.

From the bench, Araki could not believe how smoothly Seirin were changing formations. Even she was shocked with Kuroko having sneaked on Himuro's person. _'Seirin is insisting on using the same formation as us. Kagami intends to defend the inside alone,' _her eyes narrowed and focused in on the red haired male as she saw him standing under Yosen's net. _'Even he can't protect the whole area like Murasakibara.'_

"Himuro!" Fukui called as he gave Himuro the signal to pass the ball to him, "pass!"

Hyuga blinked as he extend his hand out to the ball only to realize Himuro had faked his way once again. Pupils shook as he caught sight of Himuro passing by him with the pall, realizing Fukui's call was only a set up. _'Crap!' _How could have he fallen for that when they knew Himuro's specialty were his fakes?

Himuro set his eyes forward, narrowing them down on the red head ahead. Hatred began to boil in his veins the more he continued to see Kagami's determined look. _'I hate it,' _the words were covered in nothing but venom. _'You can mark whoever you want, but I hate that you think you can stop everyone yourself!'_ He made his way towards the net, clenching his teeth before he shouted: "Kagami!"

The named tiger observed Himuro's movements, recalling the moment he had slipped on sweat and grazed Himuro's Mirage Shot by a finger. He had realized Himuro's trick and it was only a matter of timing with his jump. He waited below the net as Himuro took a straight jump. _'The truth behind the Mirage Shot is he is releasing the ball twice. First he jumps and snaps the ball straight in the air at the peak of his jump. Then he catches the ball and shoots it again. To an ordinary player, it simply looks like he released the ball twice. However, Himuro's skills are so elegant even his fakes look like real shots. When he does it, his first release makes the air shimmer, concealing the ball on his second release.'_

His eyes were glued on the ball in Himuro's hands, keeping a close watch for the release. Letting his head cool and his heart beat lower, he made sure to catch Himuro's movements. _'In other words, in order to stop him, I have to delay my block!' _He took his leap upwards with an extended arm as he found his chance.

"I know you know," whispered Himuro, narrowing his sight on the determined tiger.

Kagami was taken back the moment the ball was released into the air and towards the hoop. _'He shot the ball on the first release!?' _

"Did you think it was just some trick shot? I can shoot on either release after seeing how my opponent times his jump. Knowing how it works is useless," Himuro released a scoff as the ball swiftly made it into the net, "no one can touch the Mirage Shot."

Landing back on his feet, the tiger's teeth gritted tightly as he felt his anger swell from within. He made sure to jump at the right time and Himuro had released the ball at the first try! _'I can't win like this, but…,' _fingers dug into his palm as he tried to find a way to the miracle he needed, _'if I could just enter the Zone like I did against Aomine…'_

* * *

"What is that baka doing?"

"Eh?" Momoi blinked as she turned her attention away from the game. Who was Aomine talking about this time? Seeing the focus on his eyes, she trailed his line of sight down to Kagami. "What do you mean?" she questioned. The more she observed Aomine from the corner of her eyes, the more confused she became. His eyes narrowed with a scowl. It was a rare sight to see Aomine on edge.

Was Aomine keeping an eye on Kagami?

* * *

"Oh? Seirin seems to be hanging on!" a playful smirk made its way onto the blonde's lips as his feet stopped a few feet away from the court's line. His eyes traveled to the players, seeing both Seirin and Yosen giving no loose ends to defeat. "Who do you think we will be playing tomorrow, senpai~?"

"We still have our game to play, Kise," Kasamatsu elbowed the blonde in his ribs before crossing his arms across his chest. "Don't let your guard down! I will hit you!"

"Y-You already hit me," Kise chuckled as he rubbed the side of his ribs. Having arrived ten minutes early before their next match, they were glad to have caught Seirin's match against Yosen. They knew that if they won their next game, one of those two teams would be their next opponent.

Moriyama's eyes scanned the court as he checked on Seirin's formation against Yosen. "Seirin is running a two-three zone defense? How unusual," he commented. Seirin were not the type of team to run such a risky defense.

The Kaijo captain raised a brow as Seirin's center was nowhere in sight. "Are they missing their center, Kiyoshi?"

"What is Kagamicchi doing in the middle?" questioned Kise, letting his eyebrow fall in confusion. Even he knew the tiger's spot was anything but below the net. But something else was beginning to catch his attention the more he observed the red head. It almost seemed like he was trying to unlock something.

"Higurashi-san isn't here neither," whispered Kasamatsu, letting his eyes fall on Seirin's bench.

Kise blinked before turning his head to Kasamatsu's attention. Not only was Seirin's center missing, but their manager as well? Kise's hand rested over his hip, unsure if Seirin could pull a win against Murasakibara.

* * *

"The core of Seirin's offense is collapsing," whispered Alex as he watched the ball coming Kuroko's way before Murasakibara intercepted with his Phantom Shot. The ball bounced away from the hoop, making him clench his teeth.

"And once their full-court defense is broken, they can't do anything else," Koga sighed as he crossed his arms. Even he was starting to become nervous for Seirin has they found no way to stop Yosen's ultimate defense. "At this rate," his eyes narrowed as Yosen scored once more with Murasakibara's dunk, "they will fall behind once again."

* * *

With haste, the miko blinked as she caught the light at the end of the hall leading her into the court. Her steps immediately halted as she noticed the scoreboard. Seirin was behind nine points and six minutes were left on the clock. Kagome's head turned to her teammates, seeing their sweat trickle down their skin as their chests heaved for more oxygen.

Her attention was placed on the tiger under Yosen's net as his hands rested over his thighs. _'Kagami-kun…,' _his aura was becoming weak and it only told her his stamina was being forced out of him. Her heart clenched as she saw his irritation. The stamina was not forcing him, but he was forcing something else to come out; she knew already what it was.

'_Don't tell me…'_

* * *

"What a baka," scoffed Aomine as he noticed the sweat excessively collecting on the tiger's forehead. "At this rate, they will lose." Even he could tell what the tiger was thinking and for once, he had to feel sorry that he had to see Kagami in such a state. "It is obvious what he is thinking. I am sure he is wishing he could enter the Zone."

"Zone?" Momoi asked. "Again?"

The tan male's eyes scrunched the more he saw the tiger push himself to find the gate to the ultimate level. Even he knew the struggle of entering such a place. "But at this rate, he will never enter the Zone in a lifetime."

Momoi raised a brow as she heard Aomine's comment. Was the Zone something that was not easily accessible? "What do you mean?" she questioned, lowering her arms to her side as she saw Aomine's expression tighten seriously.

"It is harder to enter the Zone a second time because you have already experienced it once," he explained with a sigh. "Once you learn what it is like for everything to go your way, you naturally want to experience it again. But those are idle thoughts. That's what you absolutely can't have to enter the focused state of the Zone." After having it experienced it himself, he knew entering would be much harder than it was the first time. It was pitch black inside his mind every time he wanted to return to the feeling.

His eyes caught the tiger jumping up in the air for a dunk before Murasakibara slapped the ball away. The ball bounced off the court with the referee calling the bound.

"Out of bounds! Black ball!"

Aomine gave one last sigh as his eyes remained on the tense tiger."If you want to enter the Zone, you can't try to enter the Zone."

* * *

Kagome's eyes trailed the path of the rolling ball before she noticed it stop at someone's feet. Taking a few steps forward, she stopped upon recognizing the blue uniform. _'Kise-kun?' _she blinked before turning her head to the side and noticing Kaijo watching the game.

"Damn it."

She heard Kagami's voice coming towards them before he stopped at the sight of the blonde. Seeing Kagami and Seirin pushing themselves to their limits was something she did not think would pain her. The miko resumed her walk ahead before stopping a few feet behind the former Teiko member.

"Huh?" blinked Kasamatsu, having caught the sudden appearance of the miko behind Kise. "Higurashi-san?"

Attention was drawn to the blonde as he grabbed the ball from the ground and into his palm. "Why do you look so miserable?" Kise questioned with a raised brow. He wanted to scoff at the sight of Kagami's expression the moment he had arrived to retrieve the ball. Did he not know the face he was putting out?

"Kise-kun…," Kagome's whisper came out as she caught the attention of not only the blonde, but the court as well of her arrival. The one second glance Kise had taken over his shoulder to see her, she was sure those golden orbs of his were far different from the soft expression he always presented himself with.

"Oh? Kagomecchi, I am glad you are here," he chuckled before turning his head to the confused tiger, "I mistook this player for someone I know. Who is he anyways?"

"Huh?" glared Kagami. "What are you-"

"Gome, Kagomecchi, but I don't recall knowing any bakas who rely on anything when they play basketball," Kise released a scoff as he took another glance at the miko over his shoulder. "Looks like I won't be seeing you in the next round, Kagomecchi. Do tell Kagamicchi that it was shame not being able to see him play."

She had not missed the curse given by Kagami as Kise turned his head to the purple haired male standing not too far from them. Kise's words were meant to sting Kagami's pride as she realized she was not the only one who caught the tiger wanting to let the Zone take care of the match. Her lungs released a sigh after catching Kagami's grip tighten around the ball once Kise had passed it to him.

"Looks like I will be playing Murasakibaracchi in the semifinals," Kise smirked as his eyes met Murasakibara's glare. "I look forward to playing you."

"You're right," he replied. "Actually, I'm in a game right now. Don't talk to me."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Kise slowly turned away from the two males before coming to face the miko. "I really don't know what to say, Kagomecchi. I remember someone I know was far scarier in our practice game. Do you remember?" Setting his hand over her shoulder, he gave it a gentle pat. "Why don't you bring the old Kagamicchi back? Looks like Seirin needs their manager at this crucial point."

Kagome was left standing as Kise returned to his team at the back. Her eyes met the red hues of the tiger. If Kagami had to rely on anything, it was his own strength. Taking a deep breath in, she slowly made her way forward and stopped just before the white line of the court. "Sometimes relying on something that isn't easy to grasp on only leads to self-disappointment."

"Kagome…," Kagami whispered her name as his eyes remained on hers. He could easily tell the girl was exhausted with one look. Was she tired? "I-"

The miko raised her hand with her palm facing him. She did not want to hear his excuses on what he was trying to do as his intentions were already read. Although it was hard to admit, Kise was right; Kagami had to stop. "There is only so much a human can do, but sometimes being yourself and bringing out your own talent is what can take you to victory," she spoke. How many times had she tried doing what Kikyou could and failed? It had only exhausted her mentally, physically, and emotionally. In the end, she had to trust herself that her own abilities were enough to protect her friends.

Although the situation was far different from battling demons and her team playing basketball, Kagami had to realize forcing himself was not the answer. "The only thing I can tell you right now is…," her eyes narrowed as she caught a glimpse of the anger escaping Murasakibara's eyes, "play as you always would. You are Seirin's ace with your own skills; use them." Giving him one last nod, the miko smiled before slowly turning away.

The tiger held the ball between his hands as his eyes followed the miko. His mind was lost in confusion as Kise's and Kagome's words lingered inside. _'Relying on something?' _he questioned himself before passing the ball over to Shun. What on earth were these two talking about? _'When have I ever relied on anything when playing basketball? All I could do then was fight recklessly. I was far weaker then, and I couldn't enter the Zone. If anything, that was natural, but I-," _realization hit as his eyes widened at the memory of Kagome's advice.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko whispered as he showed up by his side. The phantom player blinked as he noticed his partner being dead silent. Compared to his brash nature before, he seemed more composed now.

"Kuroko," whispered Kagami, "have you ever entered the Zone?"

"The Zone?" He raised a brow, unsure what Kagami was asking him. If anything, he did not understand the whole concept as he was barely learning new styles of his own, but after having seen Aomine and Kagami one-on-one in the Zone, he figured one thing. "I don't know," he replied, "but in any case, I don't think it is something that can be entered into that easily."

Kagami chuckled under his breath as he gave a nod before his reply. "You're right," he whispered before his hands came to slap the front of his face.

Seirin blinked in unison as they caught the tiger having slapped himself; a loud hit they knew must have stung.

"Kagami?" whispered Hyuga, unsure what his first-year was doing all of a sudden.

"No matter how much it hurts," Kagami slowly lowered his hands back to his sides, "I just have to do whatever I can now."

* * *

"Kagome-chan?" Riko blinked as she watched the miko make her way to their bench. Not only had she come alone, but in the end, she had placed some sense into their ace. The coach raised a brow as the miko came to sit beside her. "Kagome-chan, how is Teppei doing?"

With a soft sigh passing between her lips, the miko scratched her cheek with her eyes still glued on the court ahead. "Kiyoshi-senpai is replenishing his energy. He said he needed some alone time to think over things."

"Is…his knee doing better?" questioned Koganei, tilting his head forward to get a better glimpse of the manager. "What did you do help him?"

"A little cracks here and there," she chuckled nervously. She could feel her own nervous sweat trickling down the back of her neck as she felt the stares of her team. How else was she supposed to explain what she had done? _'I only hope Kiyoshi-senpai doesn't ruin it neither and doesn't let it slip.'_

The coach continued to observe the miko from the corner of her eyes. She watched her lips quiver slightly as she had given her answer about Kiyoshi. Something was up, but she could not help but believe that Kagome had truly helped Kiyoshi's injury. It was only a matter of time to wait for his return at the last minute of the game.

Their attentions were brought back onto the game, watching as Liu had stolen the ball from Shun's pass and went straight for the hoop. Shock filled his eyes the moment Kagami came jumping in front of his view and blocking the way of his aim. _'Has he always jumped this high!?' _Cursing under his breath, he passed the ball around the tiger and into Okamura's hand before it was taken down in a dunk.

A smile decorated the miko's lips as she caught Kagami's aura leveling back to his normal self. If anything, it looks like he had finally found the answer to his problem. _'Kagami-kun seems like __**him **__now.' _Her eyes followed his movements as he tried to block yet another dunk from Okamura only for it to be passed to Murasakibara's path. In less than a second, Murasakibara brought the ball back down into the basket before both he and Kagami landed back on the floor. _'Yes, Kagami-kun is definitely back to his old self,' _a soft chuckle escaped her throat, _'he almost feels like Aomine-kun when is on fire.'_

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed as he stood behind the tiger and noticing his quiet demeanor. He heard no insults or yells coming from the tiger and he was beginning to see his jumps becoming even higher than before. _'What is going on with Kagami?' _he questioned himself as he tried to catch his breath. _'His movements have changed.' _Murasakibara cursed under his breath the moment Kagami caught the rebound from Fukui's shot. _'You're so annoying, I can't stand it!' _

As Kagami jumped up for a dunk, Murasakibara quickly slapped the ball away from his hand before landing back down on the ground. The purple haired male made his way towards the ball before dribbling to the other side of the court.

"Crap!" shouted Hyuga. "It's a counterattack!"

Kagome's eyes widened slightly as she watched Kagami sprint behind Murasakibara before coming to jump in front of him. Both of them gripped the ball tightly in the air before Kagami's strength pushed the ball away from Murasakibara's intent. Kagami's aura had spiked and called her attention at that point as she watched him land on his feet. "Did he…?"

Everyone present were frozen in place as they noticed the different look in Kagami's eyes. They could even feel his presence having changed as his eyes lifted to meet the angry glare Murasakibara held.

"Kagami!" he shouted.

* * *

"Ha," scoffed Aomine as a small smirk curved onto his lips, "I knew neko-chan could make him snap out of it." With a raised brow, he watched the tiger already getting into his next position the moment the ball was caught by Fukui. _'Let's see how you handle the Zone the second time, Kagami.'_

* * *

Fukui cursed under his breath as he took a step back with the ball under his hand. He had not expected the tiger already coming to defend under the net after having confronted Murasakibara. _'How does he generate so much pressure when he is sticking to the paint on the court!?'_

"Oi!" Himuro shouted. With the ball coming his way, he quickly passed the phantom player before making his way around Hyuga as he used his fakes to get through their defense. Himuro's eyes narrowed as he found himself facing the tiger under the net. Just with one look of him his veins were already pumping with annoyance. _'You think you can stop me? Interesting!' _Himuro took his jump as he prepared his aim to the hoop.

Koganei's eyes widened as he watched Kagami having taken a jump right after. "He jumped on the first release!?"

The miko narrowed her focus between the two before noticing Himuro's trick. With the ball being released straight up, she realized Himuro's intention was to release it the second time. _'But…,' _her sights were glued on the tiger as he remained in the air with his hand fully extended upwards, _'Kagami-kun already has found the way to stop Himuro's tricks.' _

As Kagami slapped the ball away from Himuro's second release, she and the rest of the team cheered. "Nice block!" shouted Tsuchida. "He stopped the Mirage Shot!"

Kuroko wasted no time in dribbling the ball towards their hoop before Kagami appeared a few feet away and signaled a pass. With a flick of his wrist, the phantom player swiftly passed the ball into the tiger's hands before Kagami smoothly got into position into a three-pointer shot.

"A three!?" exclaimed Fukui.

Yosen was speechless as Kagami turned away from the hoop as the ball made it into the basket with no interruptions. They did not remember reading Kagami having experience in throwing in threes!

"Sugoi…," whispered Kagome, feeling her nerves level down as she saw Kagami's new confidence. _'He started heading back before he made the shot. Suddenly he reminds me of Midorima-kun.'_

"Give me the ball!" shouted Murasakibara as he extended his arm out to Fukui's attention. The ball made it between his hands before he spun into a jump under their net. He was fed up with Kagami's cockiness and thinking they could defeat him. His fingers gripped the ball, knowing anymore pressure could deflate it. _'I'll jam it in with full power!' _

"Thor's Hammer!" shouted Koganei. "Can Kagami stop it!?"

Everyone watched as Kagami sprung up to meet Murasakibara eye-to-eye as his hand met at the other side of the ball. Pupils shook with amazement as they realized Kagami's hand had fully stopped Murasakibara's forceful dunk before the ball was pushed away. Lips froze as they watched Murasakibara slowly drop towards the floor before his hand came to support his fall with a bent knee.

'_This power…,' _Kagome's sights were flued on Kagami as he remained in the air, _'doesn't just come from being in the Zone.' _She had felt her breath stop the moment Murasakibara had been stopped and she knew she was not the only one. _'He is adding power by jumping forward!'_

"Wari," Kagami's eyes lowered as his eyes met a purple hue, "I used too much strength."

* * *

"Even I am impressed," Aomine's smirk grew wider at the sight of his rival stopping his former teammate. Even he had trouble in the past stopping Murasakibara's advances and here was Kagami doing it for everyone to see.

"Sugoi. I can't believe he stopped Mukkun," Momoi commented. Even her own speech had been halted at her throat the moment Murasakibara had fallen to the ground.

"Only someone in the Zone could stop Kagami now," he sighed in reply.

The pink haired female turned her head to face her companion as she saw the serious look on his expression. "Doesn't Yosen have that potential, as well?" she questioned. Even she had analyzed the other Generation of Miracles could enter if possible. "They have Mukkun and Himuro-san."

"Maybe," he shrugged, "but I don't think so."

* * *

"Impossible? What do you mean?" blinked Moriyama, turning his attention to the blonde in front of him. He and the rest of the team had been confused as Kise explained on the slight chance Yosen had for someone to enter the Zone.

Kise scratched the back of his head; uncertain how to answer. With eyes on his person, he knew he had to give some kind of reply. "I don't completely understand the Zone, but there is something I can say. The minimum requirement for entering the Zone is that you stake everything on the sport you are playing. Broadly speaking, you have to love basketball more than anything. But…that is the one thing Murasakibaracchi doesn't have. He may be the most naturally talented of the five of us, but Murasakibaracchi can't enter the Zone."

"What about Himuro?" Kasamatsu cut in, catching the blonde's attention. Even he figured the second-year player had the potential to enter it seeing he was close to equal footing with Kagami. "He probably doesn't lack that," he continued, shifting his eyes to see Himuro's determined glare to win the game.

"Him?" blinked Kise, following his captain's line of sight. "Well…," he whispered, seeing a different view of the male the moment he noticed his glare, "I hate to say it, but I think he has other problems."

* * *

With the ball coming Kuroko's way, his eyes caught Kagami moving behind him before he swiftly passed the ball towards him. Kagami caught the ball and charged forward as he met with Himuro's defense. Taking a step to his left, Himuro's eyes widened as he realized the tiger had made a fake step. Himuro quickly looked over his shoulder as Kagami passed him from behind.

'_A fake par with Himuro?' _blinked Shun, surprised by Kagami's smooth movements.

Murasakibara shouted out his anger as he jumped in front of the tiger the moment he had jumped at the two-point line. Raising his arms upwards, his eyes widened the moment he felt gravity beginning to slowly take him down. _'Why am I falling first when I jumped second?!' _His eyes remained on the red head, seeing his pose and body coming closer to the hoop. _'I have heard of this, but I can't believe anyone can actually do it! He is seriously air walking!?' _

The miko blinked as Kagami dunked the ball with full force. With two points added to their score, the referee blew the whistle at a called time out by Yosen. A sigh passed her lips as she closely watched her team make their way to their bench. Coming to a stand, Kagome felt her body stiffen at the sight of the exhausted red head.

"Sugoi!" exclaimed Koganei, coming to stand in front of his team players. "We could win this! Kagami is too amazing!"

"Chotto," Riko cut in, coming to place her hand over Koganie's shoulder, "it is too early to celebrate."

Handing a bottle to Shun, the miko's eyes remained on the tiger as she saw his aura rise with every breath he gave. _'Kagami-kun really is godlike right now. Is this what the Zone does to you?' _Turning her head to the scoreboard, she looked at the time. _'We are four points behind with three minutes remaining. At the very least, we are controlling the flow of the game, but…will Kiyoshi-senpai come back in time?'_

* * *

"O-Oi…what did you just say?"

Fukui was hoping he had gone deaf for just that second he heard Murasakibara speak. He was not even sure if he was alive the moment Murasakibara had spoken. His shock quickly turned into a pissed off look as he looked at the tall center place a towel over his eyes.

"I told you," he sighed, "I have had enough. I quit. Sub me out."

"Don't be ridiculous! What are you talking about!?" Fukui shouted back as he abruptly stood from his seat to face his annoyance. What the hell was he thinking in quitting now!? Seirin had the upper hand and they needed to take that away!

Liu sighed with irritation as he watched Murasakibara show no importance to the game. "I don't understand," he spoke.

"Get me that sword," Araki ordered as she turned to face one of the benched players. "I am going to kill him."

"I am not having fun anymore," Murasakibara continued with his complaints. He just did not feel the drive to continue on with a game he was already bored with. Why even try? Sneaking his eyes a bit under the towel, he was unfazed by Okamura's appearance before him nor the glare he was being stabbed with.

"If you drop out now, we will lose a game we could still win," he spoke. "Are you saying you don't care if we lose?"

"Yeah," Murasakibara replied without hesitation. "After all, no one can stop Kagami anymore."

Okamura's fist tightened as he raised it to place some sense into the first-year only to be beaten by Himuro's punch colliding with Murasakibara's cheek. Himuro's hand grasped Murasakibara's jersey as he brought him eye-to-eye, feeling his fist wanting to give another punch to the idiot. "That is enough, Atsushi! The game is not over yet!"

"Ow," Murasakibara glared, feeling the sting of pain wave over his cheek. "It is so annoying when you get hot-blooded. Besides, you are even more useless against Kagami than me. Can't you tell he is better than you? Not only that, they have Kurochin and Gomechin on their team. With those three, we can't beat them."

With a bite on his lower lip, Himuro felt his emotions clinging to the corner of his eyes. "I know…," he whispered as he tightened his hold on Murasakibara's jersey, "I know that. I have always been jealous of his abilities. In fact, I am jealous of the people standing behind him. But you have what I desperately want, and you are trying to throw the game. You are making me crazy with rage!"

Murasakibara lowered his eyebrows as he saw the tears clinging to Himuro's cheeks. He was not sure what this new feeling swelling from within was, but he was not going to show the emotion. "Get away from me," he spoke. "That is so annoying. Anyways, I can't believe you are crying. I sort of noticed, but I didn't know you felt this strongly. Actually, this is the first time," the image of the miko speaking with Kuroko and Kagami made his eyes tighten, "I have been amazed by how much someone repulses me. I guess I will stay on the court until the end of the game." Released by Himuro's hold, he slowly stood from his seat before he set his eyes on the miko. "Masakochin…"

"I told you to call me 'coach'!" she glared.

"Do you mind if I go talk to her?"

* * *

Momoi blinked as the words lingered in her ears. Confusion struck her heavily, making her turn her attention to Aomine. "What do you mean Himuro-san has other problems?" It had he confused when Aomine mentioned the second-year having bigger problems than just the score gap. How could Aomine tell Himuro had other problems?

"Haven't you started to notice, as well?" he sighed, setting his eyes on the mild fight at Yosen's bench. Only the chosen can enter the Zone. At first I thought he might be able to, but I was wrong. I will admit he is good. He is very close to the five of us. But he is no prodigy. He is good, but he is only the best an ordinary man can be. No matter how close he gets, he will never come to this side."

* * *

As the buzzer called the players back, the miko stood before the line of the court while watching the five Seirin members walk back to their positions. A sudden shadow overcasting her person called her attention, making her turn her head to the side and face none other than Murasakibara's tall form. Narrowing her focus onto him, she remained silent with only an exchange of stares being given. His aura was rising at a different level than before and it sent her worry slightly upwards.

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga, catching the tall center with their manager. "What is he doing with Kagome-chan? Wasn't Yosen fighting a minute ago?"

Kuroko raised a brow as he noticed the look of seriousness on Murasakibara's face. A rare expression to purple haired male. His eyes immediately widened as he felt his heart halt the moment he and the rest of the members caught Murasakibara grabbing the miko's wrist.

"Oi! What the hell does he think he is doing?" glared Kagami, taking a step forward.

"Chotto," Kuroko spoke, seeing no fear in the miko's eyes.

Kagome jerked her hand away only to fail upon Murasakibara's tighten grip. "Oi, I may be part of Seirin's team, but I don't remember giving permission to anyone grabbing my wrist like that."

With no words in return, Murasakibara yanked the rubber band from her wrist before releasing his grip. The miko was left speechless as he began to tie his hair up into a ponytail. What gotten into him? Her breathing hitched at the sight of his aura rising even stronger than before. She was frozen in place, unable to say anything. _'This feeling…he is-'_

"I am going to crush Seirin," he spoke, bringing her out of her stares. "Don't get in my way, Gomechin."

She was left alone as Murasakibara walked past her, leaving her to analyze her own thoughts. Her mind was yelling to her that Murasakibara was posing an ever bigger threat; his aura was the signal. Turning her head quickly towards the court, she noticed Seirin staring at their opponents. _'Two minutes are left …anything can happen.' _Her eyes trailed the tall center as he made his way towards the phantom player. Something was definitely not right with him.

"I was watching during the time out," spoke Kuroko, seeing the intensity in Murasakibara's glare. "Honestly, I thought you had given up."

"Yeah," he replied, lowering his eyes to meet the ghostly hue below. "I tried to, but I changed my mind. Like I told Gomechin, I will crush you after all." His eyes narrowed upon noticing the unfazed expression on the phantom player. It irked him that Kuroko never gave up even when he should know there was a huge difference in strength. "It might be annoyingly difficult, but I hate losing even more."

Kuroko took a second to see the truth behind Murasakibara's words before he gave his reply. "Good, but I hate losing, too."

Hearing the whistle, each player got into position before the referee passed the ball to Fukui. Himuro ran forward, only to meet with Hyuga, Shun, and Kuroko marking him. He knew he had to stay calm at this point. He could not let his emotions get the best of him. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled the turmoil inside his head.

Shun blinked, noticing the small detail of his demeanor. _'Murasakibara is not the only one. Looks like Himuro has had a breakthrough, too.' _His Eagle Eye quickly caught Okamura coming behind Hyuga and Kuroko, making his eyes widened upon having not caught it in time. "A screen!" he shouted.

Himuro caught the ball from Fukui's pass before coming in front of the two-point line and preparing his shot. With narrowed eyes, he was not surprised to find Kagami coming in front of him and meeting him in the air.

'_It's no use!' _Fukui's teeth clenched, feeling nothing but nervous sweat slide down his back as Kagami had caught up with Himuro. _'The Mirage Shot has been completely beaten.'_

"I hate to admit it," whispered Himuro, "but you're amazing, Taiga. I lost our battle. Sorry, though. We are still going to win!" Lowering his arms, he passed the ball around the tiger before it landed into Murasakibara's hands.

"A pass!?" exclaimed Hyuga, watching Murasakibara take off from the ground to dunk the ball in.

Yosen's movements stopped upon seeing Kagami appear once again in front of Murasakibara and stopping the ball from going inside the dunk. Even they felt powerless seeing the tiger reacting so quickly after taking in Himuro's fake shot.

'_This isn't normal!' _Araki's pupils shook with disbelief. _'Is he really this good!?'_

"I told you," Murasakibara grunted, "I hate losing. That is why I will win!"

Kagome took a step forward as she watch Murasakibara's hands grip the ball before lowering it down to pass it underneath Kagami's legs. "A pass!?" she exclaimed, seeing Himuro catch the ball effortlessly before shooting into the basket.

* * *

"You're kidding…," Momoi whispered under her breath. Her eyes had to be deceiving her after witnessing Murasakibara's pass.

"Huh~ I have never seen Murasakibara like that before," Aomine chuckled. He was amused by the change in his former teammate's behavior and not to mention how well Kagome stood up against the tall male.

* * *

"All right!" shouted Okamura, coming to cheer with his team.

Hyuga sighed as he felt his eyebrow twitch with anger. Even he had been taken back with Murasakibara's pass. "This is really looking bad," he scoffed.

"Izuki-senpai, do you have a minute?" Kagami made his way towards the point guard as the ball was retrieved. Extending his arm out, the tiger exhaled: "Allow me to start. I think I have a plan that might work."

Izuki blinked as he heard Kagami's whispered plan. Looking at Yosen from the corner of his eyes, he returned his attention back to the tiger before placing the basketball into Kagami's hand. "Okay, let's go then."

Yosen took a step back at the sight of the point guard coming in. Not only did they see Shun without the ball, but Kagami was coming forward with the ball bouncing up and down in place. Fukui's tick popped out of his forehead as it throbbed with annoyance. First it was Kiyoshi and now this guy!? "You're the point guard now!?" Fukui tried to match his steps with Kagami as best he could, leaving him pissed that he had to deal with a guy in the Zone. _'Dammit it!'_

The miko sighed, watching the tiger pass Fukui's space before making his way towards the hoop. _'So now he asked Izuki-senpai to become the point guard? What does he have in mind?' _

Riko raised a brow the moment Kagami passed the ball behind his back to the phantom player. Where had this plan come from? "Huh?" she blinked, seeing Kuroko misdirect the ball upwards towards the hoop only to see Kagami jump back up and dunk the ball in.

Left awed at their teamwork, Kagome was not sure what to think. If anything, it was becoming ironic to see Seirin and Yosen plays having switched. _'Seirin is relying solely on Kagami when it comes to offense, and Murasakibara's Yosen is playing together on offense.' _

"Without a defensive trump card on either team, missed shots could be fatal," whispered Riko as she came to bite her thumb. Back and forth Yosen and Seirin would score and time was quickly ticking away. "Kagami-kun is already nearing his limit…what should we do?"

Taking a glance towards the time, Kagome blinked as one minute was marked on the game. Placing her hand over her chest, she was sure her heart was racing due to the nerves. Was Kiyoshi doing well? What if she had failed to heal him? Closing her eyes tightly, she felt a sting of regret. _'What am I going to do-?' _Her eyes immediately snapped open upon feeling a hand over her head. She quickly looked up to see a smile greeting her.

"Why do you look so down, Kagome-chan?"

The rest of the bench turned their heads to the voice, seeing their center up and well. Riko stood from her seat and faced the male. "T-Teppei?"

"Yo," he greeted, "I am back."

"Kiyoshi-senpai…," Kagome whispered under her breath. Feeling a wet drop slide down her cheek, she blinked in confusion at the sudden tear. Why was she crying? Relief had washed over her at the sight of his smile.

A smile stretched onto Riko's lips as she gave Kiyoshi a nod before running to the referee table.

"Mah, mah," he chuckled, coming to wipe the new tear sliding down her cheek, "I don't think Kagome-chan should be crying. In fact, why is everyone so gloomy?" As he heard the buzzer sound off, he turned towards the court the moment he felt everyone's attention on him. He could not help but chuckle at the sight of Seirin's smiles. "We are nearly there," he continued. "Let's have some fun."

"Black member change!" called the referee.

Kuroko's lips curved upwards as he saw their senpai consoling the miko before he took a step towards the court. "Welcome back," he nodded.

"I'm back," Kiyoshi chuckled as he began to tuck in his jersey.

"Kiyoshi!" smirked Hyuga. He looked refreshed compared to before and that set their worries aside. The hope they had been clinging on was anchored.

"Arigatou, Kagome-chan," Kiyoshi looked over his shoulder, seeing her return a genuine smile. His mind was still in the process of taking in Kagome's story, but he was grateful for what she had done. She had done the impossible. Proceeding to walk into the court, he was greeted by his teammates as Yosen was left in confusion.

'_Hm, I knew they were up to something,' _Araki raised a brow before turning her head slightly to the side and seeing the smile on Kagome's face. _'She helped him recover his strength?'_

"Seriously?" blinked Okamura. "I didn't think he would come back."

Himuro's sights focused in on the brunette, seeing his confidence fully repaired. _'Atsushi destroyed him mentally and physically. They don't call him the Iron Heart for nothing.'_

"I am sick of this."

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Kiyoshi turned to face none other than Murasakibara's scowl.

"How many times do you need to be crushed? You are way too tough. " he grunted, wanting to release a growl. Just the sight of Kiyoshi made him want to crush Seirin altogether.

"Well, that is my strength," Kiyoshi chuckled back, "but I should thank Kagome-chan this time for helping me return."

Murasakibara's scowl tightened upon hearing Kagome's name. So she did help Kiyoshi in some way. _'Gomechin…'_

"Oi, you know what is going on, Kiyoshi," Hyuga cut in, placing his hand over his hip. "You kept us waiting long enough."

"I know. We are just in a pinch, right?" he smirked back, before turning to face Yosen. "The game isn't over. Let's have some fun."

* * *

Sesshomaru's eyebrow lifted slightly as his golden stare remained on the brunette. His sudden comeback surely had his interest, but the moment Kagome and he shared a glance, he knew the miko had something to do with his return.

Nothing could escape his sights nor senses. The look on the miko's face was enough to tell him she had indeed released her secret. Keeping his arms crossed, his claws slowly came out and tightened around his arm.

'_Looks like this Sesshomaru will be having another talk with the miko.'_

* * *

"It's the moment of truth," sighed Kasamatsu, seeing both Seirin and Yosen get into their new formations. "They are four points behind with less than fifty seconds remaining now. If Seirin lets them score any more, it's over." In most cases, even he would not put so much attention to a game before theirs, but seeing that whoever won this game would be their next opponent, he had to keep a close eye. "In other words, they have to repeatedly stop Yosen's offense while making their own shots. Can Seirin overcome such a difficult obstacle?"

Kise's eyes glided over to land on the miko, seeing her exhale softly. Not only had the Iron Heart made a comeback, but the look on Kagome's face was of total relief. The miko was starting to become even more mysterious.

* * *

Momoi sighed as she heard nothing but the bounce of the ball underneath Fukui's hand. Everyone was on edge with nothing but pressure being spilled over the court. "They are being careful," she whispered, feeling even she should keep her voice low at such a crucial time of the game.

"Yeah," answered Aomine, "but they have made up their minds." Narrowing his eyes, he watched as Fukui took a step forward. "Here it comes."

* * *

Himuro caught the passed ball in his hands as he tried passing the tiger. Cursing under his breath, he took a jump and aimed for the hoop only to fake it once more and pass the ball towards Murasakibara. Kagami looked over his shoulder the moment the tall center began to take off from the ground, making him pivot around and meet him face-to-face in the air.

The miko gripped the side of her skirt as she knew what Murasakibara's plan was. _'There is another pass here,' _she commented to herself as her eyes followed the passed ball behind Murasakibara's form. A confident smile curved up her lips as she saw Himuro coming to face Kiyoshi on the court.

"Sorry," whispered Himuro, his fingers coming to grip the surface of the ball between his hands, "but only Taiga can stop me." He quickly jumped into the air as he took his aim once more.

"The Mirage Shot!" shouted Koganei. "It's no use! Kiyoshi can't stop it!"

"It's not over yet," whispered Kagome, loud enough for her teammates to hear her.

Riko gave a nod as she crossed her arms, seeing none other than Hyuga running behind Himuro. "In order to stop the double release of the Mirage Shot, you don't have to be able to block both shots like Kagami-kun. You can predict when he is going to release. For Teppei, with his Right of Postponement, that is his forte!"

Kiyoshi quickly shot up as he reached for the ball, surprising all players on the court. Furihata blinked as he saw Kiyoshi getting closer to the ball. "He jumped on the first release!?" He blinked once more, upon noticing Kiyoshi's feet having stayed on the ground. "Huh?"

'_That is his decision,' _Himuro kept a close eye on Kiyoshi's movements before he narrowed his eyes to see Kiyoshi having fooled everyone and staying on the ground, _'but I know! Fooling your teammates with a fake is impressive. Normally, I would have responded. However, that is my specialty. Fakes don't work against me!' _

Kiyoshi smiled as he watched the ball slowly being released. He had heard of these types of fakes, so he took a chance and decided to fool everyone else with his own move. "I knew I couldn't win a battle of prediction. That is why I chose to lose by trying and failing to stop the second release. Due to the nature of the Mirage Shot, the first release must be made before you reach the apex of your jump. In other words, because of the low release point of the first release, it can even be stopped by shorter players!" Himuro's eyes widened as he watched Hyuga come from behind and slap the ball away from its intended course.

"All right!" Seirin shouted in unison.

Araki abruptly stood from her seat as she watched Kuroko pass the ball to Shun. Now she felt her nerves poking her harshly. Their plan was going downhill! "Stop them!" she shouted. "Don't let them score!"

As Shun passed the ball to the tiger, Kagami passed Himuro's defense before he made his release at the three-point line. The miko blinked the moment the basketball bounced off the rim of the hoop, making her cup her hands around her lips. "Rebound!"

Her voice reached Kiyoshi's ears, quickly taking off towards the ball and using his Vice Claw to retrieve it. Hearing Hyuga's voice next, he made the pass before his captain made the three-point shot himself swiftly.

Seirin shouted in unison as three points were added to their score. Koganei punched the air as a grin only hung on his lips. "Twenty second remaining! We are finally one point behind!"

* * *

"Sugoi…," whispered Momoi. She never thought another team would be behind so closely when going against Murasakibara. Never in her Teiko years did she witness it and now it was only a shocker. "If they make one more basket, it will be a comeback."

Aomine gave a nod as his eyes remained glued on his former purple haired teammate. "_If _they make the shot."

* * *

Kagome's breath stopped for a second as she felt a sudden aura rise. Turning her head to the side, she noticed Murasakibara's person standing alone under the net. Curling her fingers into her palm, she felt them sweat slightly as Murasakibara's aura continued to grow.

"Go! We need one more basket!" shouted Kiyoshi as he defended against Liu. "Let's beat Yosen!"

"Throw me the ball!" Okamura ordered, seeing Liu struggle to pass the ball. Seeing the ball coming his way, he passed it across the court towards Himuro as he ran closer to their hoop. "Go!" he shouted once more, seeing Himuro easily pass Hyuga's defense before the ball was thrown to Murasakibara's person.

"I will win!" Murasakibara yelled as he turned to face the net. "I will finish this game!"

Kagome and the others gasped as they watched Kagami meet with Murasakibara once again in the air. Both struggled with two hands to push each other off as the ball barely moved an inch. The miko stood from her seat as she watched Murasakibara's aura overrule Kagami's. "Kagami-kun!" she shouted, seeing Kagami's height slowly being thrown down.

'_W-What is going on?' _Kagami's eyes widened, feeling the intensity in Murasakibara's push. _'His dunk is even stronger than before! This isn't good! He is going to push me out!' _A sudden hand behind his quickly brought him out of his thoughts.

"Don't give up."

'_K-Kiyoshi-senpai?' _Kagami looked over his shoulder, seeing the brunette clench his teeth.

"We will win, no matter what," he continued. _'We have to win. I can't let Kagome-chan's efforts and story go to waste. She trusts us; we must put that trust to work!' _

"Kiyoshi!" shouted Hyuga. _'He is back! He is jumping again without any problems!' _Hyuga smirked as both Kagami and Kiyoshi pushed the ball away from Murasakibara's hands before it landed into his. "Let's go!" he commanded. "Counterattack!"

The miko quickly shook her head as she noticed Murasakibara's aura already at its highest peak. "Matte!" she yelled, seeing the purple haired male already having caught up and standing in front of Seirin's approaches to their hoop.

Hyuga's eyes slowly widened as he saw the number nine printed on the Yosen jersey. _'C-Chotto matte! How is he there already!? He got there way too quickly! Could it be…?'_

* * *

"Murasakibaracchi…," Kise was at a loss for words as he saw the spark in Murasakibara's eyes. No doubt that was the same spark Kagami and Aomine have had. _'H-He is in?! But if Murasakibaracchi is in the Zone, there is no chance of Kagamicchi winning! And he is already at his limit!'_

* * *

Seeing his aura back to normal, Kagome could not believe what worse time it was for Kagami's Zone to have left once Hyuga had passed the ball to him. She shook her head with one step forward as she saw the tiger fault in his steps. "Kagami-kun!" she shouted. She could not do anything, but support from now on. She had to have faith in Seirin that they could push forward.

'_Not yet!' _Kagami regained his balance as the miko's and his teammate's words echoed inside his head. _'I can't give up just yet! Give me every last drop!' _He charged forward as he got closer to the paint on the court. "We will win! It is the ace's job to carry everyone's hopes to victory! I will exceed my limits as much as I need to!"

Eyes widened the moment Kagami jumped at the paint line, seeing him far from the hoop. "A lane up!?" exclaimed Okamura with the rest of his team shocked to see the sudden height in his jump.

'_This doesn't look right!' _Himuro's pupils shook. _'He doesn't have enough space to jump from this angle! He won't reach the hoop!'_

* * *

"Is he trying to do that now?" whispered Alex, her own disbelief kicking upon seeing Kagami's jump.

"Huh?" Shippo blinked, turning his head to the side along with the rest of the demons in the room.

Alex bit her bottom lip as nerves continued to kick in. _'But now that he is in the Zone, he may be able to pull it off.' _Her eyes followed Kagami's path seeing him getting closer to the hoop. _'If the Mirage Shot is a technique of stillness, that unstoppable shot is one of intense power. The falling star dunk, Meteor Jam!'_

* * *

Silence painted over the crowd as they watched Kagami slam the ball into the hoop. No one had thought he could have made the shot at the height he had taken. Seirin and the rest of the audience cheered in excitement as two points were added to their score and only with four seconds left in the game.

"We did it! A comeback!" exclaimed Koganei. "And only four seconds left!"

Kagome's eyes focused in on Murasakibara's silent form before her pupils widened as his sudden speed taking off to the other side of the court. "It's not over yet!" she shouted, catching Seirin's attention as Himuro retrieved the ball into his hands.

"Atsushi!" he shouted.

"A counterattack!" exclaimed Furihata, seeing Murasakibara nearing to the hoop.

As Shun took a step forward, he noticed Kagami falling down onto one knee from the corner of his eyes. "Kagami!"

Seirin and the rest of the people in the stadium watched as Murasakibara slowly bent his knees for a jump as he raised his arms to make the basket until the tall male halted just before he took off for his jump. The miko's pupils shook as she saw Murasakibara's frozen state: _'He…can't jump? Impossible. After Kiyoshi-senpai became the point guard, Murasakibara-kun continuously leaped with his giant body. His knees couldn't handle the burden. But…even in the Zone he is being stopped?' _

'_Don't be ridiculous!' _Murasakibara eyes the hoop in front of him. He wanted to scream his irritation and force his knees to take him, but his joints would not listen. _'The hoop is right there! Even if I can't jump, I can just toss it in!'_

"It wasn't their intent to stop you from jumping."

The familiar voice drifted into Murasakibara's ears as he heard steps coming closer to him.

"However, it is still the result of Kiyoshi-senpai's, Kagome-chan's, and the upperclassmen's tenacity!" Kuroko leaped off the ground as he placed his hand on the other side of the ball before he smacked it away from Murasakibara's grasp. "It's all over now!"

The entire court froze until the ball fell to the ground with the buzzer echoing right after. Cheers spread as Seirin shouted for their victory. Riko and the rest of her teammates came to each other in a hug as the others did on the court. The miko's eyes remained on the purple haired male, seeing his knees shake even with his hands coming to grip them tightly. The excitement over their win ran through her veins, but she could not help but feel sympathy as she saw the defeated look painted on Murasakibara's face. _'Kuroko-kun knew Murasakibara-kun couldn't jump. However, there was no conclusive evidence, and the possibility was remote, but…,' _her eyes landed on the phantom player getting a ruffle on his hair by their center, _'Kuroku-kun still went right for the block.' _Kagome released a small chuckle as she saw the smiles on her team; the sight warming her. _'He just never gives up.' _

The referee called both teams for the line-up as he held the ball in his hands. Seeing the two teams facing each other, he raised his arm: "with a score of seventy-three to seventy-two, Seirin High wins! Bow!"

"Arigatou gozaimasu!" they bowed in unison.

"We lost," sighed Okamura, extending his arm out to Hyuga. "It was a great game."

"Yeah," he nodded, coming to return his hand-shake.

Kuroko slowly turned his head to the side, seeing Kagami and Himuro facing each other with no hand shake being given. He sighed as he caught the sorrow in his partner's expression. Win or lose, he knew the result would have been the same between their relationship.

"I lost, Taiga," Himuro whispered. "As per our promise, I won't call myself your brother anymore."

The words sunk into his head and anchored over his heart. As much as it pained him he was losing the bond he had with his childhood friend, he could not stop Himuro in his way of thinking. Sighing under his breath, he lowered his eyes to the ground. "Yeah…I know."

"Let's go," Riko patted the miko's back, having caught her lost in thought and stares. Stretching her smile, she pulled the miko towards the court as she and the rest of the team met together for their shared victory.

Kagome was quickly thrown into one of Hyuga's rough ruffles over her head as he and the rest of the team continued on with the celebration. Chuckling softly under her breath, the miko was able to escape from Hyuga's hold before her attention was caught on Kiyoshi and Murasakibara facing each other.

"Murasakibara."

Turning his head to the side, the purple haired male raised a brow at the sight of the smiling brunette.

"Let's play again sometime."

"Huh?" he scoffed. Even if Kiyoshi was saying it as a joke, he was already sick and tired of the sport. He wanted nothing more than to go home. "No way," he continued, "I am quitting basketball. I played until the end because Murochin was so desperate, but it wasn't fun. It's already a boring enough sport. There is no reason to keep playing after I have lost."

Kiyoshi sighed as he watched the purple haired center turn away from his person. There was nothing he could say to stop his decision, but he did hope he could at least rethink it.

"I see."

Both males blinked before turning their heads to the right and seeing the miko extend her hand out to Murasakibara. "I guess it can't be helped, then," she spoke, seeing the unamused look in his face. "If that is how you really feel, then we can't stop you, Murasakibara-kun. But if you really are going to quit, then I suggest you return my rubber band."

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed as he matched the small glare of the miko's. She had helped Seirin to their win and she had not even stepped into the court once. What did she have to help Seirin in their triumph? It irked him not knowing, but it irked him even more she could hold herself so well against him. The look in her eyes with that confidence reminded him of his former captain in Teiko. With another scoff, his hand came behind his hair as he began to pull the rubbed band off.

"But," she stopped him with the sound of her voice, "you can keep it as long as you stay playing. Your choice." Kagome send him a smile before giving him a bow with her head and walking back to her team with Kiyoshi beside her.

"Is he really going to quit?" Kagami whispered as the miko came to meet him and Kuroko on the court. "What do you think, Kuroko?"

Kuroko's lips curved into a smile as he watched his former teammate walk towards Yosen's bench. "I don't think so," he replied.

Looking over her shoulder, the miko noticed the tight grip Murasakibara made to the rubber band in his hand. "I don't think he truly hates basketball. I do believe we will see him again."

* * *

Himuro's eyes softened as he watched his teammate place a white towel over his head as he began to put everything away into his sports bag. He was not sure what Murasakibara was thinking at this point, but he could imagine it was more than just anger. "We will win next time, Atsushi," he spoke.

"Huh?" Murasakibara shoulders began to shake as he heard Himuro's voice. He did not need another person telling him what the future held for him. "I told you," he grunted under his breath, "I'm quitting."

"You sure?" Himuro smiled, tilting his head to the side. "It doesn't seem that way to me," he whispered, seeing the tears slip from Murasakibara's eyes as they came to stain his sports bag.

Okamura chuckled as he placed his hand over Murasakibara's head and gently patted it. "You're just getting started. Keep at it!" He blinked as he took a step back from Murasakibara's hand almost hitting his hand away. No doubt that his teammate was experiencing loss for the first time.

"You did well, guys," Araki smile as she held her wooden sword over her shoulder. Although the loss was not in their plan, she knew this was only the beginning of the Winter Cup for Seirin.

* * *

"In order to enter the Zone, you must love basketball. I thought Mukkun never had that," whispered Momoi, seeing Yosen begin to leave the court area.

"I guess," Aomine sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "He entered the Zone, though. You know what that means."

* * *

"Good work, miina!"

Riko placed her hand on her hip as she saw the tired blinks of her team. For what seemed like hours of a match, victory had to end sooner knowing their next opponent would be either Kaijo or their opponent. But she knew celebration should be a given seeing how hard everyone had worked. "We can celebrate later," she continued. "The next teams are waiting. Let's go."

"Whoever wins that game will be our opponent tomorrow," Hyuga spoke as he hung the strap of his sports bag over his shoulder. "Let us head upstairs. The semifinals are next!

"Hai!" they nodded.

"As for you," Riko placed her arm around the miko's shoulder, making her jump slightly from the sudden action, "we need to know what you did to Teppei. I must know! If it is something I can learn to put these bakas into shape, you have to teach me!"

The corner of the miko's lips twitched nervously as she felt the piercing stares of the team. Now the hardest part had arrived – the questions. "Uh, well…," she scratched her cheek, moving her eyes to the corner to avoid their gaze.

"Mah, Kagome-chan definitely knows some amazing remedies," Kiyoshi cut in, catching his teammates' attention. "Who knew Kagome-chan had some muscle to crack my bones into place."

"Huh?" blinked Riko. "Did you do some chiropractic practice on him?"

"Sort of?" she laughed nervously.

"Well, next time we know who to go to when one of us in pain," Hyuga spoke with a smile. "But we should get going before the teams come to get warmed up." Seeing the nods of his teammates, he turned around towards the exit of the court.

"Kagome-chan."

The miko blinked as she adjusted the strap of her own bag over her shoulder and looked behind her to see the phantom player staring at her. "Kuroko-kun?" she whispered. "Is everything okay?"

"I…should be asking you that," he replied, seeing the exhaustion in her orbs. "You look troubled."

Kagome was silent as Kuroko's eyes remained on her person. It never amazed her how well Kuroko could read her like an open book. She was troubled and the thoughts of having revealed her abilities to Kiyoshi already added a new worry to her life. It was not so much Kiyoshi telling the others, but if Sesshomaru were to find out of what she had done. Sighing softly under her breath, she gave him a reassuring nod before replying. "I guess I am just worried for…the team," turning her head back to stare at the numbers on Seirin's jerseys, the smile on her lips stretched. "I want to know I can continue to protect the team as much as I can."

"You have been protecting us this whole time, Kagome-chan," Kuroko answered as he walked past her, "and I know you always will," stopping in his steps, he looked over his shoulder before giving her his own smile. "Just like we will always protect you, Kagome-chan."

'_Kuroko-kun…,' _the miko blinked once as she came to stare at Kuroko's number on his jersey. Chuckling to herself, her cerulean orbs lowered to stare at her open palm. She would continue to protect them even if she knew she was risking her identity. Kagome gave herself a reassuring nod before taking a step forward and freezing as she felt a pair of eyes on her.

Kagome quickly turned her head and looked around the audience to see anyone who could have been staring at her. Left and right she continued her search before she stopped at a pair of heterochromatic eyes. The miko relaxed her shoulders as she met his eyes before he sent her an approving nod. Just one look of his eyes, she could see that Akashi was prepared for what was to come. _'He is going against Midorima-kun tomorrow, isn't he?' _Exhaling silently, she watched him turn away and blend into the darkness of the upstairs hall way. _'Guess tomorrow we will see what happens.'_

"Kagomecchi!"

The name reached her ears, making her turn back to her waiting team having met with Kaijo. She took one last glance towards the dark hallway before making her way towards the two teams. She blinked, seeing Kise giving her a wide grin.

"I knew you could do it, Kagomecchi!" he chuckled. "Guess we will you in the semifinals."

"You have to win this game first, Kise-kun," she sighed, shaking her head with a smile.

Kasamatsu crossed his arms, annoyed by how many times he had to set Kise straight and get him out of his cockiness. "I already told him that."

Chuckling at Kise's serious captain, the miko lowered her eyes and blinked upon seeing Kise's ankle. Raising a brow, she suddenly felt his aura waver. Was he-?

"Well, we will see you soon, Kagomecchi," Kise spoke, bringing her attention back to his golden hues.

"Uh, hai," she nodded. Exhaling, she walked past the blonde as she parted her lips for a whisper: "don't push yourself too hard, Kise-kun."

Kise's eyes widened slightly as her words lingered in the air before a smirk appeared on his lips. Snickering under his breath, he followed his own team onto their bench. "I will, Kagomecchi…but I can't make promises."

* * *

"So?" chuckled Shippo, coming to a stand from his seat. "Should we go congratulate them?"

Alex sighed as she placed her hands inside the pockets of her jacket. It was a great match to watch and in the end, she was happy to have witness her two students playing an interesting game. _'They have come far,' _she nodded to herself. "I will go out and talk to one of my student for a while. So if you could excuse me," she bowed to the inu youkai, seeing his eyes still glued on the court. "Arigatou," she slowly turned around as she made her way towards the exit.

Shippo blinked as he his eyes on the closing door. So many emotions and events had occurred in just that match that even his own energy seemed to have drained. "Well, guess this was a match worth remembering. What do you think, Sesshomaru?" he smirked, coming to stare at him from the corner of his eyes.

The inu youkai remained silent before he uncrossed his arms and stood from his own seat. "Koga."

"Huh?" blinked the wolf, tilting his head upwards to see the inu youkai still staring at the empty court.

"Tell Monthly Basketball to interview Seirin."

"Interview?" Koga questioned, raising a brow. Since when did Sesshomaru tell magazines to interview certain people?

'_This Sesshomaru will have a talk with the miko.'_

* * *

"Miko."

Kagome jolted as she felt a familiar presence behind her along with the tone of the voice. Her eyes remained ahead, seeing her team entering the locker room while leaving her behind to the youkai's mercy. Slowly, she turned her head over her shoulder and gulped at the sight of the silver haired inu right behind her with Shippo right beside him.

"S-Sesshomaru-sama. Shippo. Surprise seeing you here," she chuckled. _'Does he know? Does he know!?' _the questioned itself was being shouted in her head the more she watched Sesshomaru's intense glare. Cold sweat began to trickle down her back as Sesshomaru got closer.

"Okaa-san! Congratulations on winning!" Shippo grinned, breaking the thick silence between the inu and miko. "I was getting quite nervous towards the end, but Seirin managed to pull it off!"

"Arigatou, Shippo," Kagome nodded.

"Miko."

Both her and the kitsune's spines jumped slightly at the sound of his cold tone. Keeping their eyes away from the dangerous predator stare, Kagome tried placing her attention elsewhere in hopes he would turn away.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru won't repeat himself again."

She was caught.

The miko released a sigh and took in a breath of courage before turning her attention towards the inu. The expression on his face remained as her façade seemed to change slightly. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"This Sesshomaru deserves an explanation-"

"Mah! Okaa-san! You should hurry to Seirin and tell them they have an interview with Monthly Basketball!" Shippo cut in, receiving a questioningly blink from the miko and an eyebrow twitch from the inu.

"Shippo," Sesshomaru glare, keeping his gaze on the kitsune's back. Did he actually interrupt him?

"An interview?" she tilted her head to the side. Where had that come from? The moment Sesshomaru said he wanted an explanation, she had felt her heart stop for a second. Shippo turned her around as he began to push towards Seirin's locker room. "Now go! You guys can't be late! It is at the lobby in ten minutes, okay? Don't be late!"

"C-Chotto-"

Shippo sent a wink as they stood before the door. The many times he had saved her from danger were nothing compared to feeling Sesshomaru wrath. It was not like he could murder him now. How lucky he was to be alive in this era. "Don't worry, I will try to calm him down. Now go."

Giving one last look the kitsune over her shoulder, the miko exhaled before moving her gaze to Sesshomaru. She exhaled softly before giving Shippo a nod as she opened the locker room door. Shippo sighed the moment the door closed on him and soon felt his spine shiver. _'Well…here goes my life…'_

* * *

"Huh?!" exclaimed Hyuga, standing from his seat inside the locker room. Everyone was frozen in their spots as they heard the miko give them the news. Where did she find the time to get an interview?! "An interview?" he blinked before adjusting his glasses.

The miko nodded, unsure how to explain the situation herself. She was given the news herself not even ten minutes ago. Scratching her cheek, she looked to the side before replying. "Yeah, for Monthly Basketball. I am guessing Tashio Corporation gave us a slot since we are in the spotlight." She thanked the heavens for her quick mind to find excuses.

"Sugoi, Kagome-chan!" smiled Riko as she came to clasp her hands into hers. She always had dreamed of being interviewed by Monthly Basketball and Kagome had gotten them the spot!

"What do you think they will ask us?" questioned Kagami, making the miko turn to him.

"Um, not sure?" she replied, giving him a shrug of her shoulders. "Perhaps your thoughts on the games, your hopes for the future. That kind of thing."

Hyuga gulped as he came to sit back down, feeling his nerves return just when he thought they had been forgotten. Even his palms were beginning to sweat at the thought of having a camera in front of him. "Seriously?" he sighed. "I am super nervous."

"We are not very good at the kind of thing," Shun added, seeing the frozen states of his teammates.

"Don't be so weird about it," Kiyoshi chuckled, coming to stand behind the miko. "Just act natural, right Kagome-chan?"

"I suppose so?"

Hyuga's shoulder relaxed under their words before bringing his eyes down to his lap. "You're right…," he sighed. Taking in a breather, Hyuga stood up once more with a grin glued on his face. "Okay, miina! Let's relax!"

* * *

The miko's sweat drop appeared as she saw the flash go off once. There sat Riko, Hyuga, and Kiyoshi at the front as Mitobe, Kagami, and Kuroko stood at the back with the journalist opening his books for notes. Another flash came, seeing her team tense.

"They completely failed to relax," whispered Koganei, seeing Hyuga's knees begin to shake underneath the gaze of the camera lens.

"Okaa-san!"

Hearing the familiar call, Kagome turned her head to the side to see not only Shippo with Koga by his side, but Sesshomaru as well. She did not need a camera to feel the nerves as Sesshomaru's gaze was enough to throw her off. She took a glance at Koganei before coming to pat his shoulder. "Ano, can you give me a minute?"

With an approving nod, she nodded back and headed to meet her old acquaintances. Her hand snaked behind her head as she gave herself a gentle scratch. Was she in trouble? But how could she be when it was her decision what do with her life.

"This Sesshomaru will only ask you once, miko."

Kagome gulped, already knowing what was coming next.

"You cannot hide the truth from this Sesshomaru. You used your abilities to heal Kiyoshi, did you not."

It was not a question to her, but a statement he already knew she could not hide. Dropping her head once again, she avoided his gaze as she gave him a nod in response. Her heart continued to beat rapidly against her chest while feeling Sesshomaru's intense glare. What else could she do? Her only choice was to heal Kiyoshi and help Seirin. They were her team after all.

"This Sesshomaru strictly forbade you to use your abilities until further notice," his glare tightened. "Did you not think of the consequences, miko?"

Kagome closed her eyes as she took in his scolding, but the damage was done. She took a glance towards her team as the photographers continued to take pictures. A smile graced her lips before coming to turn to the inu. "With all due respect, Sesshomaru-sama, I had to do what I had to. Kiyoshi-senpai took it…well. He promised not to say anything until I was ready to tell the others. I did not mention any names and kept it vague. I know what I am doing, Sesshomaru-sama," her eyes tightened as she saw his golden orbs still glued on her person. "I am old enough to make my own decisions."

Koga's and Shippo's eyes shifted left and right as they looked at the stare between the miko and inu. Even the air was becoming thick to them and they were being dragged into the awkward silence. Koga sighed, placing a hand over Sesshomaru's shoulder to break the stare. "Mah, mah, Sesshomaru what's done is done. We can't turn back time. Besides," he tilted his head to the side, signaling them to look over at the journalist leaning in to ask a few questions, "Seirin isn't as bad as you think. I came to meet them and personally, they aren't a bad team. I am sure Kagome knows who she is trusting."

"Hm."

"Well, as long as they keep it a secret, I don't see the harm in telling them," Shippo grinned, seeing the nervous streak all over Seirin's faces. The four them blinked as the journalist began to start his interview. "Besides, look how happy they look at being interviewed."

"Good work everyone," he smiled, receiving a wide eyed smile from the coach.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu!" she exclaimed back in a stutter. "It is an honor to be interviewed by Monthly Basketball!"

"The intensity of the Yosen game still has us reeling," commented the journalist. "We were going to interview Yosen about it, but we got word from Tashio Sesshomaru that he was interested in Seirin, so we came to see just who Seirin was."

Kagome blinked as she heard the journalist words. Sesshomaru was interested in Seirin? Taking a glance at the inu from the corner of her eyes, she noticed him looking away and keeping a close eye on the team. _'Guess he does have a soft spot…'_

"Anyway," the journalist cut in, "it is incredible that you made it to the Winter Cup only two years after your team formed. On top of that, you have made it this far."

"A-Arigatou…," whispered Hyuga as he pushed in his glasses.

"Which game made the greatest impression on you?" the photographers directed the question to the captain.

"Well," Hyuga scratched his cheek, unsure how to answer the question as he took a glance towards Riko, "it is hard…"

"…to choose just one," continued Shun, seeing that everyone could not just pick one game they had played.

"Of course," chuckled the photographer.

"If I had to choose, it would probably be the Shutoku game," Hyuga replied, seeing the journalist quickly write as he spoke.

"Ah, that was the finals of the Winter Cup preliminaries," nodded the journalist.

Hyuga scratched the back of his neck as he recalled the game in his head. "Thought it ended in a tie, I believe both teams played the game their way. I would like to play Shutoku again."

"Yeah," nodded Kagami, seeing the camera flash on them once more.

Kagome smiled as she saw their anxiety leave their faces as the team began to get comfortable. Nodding to herself, she felt Shippo place his hand over her shoulder as he sent her a wink. "Don't worry, okaa-san. We know you did what you had to do. You have always been the type to help others even if it meant risking yourself."

"Arigatou, Shippo."

"Ah," the journalist spoke, catching their attention once more, "the Eagle Eye is an incredible ability."

"Yes," nodded Shun, raising his index finger at the question. "Apparently a lot of Uruguayans possess this ability. Eagle eye, Uruguay, Eagle Eye, Uruguay. Eagle Eye, Urugauy. That's it."

Kagome raised her hand to her face as she saw the confusion on the photographer and journalist. No doubt they were lost in Shun's pun. _'Not again…,' _she sighed to herself.

"Just ignore him," Riko chuckled nervously.

"If that is what Izuki says, then maybe we should just assume a lot of Uruguayans have the Eagle Eye," whispered Kiyoshi, having bought Shun's pun as a fact.

"We can't do that," grunted Hyuga, wanting to slap Kiyoshi on the back of the head for having fallen for Shun's pun.

The journalist laughed it out before turning his head to the red head behind Kiyoshi. With a smile, he looked at his paper. "What about you, Kagami-kun?"

"Uh…I am just playing as hard as I can," he commented.

"What do you think, Coach?" questioned the journalist.

"Well," she whispered, placing her finger on her chin, a certain game popped into her head, "Kagami-kun leveled up during the Tōō game. I believed in the team, but honestly, they achieved more than I expected."

Koga nodded as he crossed his arms, recalling the game that had peaked everyone's interest in the Zone. "Even I became interested in that match. That was one to truly remember."

"What do you think about Aomine?" the journalist asked to the tiger, hearing nothing but silence over the match knowing he had been the star of the game.

"Next time I will definitely win," he replied, receiving blank blinks from the team and the two interviewers.

The journalist blinked as he stopped the tip of his pen over his journal. "Uh, didn't you win this time?"

"Baka…," the miko whispered, shaking her head at the comment. Then again, she figured it was his modesty that made him give that answer. Hearing the journalist continue with his questions, she smiled as she saw her team laugh together. _'They are like family now.'_

"Miko."

Kagome turned her head to the inu, seeing him turn away and give his back to her. Blinking, she waited for him to continue, but quickly noticed the smile on Shippo's face.

"If you decide to tell your team about us, you have better console this Sesshomaru beforehand. Is that understood?" After witnessing the miko's team, he could not help but see they were just a bunch of young teens with determined hearts. His trust to them was still wary, but he did not distrust them completely.

"Hai," she replied, giving him a bow.

Giving a nod himself, he began to walk the opposite direction of the hall as Koga and Shippo gave their goodbyes. Her heart had been set at ease after hearing Sesshomaru's words. Although he was still on edge on Seirin's trust, he trusted her; that was enough.

"Well, that should be it," smiled the journalist. "Thank you for your time."

"Um, what about Kuroko-kun?" blinked the photographer as he lowered his camera. "We have to interview him.

Kagome blinked as she heard the journalist remember in having missed the phantom player. She noticed his eyes quickly land on Kuroko's person, making her raised a brow in question. _'Huh?' _she blinked again, seeing the wide smile the journalist held.

"Oh, right," nodded the journalist. "I almost forgot. All of your games were amazing."

"Uh, arigatou," he blinked, turning to face the two in front of him.

"You supported your team against Shutoku, Kirisaki Daiichi, Tōō, and against Yosen just now," smile the photographer as he recalled seeing each match.

Kuroko scratched his cheek as he heard the excitement from the two interviewers. He never had this much attention drawn to him before so this was definitely a first for him. "Well, personally speaking, um, I am just playing as hard as I can."

The miko was lost as she saw the interviewers shake hands with the coach and captain. That was the first time she had seen someone outside their team notice Kuroko right away. The two had quickly turned to where Kuroko had been standing. _'Why did they see him so easily?' _She had remembered the many times people would jump at this _sudden _appearances.

"Darn, I didn't get to make a pun about Yosen," sighed Shun as he saw the interviewers walk towards the exit. "That is my only regret."

"Don't' give up," Kiyoshi chuckled as he patted Shun's back. "You will have an opportunity to make one eventually."

"Bakas! Let's go!" Hyuga's eyebrow twitched. He did not need Kiyoshi supporting Shun's puns at this point. Grabbing the strap of his sports bag, he placed it over his shoulder. "We are going to be late to Kaijo's match."

As Kagome followed the team, she walked beside the phantom player. Her eyes remained on his person as she tried to figure out how others came to realize his presence. _'It wasn't like this before…so why now?' _Her steps stopped as she caught sight of Himuro opening the door to the outside. _'Himuro-san? Ah!' _

Hearing the sound of hands digging into a bag, Kuroko looked over his shoulder upon realizing the miko had stopped in her steps. He blinked once before tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Kagome-chan, what are you looking for?"

"This," she replied, taking out the ring Kagami had given her to throw away. Setting her eyes ahead, she looked at the red head's back before calling him out softly. "Kagami-kun, do you have a minute?"

"Huh?" he blinked, turning his head over his shoulder.

"I am actually really mad right now," Kagome spoke, receiving a twitch from Kagami's eyebrow.

"Me too," added Kuroko, seeing the ring in Kagome's hand. The fact that Himuro's and Kagami's relationship had broken the way it did, did not suit him well.

"Nande!?" he exclaimed. "We won the game!" What more did they want?!

Kuroko sighed as his eyes remained glued on the tiger's red orbs. Waiting for the team to walk a bit further down the hall, he parted his lips to speak. "The problem is what happened after that. Are you happy with what happened with Himuro-san?"

Kagome waited for a reply, seeing the tiger's shoulder stiffen at the question. His aura was restless and she could tell he had not liked how it ended. He cared for their bond, but Himuro could not see a friendship while having a rivalry.

"I can't help that," Kagami scratched the back his head, recalling Himuro's last words to him on the court. "Win or lose, we are not brothers anymore. That is the promise we made."

"What are you two, bakas?" blinked the miko, seeing the tick appear on Kagami's forehead. With a sigh passing her lips, she uncurled her fingers to show him the ring attacked to the necklace.

The tiger's eyes widened upon recognizing the ring had strictly told Kagome to throw away. He was sure she had listened to him! "Oi! I told you to throw that out!"

"I couldn't throw it away," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "Kuroko-kun and I agreed we just couldn't do that to you. If anything, it sounded to us like you were asking us not to." She did not miss the gulp Kagami gave as he listened to her words. "I won't deny how you felt then, but is it really so difficult to continue being brothers and rivals?" Her eyes lowered to the ring resting on her palm, seeing the light reflect a shine. "Himuro-san may have a lot on his mind, too. But deep in his heart, he should understand." She noticed his softened expression as his eyes remained glued on the ring. Relaxing her shoulder, the miko's lips were decorated with a smile. "I just saw him walking outside. Go make up with him."

Kagami remained silent for a few seconds before setting his eyes on the exit door. His heart clenched at the thought of losing his brother and he knew if he did not speak to him now, the bond would permanently be broken. "Wari," he whispered. "I am going."

Both Kuroko and Kagami smiled as they watched the tiger run towards the door, leaving the two alone. The miko quickly lowered her eyes to her palm, seeing him forget the ring. "Oi! Bakagami!" She turned her head to the phantom player and placed her hands together with a bow of her head. "Kuroko-kun, tell the team we will back soon. Onegai!"

"Uh hai," he nodded, seeing the girl sprint behind the tiger. Was she always that fast?

* * *

"Close game, Tatsuya."

"Yes," Himuro nodded, his eyes set on the city lights surrounding the stadium. Even with the cold winter air around, he felt his blood still warm from the adrenaline of the game – despite their loss. The game replayed inside his head, knowing Alex wanted to give him a few words to console him. He chuckled under his breath before placing his hands inside his pockets. "But I feel refreshed now," lowering his eyes from the light spots of the city, he let his eyebrows fall with regret, "sorry, Alex. I was-"

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged her shoulders, knowing her student was going to apologize for his rude behavior before the match. It was normal for her to get attitude like that once in a while. She was from the states! "Athletes get worked up before games all the time," she chuckled. Her expression softened as the smile on her lips lingered. It pained her to see her two students having battled it out on the court so intensely, but she knew it did them good to set higher goals. If anything, she did not see them as enemies to each other, but a healthy rivalry – if Himuro permitted. "Anyway," she spoke, "it was a good game. It was worth the trip."

Himuro's lips curved slightly into a smile as he saw he had been forgiven. At least a part inside him was set at ease.

"Ah, she's cute."

Hearing the unfamiliar voice and steps coming from behind, Himuro and Alex narrowed their eyes as they watched a male with black cornrows slicked back came walking towards them. The smile on his face set them on edge as it was anything but friendly. His thin eyes told him he was clearly not a moral person and that only made them set their guard up.

"Are you foreign?" he questioned, taking one step closer to the duo. "Half, perhaps? Can you speak Japanese?" The chuckle he released made Alex respond with only a tighter glare of her own.

She took a step back as he leaned in closer to her personal space. If there was anything she hated, was being hit on by a stranger who thought he held the confidence like a proud lion. "Who are you?" she tried to keep her tone down, but she was sure that was a fail.

"So you can talk," he continued, completely brushing off her question. "Give me your number," his eyebrows rose as he came face-to-face with the blonde female. "Let's go somewhere together sometime. Come on!"

Alex pushed his arm away before it landed on her shoulder as she took a fewer steps back from the stranger. "Don't be ridiculous!" she shouted, feeling her fist shake with a want to punch the guy. "Don't casually touch me!"

"Ah~?"

"Stop," Himuro cut in, placing his hand over the male's shoulder. He had seen enough with his advances and if Alex was feeling uncomfortable, he would have none of it. "I will hear what you have to say," he spoke, narrowing focus on the stranger as he noticed the red basketball jacket he wore. Was he a basketball player?

"Huh?" a smirk appeared on his lips, taking off Himuro's hand off his shoulder. "Were you in the game they just played? You really do look like a loser up close. Did you say something just now?" he raised a brow as his fingers curled into his palm. With the smirk on his lips stretching, his arm retreated back before he took a step forward.

* * *

Kise's eyes narrowed as he eyed the hoop in front of him before he took his jump and dunked the ball in. He could feel his body beginning to warm up as he continued to take his dunks harder than before. But in his head, something else bugged him and the fact that his past had come back, was another story.

"The game hasn't started, and Kise is already on fire," whispered Hayakawa, never having seen Kise so pumped during a warm-up.

"Well, if we win this game, we will play Seirin next," Kobori replied as he grabbed a basketball from the near basket the stadium had for them. It was only logical that Kise would be giving it his all knowing he wanted his rematch against a team that beat them during a practice game.

"I am sure that is part of it," cut in Moriyama, "but I don't think that is the only reason. Yesterday, while we were watching videos of today's opponent…he had reacted when he saw one of the players."

The curiosity lingered in Kasamatsu's head as he observed his first-year. Raising a brow, he rested the ball between his arm and hip as he stared at Kise's back. "What was that about?" he questioned, wanting to know why he had acted as so during the videos. Kise did not even inform him if their next opponent could be a threat.

Kise sighed with a smirk as he scratched the back of his head. "Nothing," he replied, feeling his eyebrows furrow at his memory during his Teiko days, "I just saw someone I knew." He took a moment to pause as his eyes roamed to the audience before he parted his lips to speak. He knew it was time his own team knew of his past. "I joined the Teiko basketball team as a starter at the beginning of my second year," Kise spoke, gaining the attention of his teammates. With a sigh, he placed his hands on his hips before looking at his captain over his shoulder. "In other words, before then, someone else was the fifth man. The most dangerous man on the team…"

* * *

Himuro's eyes widened as he saw the incoming punch. Blocking it with his forearm, he moved to the side as his sights remained glued on his attacker. _'He really tried to hit me. Isn't he an athlete!? What is he thinking?' _

"What's this?" the male turned around to face Himuro's shocked expression. He was sure his punch would have landed, but even he was surprised by the dodge. "You're a better fighter than you look." Within a second, he turn around as his foot was lifted and kicked Himuro's abdomen. Hearing the crack in his voice, the stranger narrowed his eyes on the Yosen player, "I hate guys like you."

"Tatsuya!" Alex quickly ran towards the teen as she saw him fall to his knees while clutching his stomach. Pupils stretched as she saw a hand coming towards her throat; her blood quickly rushing down in fear.

* * *

"Oi! Kagami-kun!"

The miko had finally caught up with the tiger as both of them ran to the back of the stadium. Trying to catch her breath, the miko gave Kagami a light punch on his arm. "Oi, you forgot this," she spoke, letting him see the ring resting on her palm.

"Ah, wari," he whispered as he took it himself and placed it inside his pockets. "I guess catching up to Tatsuya was on my mind before I lost sight of him."

"Well next time, open your ears and listen! I was trying to catch up to you without making a big scene," the miko huffed as both of them took a turn in their run. She did not think she would have tagged along in this talk, but at least she was satisfied in seeing Kagami try to keep the bond with Himuro.

Both took a blink as they immediately stopped in their steps at the sight before them. Their hearts racing as their lungs pleaded for oxygen, but their bodies were frozen as they saw Himuro clutching his stomach.

Kagome's eyes widened as they saw Alex's feet above the ground as a hand gripped around her neck. Both followed the arm down to the owner, seeing the black haired male wearing a red basketball jacket scowl at the blonde. The miko watched as Alex struggled to find her freedom as she heard the low whines escape from Alex's throat.

"What the hell are you doing!?" exclaimed Kagami, feeling his blood boil at the sight of his friend and teacher being attacked. "Who the hell are you!?"

"Huh?" he replied, his eyes moving to the side and seeing his new guests. Observing the red head, his attention was caught by the black haired female standing beside him. "Oh? Another onna? This must be my lucky day."

* * *

"What did you say!?"

Momoi flinched as she heard Aomine's voice echo in the lobby. She had warned him her information would set him off and told him to sit, but he would have none of it with the stubborn attitude he had. A sigh passed her lips as she saw him grip the canned drink in his hand.

"Haizaki is going to be in the next game!?" he exclaimed, still unable to process the information Momoi had given him.

"Yeah," she nodded, lowering her eyes to her bottle drink on the table.

"Tch, I thought he quit," he scoffed, letting his eyes scrunch as the silver haired male during his middle school days appeared in his head.

The pink haired female sighed once more, unsure how to continue, but she knew it was important for at least the Generation of Miracles to know of their former teammate. It was only fair since now Kise would be going against him. "He is a major player on Shizuoka's Fukuda Sogo."

"Just remembering him is pissing me off," Aomine crushed the can tightly in his grip as his teeth clenched to stop any curses to escape his lips. "That annoying guy is back."

* * *

'_He is not here…,' _Kise's sighed as he eyed the opposite team warming up on the other half of the court. He had searched left and right for any sign of his former teammate, but he was not surprised that he was missing. _'Not that I expected him to actually warm up.' _A sudden sting on his foot quickly caught his attention, making him flinch at the pain. Bending it slightly, his facial expression dropped while remembering the miko's words before they had left the court.

His eyes searched for his captain, seeing him prepare for a shot. Taking in a breather, he slowly made his way towards him. "Kasamatsu-senpai, can I stop warming up?"

"Huh?" he blinked, stopping the ball between his hands. "We just started-," Kasamatsu halted his speech as he caught sight of Kise's behavior. He exhaled before turning back to face the hoop. "Fine," he spoke, knowing well about Kise's condition, "don't let your body get cold."

"Hai," Kise bowed before making his way towards the exit of the court. What a pain it was to have this problem kick in when he knew his team needed him the most.

* * *

"Let go of her!" shouted Kagami, feeling his fists shake by his side.

"You just beat Atsushi," he chuckled back, tightening his grip around Alex's throat. "I was watching. You're not bad."

The miko took a step back, seeing the cold stare of a predator in his eyes. Her legs had felt weak under his gaze the moment he had taken a glance to her. _'He knows Murasakibara-kun? Who is this guy?' _She quickly shook the thoughts away as she rushed forward, surprising Himuro and Kagami by her sudden action.

"Oi! Kagome!" Kagami reached for her hand only to see her hand heavily come down the male's elbow, weakening his hold on Alex' throat.

Kagome turned around as Alex fell to her knees and reached to see if her health was okay. Before she could lay her hand on the blonde's shoulder, the miko found herself being grabbed the collar of her uniform.

"How scary~," he smirked, licking his lips at the sight of her struggle. "I did not think a woman could fight like that." He brought her close to his face, seeing her hands coming up to scratch his grip away. A chuckle only escaped from him seeing she had no chance to escape from his strength.

'_Dammit!' _she cursed inside her head. There was only so much she could do without giving away her skills. _'If only I could purify your ass you would be fried by now!' _He dodge a kick from her foot as his grip backed her away.

Kagami's eyebrows furrowed as he saw the miko to his mercy. "Kagome! You bastard! Let her go!"

"Stop!" Himuro exclaimed, extending his arm in front of the tiger.

"Tatsuya!"

"Stay out of this," he struggled to speak, feeling the bruise already coming onto his abdomen. As much as he hated to see the two females being manhandled by whoever he was, he could let Kagami nor Kagome get into this mess. "You two will be the only ones who will suffer if we get into a fight here."

"What the hell happened then?" he questioned, wanting nothing more than to punch the guy to his next life.

Himuro coughed out his struggled sigh: "He suddenly tried to pick a fight with me. He was hitting on Alex. When I tried to stop him, this happened. But it looks like Kagome-san is now in bigger trouble."

"Let me go," glared the miko, receiving nothing but a glare and smirk from her capturer. She dug her nails into his wrist, hoping to get a lose grip. She knew hitting him would put Seirin in trouble, so now here she was at his mercy. _'Dammit!'_

"Shut the hell up!" he shouted, narrowing his eyes to his audience. With the miko still in his grip, he directed another punch towards the tiger in an attempt to provoke him.

Kagami quickly dodged the punch, taking a step back and seeing the smirk stretch on his attacker's lips. _'What the hell!? He doesn't care about basketball at all!' _

'_That is it!' _Kagome lifted her leg to kick him straight in his abdomen, only to see his other free arm stretch to the side and stop an incoming ball with his palm. _'Where did that come from?' _Eyes trailed to the origin of the ball, seeing none other than the blonde basketball player with his own arm extended out in front of him.

"Oi, oi. You got some guts to throw a basketball at me," he spoke lowering the ball to his side and seeing the gold glare from his former teammate, "Ryouta."

"K-Kise-kun?" the miko whispered, taken back by his sudden appearance. Was he not supposed to be on the court right now?

"I will only tell you once," Kise's eyes narrowed as he saw the miko under the male's grip, "let go of Kagomecchi before it gets serious…Shougo-kun."

* * *

**MizukixTsukuyomi's Notes: **Do not worry! Kagome will be showing more of her skills later! Trust me on this one. I would not pass on this opportunity. But next chapter we will have Kise's match and more interactions. Many. More.

P.S. Check my profile every now and then to see updates when I will be selling the mugs/plates!

I do hope you enjoyed. I am truly nervous on how this turned out, so hope it was okay. Now time to go to bed! Woo-hoo! I will answer Tumblr messages and PMs once I wake up!

Thank you for reading!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	28. Strange Actions

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Okay I am just going to go out and say this...I have no confidence in this chapter at all. No matter how many times I erased it over and over again, this is the final route I had to go with so that the future chapters make sense. Please understand some things may seem out of place NOW, but they are important later on. I had to make a few changes to the story line and there will be a small change after the Kaijo versus Seirin match.

Just...be patient? I mean we are getting close to the end.

Also, I have been dealing with new work stuff and settling back in college, so please don't be harsh on me. Other than that, I want to thank you all for reading this far and people who have supported me with kind words in messages and reviews to help me continue this story. I am truly thankful! We are close to 30 chapters!

But I do hope you enjoy! -hides underneath my blanket-

**Chapter 28: Strange Actions**

* * *

"Kise!?" Kagami's eyes widened at the appearance of the blonde coming into the fight. Just like the rest, confusion hit him as to why he was here in the first place. "Kise, you know this guy?" he questioned.

Kise sighed before gliding his eyes over to the tiger, seeing the concern on his face and the pain Himuro was in due to Haizaki's hits. "Well, yes," he nodded, tightening his eyes once he made eye contact with Kagome's attacker. "His name is Haizaki Shougo. He was a starter for Teiko until I joined the team. And," anger flared in his golden orbs as Haizaki's grip tightened over the miko's collar, "Akashicchi forced him to quit the team."

'_Akashi-kun…made him quit?' _the miko blinked, despite feeling the tight grip on her clothing. This guy knew the Generation of Miracles?

"Shougo-kun, let go of Kagomecchi. This is between you and me, right?" the blonde's eyes narrowed as he prepared to take a step forward only to blink the moment Haizaki's chuckle escaped his lungs. "What is so funny?"

"I have never seen you so protective of a girl," he smirked back, letting the ball spin over his finger on his free hand. "Is she not a fan of yours or something?"

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she felt his holding lasting too long. She wanted her feet back on the ground, dammit! She remembered Himuro's words of using violence would only get them in trouble, but she was being manhandled like a stuff toy! _'Screw this! We don't have time to deal with a guy like this!' _Lifting her knee, she quickly jabbed it into Haizaki's gut, earning her surprised blinks from the three males while Alex was awed by the sudden courage the miko displayed.

Haizaki quickly flinched as his grip loosened and let the ball drop to the floor. Wrapping his arm around his stomach, he sent a glare towards the black haired female as she became free from his hold. "D-Damn you, onna…"

"K-Kagome!" Kagami exclaimed, watching as the miko made her way to them before straightening her school uniform.

Kise blinked, surprised himself that the miko had risked moving against Haizaki's grip. Not even a male would dare to go against him and here she had actually landed a hit. _'Kagomecchi…sugoi.'_

"Kagome-san, did you just-," Himuro blinked as he saw the miko's glare still glued over at her attacker.

"It was self-defense," she spoke, knowing Himuro was going to lecture her about getting into a fight when she was part of a team. "Besides, he wasn't going to let me go anytime soon, so I took matters into my own hands."

Alex chuckled as she came to wrap her arm around Kagome's shoulders before bringing her close to the side of her chest. "Sugoi, Kagome-chan! I had no idea you could fight like that!"

Sighing under her breath, the miko took a glance over at the blonde before setting her eyes on Haizaki's own glare at her. How could this guy have been part of the starting line-up in Teiko and be this violent? If anything, his aura was anything but good. "I thought you said he disappeared, Kise-kun," she questioned, taking a glance over to the blonde.

Kise nodded, closing his eyes as his body turned to face his former teammate. "At least, he should have," he replied. "How did this come about?"

"No reason," Haizaki snickered as he straightened up. "I am not doing this for revenge."

"Then why?" Kagome glared. What reason did he have to actually hit Himuro and attack Alex and herself? _'It better be a good reason!'_

Haizaki chuckled once more as he came to retrieve the ball beside his foot. Raising his eyes to meet their gazes, the smirk on his lips stretched: "If I had to give a reason, I would say I am just killing time."

The five of them were speechless at his choice of words as they watched his tongue lick his lips. The miko's fingers dug inside her palm as she heard the amusement in his voice. Killing time? What kind of basketball player did that?

"I don't care about basketball, but people starting calling you the Generation of Miracles after I quit," Haizaki spoke before throwing the ball away. "I thought I would steal the title from one of you five again. I used to be a starter. No one would have a problem if I beat you. Besides, since you are my next opponent, I have all the more reason to do it, Ryouta." The smirk on his lips curved as his eyes narrowed with delight. "After all, you became the fifth man without beating me once."

"He beat Kise…?" Kagami whispered, his pupils widening as he saw Kise's eyes hide beneath his bangs' shadow.

Observing his demeanor, the miko could see Haizaki's words held truth the way Kise hid his expression. Kise was going to go against him in the next match and not even once in Teiko had he beaten him? Could Kise win?

"Kagomecchi."

Kagome blinked as she heard her given nickname before turning to see Kise's eyes on her person. "Uh, hai?"

Kise quickly made his way to the miko before placing his hands over her shoulders. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you? Want me to kiss it where it hurts?"

The miko leaned away as she caught his lips inching closer to her skin. "B-Baka! This isn't the time for that!" Did he not know how to read the atmosphere!? And why in the world in public?!

"Or allowed!" shouted Kagami, coming in to push the blonde away from the miko. "She isn't part of your team!"

Huffing her embarrassment away, Kagome shook her head before noticing Kise's head dip down once again before his lips parted to speak. "I am truly sorry for what happened here, but could we end this here?" He hated the fact Haizaki had actually grabbed the miko as he did. If anything, he wanted to give a punch himself, but knew he had to restrain himself before he was restricted to play. But he knew the best way to get his own revenge for hurting the miko. "I more or less understand the situation, but I need to fight him in the next game."

"Kise-kun…," the miko blinked, watching him stand in front of her with a concern in his expression.

"I will beat him, Kagomecchi," he spoke, seriousness embed within his pupils. "I don't care about being one of the Generation of Miracles. I told Kagamicchi that once. But it's not so worthless I can just let you have it for free even after hurting Kagomecchi, Shougo-kun."

Haizaki raised a brow before snickering under his breath. The look in Kise's eyes told him his level of skill had improved since Teiko and he was more than ready to crush it. "I am not trying to buy it off you. I told you, Ryouta. I am just telling you to hand it over if you don't want it anymore, baka~."

Tightening her glare, the miko came forth, surprising Kise as he took a step back. She was not going to let this guy run his mouth after creating all that trouble. No way in hell was she going to let a guy like him get the last word. "Look, as much as the Generation of Miracles are a pain in my butt, that title definitely doesn't belong to someone like you. Unlike you, they don't hide like cowards and use physical tactics to make a point."

Taking a step forward, Haizaki leaned in to meet the miko eye-to-eye. Did she really just talk back to him? "Look, onna, I would watch your mouth before-"

"Before what?" she finished for him. "Don't think I will hesitate to hit you back."

"Hehe~, I am starting to like you."

"The feeling isn't mutual," the miko narrowed her eyes, watching as he leaned away from her person.

Haizaki raised his eyes to meet Kise's golden gaze before coming to lick the tip of his thumb: "we will see if you deserve that title, Ryouta. I will see you at the court." Turning his back, he slowly made his way around the stadium before disappearing from their sights.

"The nerve of him…," Kagome whispered, her eyes still glued on the spot Haizaki had left. She flinched as she felt a light pinch on her cheek. "O-Oi!" turning to her new attacker, she widened her eyes to see Kagami's angry look. "What was that for, Kagami-kun?!"

"Don't go running off acting on your own, baka!" he shouted back. The nerve of her to act without thinking and nonetheless against a guy! What if he had laid a hand on her? He was not sure if he could control himself if Haizaki had tried anything else.

Kagome rubbed her cheek as she gave him a pout. It was not her fault she was used to running ahead of someone to save someone else. That is how she was back in her feudal days. _'Then again, we are in a modern time were women don't usually fend to themselves.' _She shook her head at the thought before giving the tiger a glare. _'No! I wasn't going to let that Bakazaki let his have his way with me!' _Exhaling, her miko dropped her hand beside her: "Hai, okaa-san~"

The tiger's eyebrow twitched as he heard the name. Taking a step towards her, he was ready to give her another lecture. "Oi! I told you not to call me that!" Did she not care about the dangers around her? Haizaki could not give a rat's ass if a woman was hurt in the process of his wants!

Himuro sighed as he saw the two begin to argue. Ignoring the pulsing bruises beside his lip, he took a step forward before speaking. "Why did you two come here, Taiga? Kagome-san?"

"Huh?" they both blinked in unison, turning to face Yosen's second year. Kagome scratched the back of her head, already having forgotten the reason why she and Kagami had gone after Himuro. Kagami took a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes before coming to stare at his childhood friend. "Wari, I will tell you another time. I promise." Although he had something important to tell Himuro, something else was bothering him and that was the next match with Kise. Curling his fingers into his palm, he turned around to face the blonde. "Kise! You better not lose!"

"Of course I won't!" he smirked back. "You think I will let him for freely after what he did to my Kagomecchi?"

"Again, not yours," the miko huffed as she crossed her arms. Despite his claim on her, she had to agree with Kagami's words. She turned to face Kise's smile, before dropping her eyes to stare at his foot. Her eyebrows dropped in concern as she read his slightly weak aura. Was he hiding an injury? Her head slowly rose to meet his gaze: "don't push yourself too hard, Kise-kun."

"Hai, hai," Kise chuckled. "Don't worry, I will make sure we get to meet again on the same court."

* * *

Kagami sighed, watching as Kagome walked beside him from the corner of his eyes. She still acted like nothing had happened and like she had nothing wrong. He admired her courage, but there was a limit for Kami's sake! As he made his way down the stairs of the audience, he looked around for any sign of the team. "Kagome…," he whispered, hoping to get her attention.

"Hm?" she replied, looking to her let in search for Seirin.

"Just be careful next time, okay?"

She stopped in her steps, turning to face his back as he took a few more steps down. His voice was not strained with scold, in fact, it was worry. Perhaps, she did have to think before she acted, but some situations did not hold time for her to think. Releasing a sigh under her breath, she nodded before coming to grab the back of his jacket, stopping him from going any further down the stairs.

He blinked at the sudden hold before turning his head over his shoulder. A pink hue slowly crept up his cheeks as he took in her small smile. He was definitely not expecting her to agree to quickly.

"I will try," she whispered.

Parting his lips to speak, he stopped as he heard a familiar voice shout to their attention. "Oi, Kagami! Kagome-chan! Over here!"

"Ah!" the miko smiled, seeing Koganei's waving his hand to them. "Koganei-senpai!" She quickly grabbed the tiger by his wrist before pulling him down the line of seats until they came to sit beside Kuroko's two empty spots.

Kuroko gave them a nod with his head, before noticing the pink blush barely noticeable on the tiger's cheeks. "Welcome back," he greeted. "How did it go?"

As they heard the meaning of Kuroko's words, Kagami and Kagome could not help but remember their interruption in meeting with Himuro. The miko's memory clicked back as Haizaki had mentioned in knowing the Generation of Miracles: "Kuroko-kun…do you know a guy named Haizaki?"

The phantom player's eyes widened slightly as the name was brought back into his own memory. Turning his head to face the duo, he blinked a few times. "Why do you know that name?" he questioned.

"We just met him," Kagami replied, narrowing his eyes on the court.

Kuroko's was speechless as they mentioned their meeting with a former teammate. Both of them saw Haizaki?

"More like we bumped into him," the miko sighed, coming to straighten the collar of her short once more. _'And what a meeting that was.'_

* * *

"Oi, where have you been, Kise?" Kasamatsu spoke, watching as his first year came running in while taking off his sports jacket. "You are just barely on time!" he scolded, seeing the blonde take off his sweats. He had given him permission to get some fresh air, but he did not think it would have taken him so long to arrive back.

Kise gave a bow with his head as he threw the sweat over the bench before coming to meet with his team. "Sumimazen!"

Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed, noticing a different expression take place on the blonde's face. Relaxing his shoulders, he gripped the pink jewel keychain in his hand before turning to face his team. "Everyone is ready! Now we just have to win! Let's go!" he shouted.

* * *

"Where did you meet him?" questioned Kuroko, seeing the miko sigh at his question.

Kagami gripped his knees as he came to see Kaijo walking onto the court along with their opponents. "Unfortunately, Haizaki attacked Kagome when we tried to help Tatsuya and Alex."

"Nani!?" exclaimed Hyuga, looking over his seat along with the rest of the team. His eyes quickly landed on the miko, seeing her eyes closed. "He attacked you!?"

"I'm fine," the miko replied, giving them a reassuring smile to calm their worry. "Kise-kun came and helped us deal with him, but Himuro-san was the one who got hit at the end." Taking a glance at the phantom player from the corner of her eyes, she felt her shoulders drop slightly as she parted her lips. "Apparently, Haizaki is part of Fukuda Sogo Academy."

Kuroko's eyes widened as he stared at the court. Haizaki had come back after all this time? Not to mention he had attacked Kagome and Kagami's childhood friend? A small spark of anger ignited within him which made him grip the fabric of his sweats to contain his anger.

Kiyoshi rested his elbow over his seat as he took a closer look at the miko's condition. Despite having she told him her past, he still worried over her. A guy had actually attacked her? His eyes narrowed before he spoke. "He is on their team?"

"Kuroko, what do you think?" whispered Koganei, noticing the phantom player's sudden silence.

Looking down at his lap, Kuroko looked into his memory for the times he had met with Haizaki himself. Nothing but bad moments of the basketball team came in mind. "He was selfish and out of control, but it is true he was a starter. He is definitely strong."

Kagome remained silent as she heard Kuroko's opinion before hearing the referee's whistle call to the player's attention. "The fourth Winter Cup quarterfinal game between Kaijo High and Fukuda Sogo will now begin! Bow!" The miko's eyes narrowed, watching as Haizaki and Kise did not exchange a bow of respect. Disregarding Haizaki's nature, Kuroko had acknowledged his skill; he was a threat on the court.

Hyuga released a sigh before crossing his arms as he focused in on Kaijo's opponents. Even he had come to recognize the captain and the high skills he had. "Though the Teiko Middle School team and Generation of Miracles are now exalted for their overwhelming strength, it wasn't always that way. Their great strength bred resentment and antipathy. They were practically considered villains." His eyes landed on Haizaki's form, seeing his smug smirk. "Though I have only heard rumors, it is possible Haizaki's brutality contributed to that reputation."

* * *

"Now then," Haizaki took a glance at his teammates over his shoulder before placing his hand over his hip, "try not to drag me down, bakas."

They flinched with fear and anger as they saw the smirk glued on Haizaki's face before turning to their brunette captain. Fukuda's captain sighed, wanting nothing more than to scold back but knew better and held his tongue. "Yeah, we know…," he whispered.

"He has an attitude…," Moriyama whispered as he and Kasamatsu watched from the sidelines how Haizaki had given them a warning. "Isn't that their captain?"

Kasamatsu nodded, seeing the brunette's head dip low in shame. Never in his life had he seen someone talk down to their seniors and that was something he could not tolerate. "Yeah, Ishida Hideki," he replied with a nod. "He is an exceptionally quick point guard. He is good enough to be a national champion." Narrowing his eyes on the Fukuda captain, he was sure something else was holding them back. _'He is a serious and well-mannered player. Is Haizaki so strong he has to use him?' _His eyes landed on the silent blonde on his team and seeing his focus solely on Haizaki. Walking over to his first year, he elbowed him in his ribs to catch his attention.

The blonde coughed out his surprise before taking a step back from his captain. "W-What was that for, senpai!?"

"You're stiff," he replied. "I don't know what happened between you guys, but you just have to play your own game. Don't let him throw you off your game."

Kise nodded slowly as he noticed Kasamatsu trying to get him out of his inner thoughts to defeat Haizaki. "Yes, sir," Kise answered. His captain was right. This was not about just Haizaki and his past – this was about his team and moving forward.

* * *

The miko blinked, watching as the referee threw the ball into the air for the tip off before Kobori pushed it into Kasamatsu's hands. Her eyes landed on Kise's space, seeing Haizaki already guarding him closely. _'Their defense isn't bad,' _she told herself. She was awed by Kasamatsu's speed as he easily broke past Ishida's defense before making the first basket.

"He's fast!" exclaimed Koganei.

"He is quicker than he was this summer!" Tsuchida nodded, surprised by Kaijo's improvement.

Raising a brow, Kagome remained focused on Haizaki's movements and noticed his own concentration on Kasamatsu's form. _'What is he up to?' _she questioned herself.

* * *

"Give me the ball!" Haizaki shouted to his captain. As he caught the ball in his hand, he charged forward before noticing Kasamatsu coming in front to stop him. With a low chuckle, he easily made a left step before going to the right and passing the Kaijo captain.

"W-What!?" Kasamatsu exclaimed, surprised by his tricks.

Kise cursed under his breath before meeting Haizaki side-to-side. "You are not going anywhere!" He blinked the moment Haizaki took a step back before increasing his speed forward and easily surpassing him. _'H-He's fast! He is was faster than before!'_

"This is ridiculous," Haizaki scoffed underneath his breath. Looking ahead, he noticed two of his team players in front of their hoop. "Get out of the way!" he shouted before jumping up and aiming for a dunk.

* * *

"Seriously!?" exclaimed Hyuga, leaning away from his seat.

"H-He pushed his teammate aside!" Riko added, surprised that a teamplayer had done that to his own team.

Seirin watched as Kise met Haizaki in the air before slapping the ball away from his hand. As the ball rolled off the court, Kagome noticed Kaijo's small celebration with Kise's move. She blinked the moment Haizaki walked over to his bald teammate as he shouted his words loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You got in my way and slowed me down!" Haizaki's hand came down to slap the player's head, catching everyone's attention by the sound.

"Oi! That guy is his senior!" Kagami spoke, furrowing his eyebrows.

Kagome bit her bottom lip as she saw the restrain the bald player gave as his fist shook beside him. How dare he do that? She never felt her blood boil at the sight of a male hitting someone else. _'Kirisaki Daiichi's Hanamiya was a bastard himself, but he was the center of his team. This guy doesn't have a shred of team spirit. I hate guys like him more than anything. '_

* * *

Kasamatsu quickly caught the passed ball in his hand from Kobori before making his way towards the hoop. Narrowing his focus on his goal, he scoffed the moment he noticed Haizaki coming forth to block his path. This guy was truly pissing him off now. "Let me tell you something," he spoke, catching Haizaki's attention.

"Huh?" he blinked back.

"You should respect your elders!" Dribbling the ball between his legs back and forth, he quickly lost Haizaki as he passed the ball in between his legs and rushed forward before making a jump to shoot the ball. His eyes narrowed the moment Haizaki met him in the air with the same smirk.

"Don't lecture me, baka~."

"Who is the baka?" Kasamatsu scoffed in return. Without looking to his side, he quickly passed the ball over to the right as Kise came rushing in and dunked the ball right behind Haizaki with full force.

Haizaki landed back on his feet, cursing under his breath as his eyes watched the Kaijo members rush back to defense. The corner of his lips curved upwards the moment his head began to replay Kasamatsu's dribble. "You have something to tell me, huh?" he chuckled.

* * *

Koganei leaned away from his seat as Fukuda's captain caught the ball into his hand and signaled his players to rush forward. "Fukuda Sogo is counterattacking!" he exclaimed. "These guys are fast, too!"

The Seirin members watched as Ishida passed the ball over to his bald member before he easily made a scoop shot and giving them two more points. Shun blinked, a bit taken back by the sudden skill. "A scoop shot. That is Seiho's Kasuga's specialty shot."

"They made it this far," Riko nodded, remembering how well Seiho's offense was even when their specialty all together was defense. "Their other players are pretty good, too."

"Both teams are going all out from the start of the game," Kagami added, "but Kise has hardly touched the ball yet."

The miko's eyes narrowed as she focused in on the blonde, seeing the ball being passed to him. Shaking her head slowly, she spoke out the moment she caught his aura rising slightly. "No, it's coming," she whispered, catching the tiger's and phantom player's attention. Eyes followed Kise's movements as he quickly scooped the ball into the air before it dropped straight down into the basket.

"A scoop shot?" blinked Tsuchida. "Seriously? He picked up the move he just saw in a flash!"

"There he goes copying," the captain spoke.

Watching his feet touch ground again, Kagome noticed the tight glares both Kise and Haizaki sent to each other. Why was she feeling uneasy? Her shoulders felt tensed the more she observed Haizaki's smirk. He was definitely hiding something. The miko blinked the moment Haizaki caught the ball in his hands as he came to face the blonde on the center of the court. The audience's eyes widened as they caught Haizaki copying the exact moves Kasamatsu had used on him before he made the dunk. _'C-Chotto…that is the move Kasamatsu-senpai just used! It is like he is saying he can do anything Kise-kun can do…'_

"Is he doing it out of spite?" glared Kagami. "What an ass!"

"Looks like his engine is finally running," whispered Riko, seeing the confidence pouring over Haizaki's features.

Attention was drawn over to the Kaijo captain as he was confronted with Haizaki once again. As he clenched his teeth, Kasamatsu's eyes darted to the right as he threw the ball to his other side and into Moriyama's hands. Moriyama quickly released the ball into the air with both arms and smiled brightly the moment it dropped down into the net.

"Eh~, how does he make shot with that form?" whispered Koganei. Moriyama's form was not even straight. "The spin on it was terrible. In fact, it is hardly spinning at all."

"His form comes from prioritizing his own ease of shooting during practice. As a result, his shot's unique timing is difficult to block," Hyuga spoke, having seen Moriyama's shots a couple of times to know that he knew what he was doing. "It is his own personal weapon."

'_But why do I feel uneasy about this?' _the miko's eyebrow rose as she noticed Moriyama running in front of Haizaki. His gaze was too concentrated to be out of spite.

* * *

"Fast break!" shouted Ishida, holding the ball in one hand as he was ready to pass through the court to one of his team members.

"Shit! It's a counter!" Moriyama warned, seeing the Fukuda captain ready to pass the ball.

Haizaki scoffed with his grin as he quickly made his way towards the flying ball: "Quit scampering around, pipsqueaks!" Eyes widened on the court as his hand snaked in the middle of the pass and stole it for himself. Seeing the shock on their eyes filled him with excitement before he licked his lips. "I told you to keep giving me the ball."

* * *

"H-He stole his teammate's pass…!?" exclaimed Kiyoshi.

Hearing the sound of knuckles cracking beside them, the team turned to see Hyuga's hand over his knuckles as he began to pop them one by one. His eyebrow twitched as many ticks popped out of his head: "if he had joined our team, I would have taught him some manners…"

"Are you getting fired up while watching a game!?" exclaimed Koganei.

"It is not too late to start now!" Riko smiled with a twitch as her own knuckles began to pop. Anger was beginning to boil within her veins as she continued to see Haizaki's dirty play.

"Both of them!?" Koganei and Shun exclaimed.

"Mind if I join?" the miko spoke, gaining the attention of her teammates as her own fingers curled into her palm. Haizaki should have felt blessed she was far from her sending him a hit. This was worse than Hanamiya's tactics; Haizaki was just pure selfish.

Shun and Koganei leaned away from the angry glare the miko held on her features. They were aware of her violent ways, but seeing her hold it in was much worse! "K-Kagome-chan!?"

Seirin was brought back to the game as they noticed Haizaki's smirk widen before he released the ball the same way Moriyama had in his form. "That shot is mine!" he shouted loud and clear for the stadium to hear. Kagome's eyes widened as she followed the ball's path down the net before two points were added to Fukuda's score.

"T-That is Moriyama-san's abnormal shot!" exclaimed Shun. "He copied it after seeing it only once!?"

It was evident to the miko that Haizaki did indeed have some similarity to the blonde. Parting her lips slowly to speak, she turned her head to face the phantom player. "K-Kuroko-kun, does Haizaki and Kise-kun have the same ability?"

"No," he shook his head, gainin the attention of the team. "They are slightly different."

'_Different?' _before the miko could continue with her questioning, all of Seirin were brought back to see Haizaki make another dunk as the time had quickly brought them close to the end of the second quarter. Where had time even gone? The pace of the game was going way too fast for her mind to understand what Haizaki's skills exactly were. Raising a brow, the miko quickly noticed Kasamatsu's dribble against Ishida before it was stolen from him. _'Wait…the team's aura is a bit strange. It is as if their…rhythm is off.' _Her eyes followed Ishida's path as he made the shot with Kaijo already clenching their fists and teeth upon seeing Fukuda showing their strengths. _'What is going on?'_

"Are you serious?" commented Shun. "I can't believe Kaijo is on the back foot."

Kagami's fingers tightened into his palm as he saw Kaijo struggling against Fukuda. He never underestimated, but he did not think Kise would be struggling so easily against another team with his level in skill. "What is Kise doing?!"

"Their other players are lifeless, too," Riko whispered, focusing in on Kaijo.

Hyuga gave her a nod as his eyes narrowed to see what had caught his eye. It was not normal for Kasamatsu to easily lose the ball the way he did, yet Fukuda had the upper hand already in score. "Yeah, something is wrong." The Seirin captain blinked as he noticed Moriyama's balance go off the moment he tried making another abnormal shot. As the ball bounced off the rim of the hoop, he raised a brow: _'Moriyama-san missed an easy shot? First Kasamatsu-san and now Moriyama-san. What is going on?'_

With two Fukuda players jumping up for the rebound, Hayakawa was quickly seen springing in the middle before catching the ball into his hands before pivoting around and dunking the ball in. Hyuga sighed, seeing Kaijo praise Hayakawa for the shot as they made their way back to defense. "Hayakawa's rebounds are impressive."

"He doesn't jump that high, though," Shun added in, "it's strange."

"Well, there are two types of jumping power," Kiyoshi spoke, catching the attention of his team.

Kagome blinked as she heard the brunette speak. Tilting her head to the side, she parted her lips: "Two types of jumping power?" she repeated.

"There is explosiveness and hang time," Kiyoshi nodded, sending the miko a smile. "Kagami," his eyes glided to stare at the silent red head, "you possess the latter. The secret behind Hayakawa's rebounds is his explosive power. Because he is initially very fast, he reaches the apex of his jump before other players, even if he jumps after them."

"Which mean…?" Kagami asked, unsure where this explanation was going.

Kiyoshi's eyes landed back onto the court before noticing the smile on Hayakawa's expression. "It allows him to jump from a more advantageous position."

The miko turned her head back to the game before noticing Haizaki's gaze on Hayakawa's back. That same smirk and concentration had appeared again in which only sent shivers up her spine. _'Don't tell me-,' _her eyes widened as Kobori missed the shot and Hayakawa followed suit to catch the rebound. Her pupils shook the moment Haizaki appeared behind and made the exact same jump he had done before. Haizaki quickly passed the ball over to his captain before the shot was made with ease. _'Haizaki is being too observant now. What the hell is going on?' _Her sights landed on the blonde as he tried to regain his breath. _'Kise-kun…'_

* * *

'_This game isn't going well. I need to do something,' _Kise quickly caught the passed ball from Moriyama before turning his head and facing his former teammate. His eyes scrunched at the sight of Haizaki's smug smirk that seemed to have no end.

"Are you running again?" chuckled Haizaki. "Not that I care."

"Who said I was running?" Without wasting another second in thought, Kise charged forward as Haizaki ran beside him in an attempt to steal the ball. Kise quickly pivoted around the rough player before jumping into the air and dunking the ball into the hoop with one hand.

Haizaki cursed under his breath as he grabbed the ball out of Ishida's hands before rushing through the court. With Kise behind his tail, he smirked as he recalled Kise's moves. "That's mine," he whispered. In a matter of seconds, he pivoted around the blonde before placing the ball onto his palm and dunking the ball the same way as Kise had done.

The model basketball player cursed under his breath, feeling his lungs yearning for air the moment his feet landed back on the court. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Haizaki giving him a smirk. "Sheesh, we really are similar," he whispered. The thought of having this bastard sharing his same set of skills angered him.

"Oh, right," Haizaki chuckled, "you don't know. You said we are similar, but I am not a copycat like you."

"What did you say?"

Haizaki's eyes traveled to the corner of the court as he noticed Moriyama try his abnormal shot once again. Shaking his head, he could not help but let his grin stretch. "Oh no. It won't work, no matter how many times you try it. That doesn't belong to you anymore."

Hearing his words, Kise turned his head to face the cornrow player before hearing Moriyama's shot having rebounded against the rim of the hoop.

"N-No way!" exclaimed Moriyama, shock filling his senses.

"I can't believe he missed two in a row!" Kobori whispered, watching the ball coming down from the air. In all his days and games of playing basketball with Moriyama, he had never seen him miss more than once!

Kasamatsu's teeth clenched as he was frozen at the sight. His team was becoming unbalanced; that he knew. _'That is impossible! Something is definitely up. We can't use any of the moves Haizaki copied!' _

* * *

There was no doubt in the miko as she saw Haizaki play. His and Kise's form of playing was similar, but something definitely did not feel right the way Haizaki was playing his game. That confident smirk and rough behavior told her he was hiding something from the blonde. Placing her hands over her lap, she tightened her grasp over her other hand. "Kuroko-kun?"

Hearing the call of his name, the phantom player turned his head to the side to see the miko's focus on the court. He waited for her to continue, seeing her eyebrows furrow with suspicion.

"You said Kise-kun and Haizaki's abilities are slightly different, right?" she questioned.

"Hai."

"What does that mean?" Kagome turned to face Kuroko's unchanged expression. She never thought she would see Kaijo struggle with a bastard like Haizaki.

Kuroko sighed, returning his gaze on the cornrow male defending against Kise. Memories of his Teiko days replayed in his head as he remembered the old Haizaki having had messy gray hair. "Kise-kun replaced Haizaki-kun as a regular. Haizaki-kun was lazy during practice when he didn't skip it outright. Since Kise-kun never saw him play in a real game, it is possible he doesn't know."

"Doesn't know?" blinked Kiyoshi.

"Like Kise-kun, Haizaki-kun makes moves his own after seeing them only once. However, he uses his own rhythm and tempo." Seirin gave him questioning blinks as they heard Haizaki's way of coping skills. What did he mean by rhythm and tempo? "When players see an opponent use a move that appears identical but has a slightly different rhythm, they unconsciously disrupt their own rhythm and become unable to use the ability."

The miko's eyes watched as Haizaki copied Moriyama's abnormal shot once again, setting Kaijo at the edge of the cliff with no options. "So you are saying Haizaki doesn't copy moves…."

"…he steals them," Kuroko finished with a nod.

The buzzer was soon set off, signaling the end of the quarter. "The second quarter is now over!" the referee announced. "We will now take a ten minute break!" Kagome's fingers curled over her shirt as she saw Haizaki's leg coming to kick the back of one of his senior's. The nerve of this guy! Her eyes glided to Kaijo, seeing Kise's head hung low. His aura was mixed of shame and anger, yet her attention was drawn to his foot. He was hiding an injury and pushing himself too much. _'The second half won't be easy for him or Kaijo…'_

Although she supported her own team, she could not help but want Kaijo to win. _'They made a promise to meet on an official court. Kaijo needs to win this!'_

* * *

As the players each returned to their respective benches, the buzzer called them back for the start of the third quarter. Moriyama took a glance at the blonde standing beside him as his eyes remained hidden underneath the shadow of his bangs. _'Kasamatsu is moving the ball around and Kise is trying his best…we didn't think Haizaki would give us this much trouble. But as the game drags on, we lose abilities and offensive strength!' _

The Kaijo captain removed his jacket before placing it over the bench. Making his way towards the court, he took a glance at the cornrow male pushing his senior once again to hurry up. _'What should we do?' _he clenched his teeth together; his mind trying to come up with ways to defeat Fukuda. _'At this rate, we will be in serious trouble!' _Taking a glance over at Kise, he noticed his focus straight on the opponent. No doubt anger was beginning to swell at the thought of someone having similar skills as yourself.

With the referee handing the ball to Kasamatsu's hands, the whistle was heard before he was immediately met with Fukuda's captain. He cursed under his breath, trying to find an opening to pass the ball. Noticing Kise's opening, he quickly threw the ball over as the ball made his way towards the hoop.

Haizaki smirked as he met Kise head-to-head; excitement running through his veins at the pure anger Kise held. He raised a brow, noticing Kise's pivot around him to try the one-handed dunk again.

Kasamatsu's eyebrows furrowed, noticing his rhythm was way off from the first quarter! _'He is way worse than usual!'_

"I just took that during the second quarter," Haizaki slapped the ball away from Kise's grasps before the dunk could be done. "It's not yours anymore. It's mine." Landing back on the ground, he charged forward as he called for his captain to pass the ball. "I will show you how it is done!" Meeting with Kise once more on their side of the court, he could not help but release a loud chuckle before he pivoted around the blonde. "You do it like this!" He slammed the ball into the basket, getting wide eyed reactions from Kaijo and the audience.

* * *

"Fukuda Sogo is in complete control of the game," whispered Shun, hearing the cheers of the audience as Haizaki scored once more.

Hyuga exhaled, straightening his glasses as he caught the gap of the scores on the score board. "I had no idea Haizaki was so strong."

"Something is wrong is Kise-kun's movements..."

Hearing the miko's voice, the Seirin team turned their attention to their manager. The blinked, seeing her focus solely on the blonde resting his hands over his knees as sweat dripped down his skin. Kiyoshi raised a brow, wondering if the miko had a way of telling when a player was acting strange with their auras. He remembered her small talk with him as she had explained about her ability to read people's auras. "What do you mean, Kagome-chan?"

"He is not his usual self," she softly replied. "Though his moves have been stolen, I can't imagine Kise-kun falling this hard." The idea of watching Kaijo was to get an idea how much they had improved before they went against them, but worry was outweighing her observations.

* * *

"This isn't good."

"Huh?" pink orbs blinked as the male's voice beside her had finally been heard. After the watching the first half, the tan male had not even spoken word; simply observed the game throughout. Tilting her head to the side, she parted her lips to speak. "What is wrong, Dai-chan?"

Aomine's thin eyebrows furrowed as he watched Kise try to regain his breath. Even during his play against him in the Inter High, he never thought he would see Kise on the verge of defeat. "Kise learns moves after seeing them once," he spoke. "He should have a pretty significant number of moves stored up. But not many of them will work against Haizaki." It pissed him off to see Haizaki's face once again after thinking he had disappeared from the basketball world. "On top of that," he continued, "they will be stolen as soon as he uses them, making them useless. He has been carefully choosing from a limited set of choices, but he is starting to run out of options."

Momoi's eyes widened as she heard Aomine's thoughts. "But…!" she just could not see Kise losing; Haizaki could not win like this!

'_And that is not the only problem, is it, Kise?' _Aomine noticed the blonde rushing back to their basket as he dribbled the ball. He knew something was up – that something was still unknown.

* * *

Kagome sighed, unsure how to explain to the team what she was seeing. Kiyoshi would understand her explanation, but the others were a different story. The expression Kise gave and his aura being out of control, it was evident Kise was pushing himself to lengths he could not go. With another sigh escaping her lips, the miko slowly gave nod with her head: "he is overworked."

"Overworked?" repeated Shun with a blink.

"Probably," Kagome shrugged. "The moment I saw him enter the court, I noticed something was a little off in him. Even when we caught him outside during the whole fight against Haizaki, I kind of felt like he was hiding something."

Kuroko blinked, tilting his head to the side to get a better view of the miko. Kagome noticed Kise was overworked? Not even he could tell.

"I see what you mean," Riko spoke, catching the attention of the males, "I thought it was just me, but as I watched him play, it isn't just Haizaki's stealing that is causing his unbalance."

"I believe he is injured," the miko added, getting a wide eyed look from the phantom player and tiger.

"Injured!?" exclaimed Kagami.

With a small nod, Riko rested her fingers under her chin as she came to see Kise running across the court against Haizaki. "Kagome-chan is probably right in her assumptions. I can't imagine Aomine-kun the only one who injured himself during the Inter-High's Kaijo-Tōō game. Kise-kun has probably been practicing hard without recovering completely."

The tiger's teeth clenched together as the promise of Kise's words to meet on an official match came into his head. "But…but there is no way he would lose to that shithead!" he exclaimed, standing from his seat. His eyes narrowed at the court, as the rest of the team fell silent. "He promised to win so we could play in the semifinals. He won't lose!"

Kagome's eyes scrunched as she saw Haizaki land another dunk underneath Kise's defense. Kagami's words echoed in her ears, but the reality was right in front of her. Kise could not stand a chance against Haizaki. Worry filled her being the more she observed Kaijo's exhausted faces. Time seemed to have breezed in quickly as she checked the scoreboard. _'The fourth quarter already?' _she blinked, surprised Kaijo was making no progress to their score. Seeing the blonde down on one knee, she blinked the moment he tried to get up. She quickly noticed his flinch, returning back to his knelt down position.

Leaning forward, she caught the attention of the team as her eyes widened to see the pain in his eyes. _'Kise-kun…'_

She found the Generation of Miracles obnoxious to some extent, but that did not mean they were bastards like Haizaki. They would never land a hand on anyone for the sake of basketball. As talented as they were, they were human. Haizaki was humiliating Kise right in front of everyone. She just could not see Kise losing to someone like that.

* * *

A snicker escaped Haizaki's throat as he saw Kise's knelt down form on the court. Nothing satisfied him more that to see one of the 'Generation of Miracles' knelt down before him in shame. "Come to think of it," he spoke, "you used to grovel on your knees in middle school, too, Ryouta." The grin on his lips stretched slowly as he saw no response from the blonde. "Oh, right. And I stole your girlfriend, didn't I? That was pathetic. I dumped her as soon as I was done with her, though. Hm, perhaps I should go for that other feisty chick. Kagome was her name? Once I have my fun, she will be thrown to the side too like the rest of them." His laughed echoed through the court as he saw Kise's teeth clench together.

Kasamatsu's eyebrows furrowed as he heard the miko's name fall from Haizaki's lips. How in the hell did he know about Seirin's manager? If there was one thing he hated most besides disrespectful juniors, it was men and their lack of respect for women.

"That bastard's head it is big enough!" Hayakawa's fingers twitched, ready to form a fist to send it towards the cornrow headed bastard.

"It's unspeakable," Moriyama sighed. "Even if he is talking about someone outside of our team, I can't help but feel disgust towards him with the way he just spoke."

"Oi," the referee called out to Haizaki's attention as he held his whistle in his hand. "You've crossed the line! That is enough!"

Haizaki released a sigh with a small smirk; hands coming up in mercy. "Hai, hai," he chuckled, "I will be careful."

Ignoring the sarcastic tone, Kasamatsu's eyes dropped to his teammate still on the floor. Trying to regain his breath, he noticed Kise's quite demeanor. "Kise?"

* * *

"Are you…going to take this lying down?" Kagami whispered with fingers digging into his palm. Why the hell was he letting the bastard run his mouth!? Before he could speak once again, he blinked at the sight of the miko coming up on her feet as the rest of the team watched her serious expression.

Tight fists rested beside her as she bit her bottom lip. She could not let Haizaki have his way. As her fist shook, her lips parted before she loudly spoke out. "I believe in you, Kise-kun!" She knew she was getting questioning blinks not only from her team, but the audience as well, but she could not just sit there and see Kise's hopes crushed. No…Kise was stronger than this.

* * *

Kise's eyes widened as he heard the familiar voice calling out to him. Looking up, he looked around the audience until he came to see none other than Kagome standing from her seat. The look on her face told him she was truly rooting for him even if he was on another team. Her shoulders were tensed up as her eyes scrunched down. This was not the Kise she knew and this was not the image he wanted to give her of himself. The fact that Kagome believed in him told him the girl was much different than he thought. She was not just Seirin's manager nor Kuroko's and Kagami's friend. He thought it was only him seeing it, but now he was starting to believe it.

Kagome was a special person to each of them whether they admitted it or not. His lips felt dry until her name slowly slipped past under his breath. "Kagomecchi…," a small chuckled escaped his throat as his head dropped back down to the floor.

'_That onna again…,' _Haizaki's eyes narrowed as he saw the miko standing among the audience.

"Shougo-kun, you know, before I beat you, you should know you have the wrong idea about her."

Hearing the blonde's voice, Haizaki's eyes caught him slowly standing on his feet. With a raised brow, he began to wonder who Kise was talking about. "What are you talking about?" he glared.

"The way she followed me around and called herself my girlfriend was annoying," Kise chuckled, placing his hands over his hips. "She was totally arrogant and always bragged about herself. She just wanted people to know she was dating a model. All you did was take one of the stupid women who flocked to me because of my appearance. You can talk about it all you want, but there is one thing I won't allow." He looked over his shoulder as he sent Haizaki a glare of his own. "I won't allow you to talk about Kagomecchi that way. I will beat you before you can lay another hand on her. Don't let it get to your head."

"What?" smirked Haizaki, seeing the fury in the blonde's eyes.

"Kise!"

Hearing Kasamatsu's shout, Kise effortlessly caught the ball in his hands. Haizaki scoffed, unfazed by anything Kise had planned to do to win with only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. "You have nothing left! You're just dregs now, Ryouta!"

"Who?" Kise smirked, seeing Haizaki's eyes go wide. "Doesn't that mean we can be friends now? Our styles are completely different!"

* * *

Seirin's eyes widened as they caught Kise's stance. A familiar stance they knew too well as they have encountered it before. The moment he released the ball from the three-point line, eyes trailed the high arc before it fell straight through the net.

"Is that…?" Shun whispered, pupils shaking as he saw the ball bounce down on the court.

"That is the Generation of Miracle's Midorima Shintarou's high trajectory three pointer!" Riko spoke, surprised herself to see Kise copying the Generation of Miracles for the first time.

Kagami blinked as he leaned away from his seat. He was just as shocked as the rest to see Kise having copied on of the Generation of Miracles. "I thought he couldn't copy the other members of the Generation of Miracles!"

Seeing his aura rise slowly, Kagome exhaled softly as she saw a new wave of confidence in the blonde's eyes. She had not expected Midorima's three-pointer shot nor had the sudden boost of morale Kaijo received from Kise's comeback. She remembered Kuroko having told them he could not copy the Generation of Miracles, but it looked like he finally overcame that wall. _'But wouldn't using their abilities take a major toll on his body?' _she questioned herself. With the injury he had and the low stamina, she took a guess he could only do it for a few minutes before his ability was fully gone. _'But can he used all the abilities of the Generation of Miracles?'_

* * *

"If it is women or titles you want, you can have them all," Kise spoke, seeing the anger seep out from Haizaki's gaze. "But, I have a promise to keep and I can't allow you to have the one woman we as a team have come to respect ourselves. I will make to the semifinals!" Narrowing his eyes, he let his eyebrows drop: "Stay out of my way!"

With the ball coming to his hands, Kise quickly threw the ball towards the hoop without even preparing his form. Haizaki cursed under his breath as he saw the familiar form Kise had used. _'Piece of shit! Not even I can copy Aomine's moves! None of the Generation of Miracles!'_

"Yosh! We are seven points behind!" nodded Kobori, seeing the shot being made by Kise once again.

"Let's close that gap!" Kasamatsu shouted, running back to defense.

As the excitement grew within the stadium, Haizaki stood with ears open to hear the chants for Kaijo. Curling his fingers into his palm, he stabbed glares into the wooden court as he heard Kise's name within the audience. _'Don't be ridiculous, shitheads!' _Coming in front of his own team member, he stole the ball before making his way towards the hoop.

* * *

'_The idiot is shaken,' _Aomine placed his hands inside his pants' pockets as he saw Kise coming in the jump next to Haizaki. His eyes narrowed, seeing the intended scoop shot of the cornrow player. _'Why are you stealing your teammates' abilities?' _He sighed, seeing Kise use Murasakibara's blocking ability to stop Haizaki's shot.

* * *

"He can even copy Murasakibara?" Hyuga gulped. He felt a drop of nervous sweat trail down the side of his cheek as he remembered the feeling of having gone against the purple headed giant.

Riko sighed as she crossed her arms. Her eyes trying her best to analyze Kise's movements seeing they may go against them in the next match. "In the match against Tōō, Kise-kun recreated the rapid speed change of Aomine-kun's changeover by dropping his minimum speed. He also achieved the range of Midorima-kun's shot by holding the shot with his dominant hand, and he is reproducing Murasakibara-kun's defense with his jumping ability and predictions."

"But the abilities of the Generation of Miracles aren't reproduced that easily," Kagome added.

The Seirin center nodded with his eyes focused in on the blonde. His posture and speed had changed rapidly and it was no doubt this was only the beginning of Kise's growth. "Kise Ryouta's basketball sense is bottomless."

* * *

Haizaki's body shook in fury as he remembered the day Akashi had made him quit the basketball team. Words of Kise one day beating him echoing in his head made his teeth clench. _'Was Akashi right? I have to admit, though…Ryouta, you're strong.' _His eyes narrowed as he saw the ball coming his way: _'I don't care what happens now!' _With eyes going wide and hatred scrunching down on her expression, he charged forward as Kise blocked his path. "I will destroy you!" His foot quickly stepped over Kise's injured foot, smirking as he flinched in return. "Did you think I didn't notice your foot was injured?" he chuckled.

* * *

"His foot!" Kagami exclaimed. "What the hell is the referee doing!?"

"It happened so quickly, the referee didn't notice!" Hyuga's eyes narrowed, seeing the referee having been looking the other way.

Kagome's mouth opened with no words spilling out as she saw Haizaki running towards the hoop. The bastard had no pride as a basketball player! His tactics were much dirtier than Hanamiya's!

* * *

"I thought I told you to stay out of my way!" Kise shouted, having regained his balance from the step and coming in front of Haizaki. Slapping the ball away from the shot, he scoffed as he saw the shock in Haizaki's eyes. "You won't win! I will!"

As Kasamatsu ran towards the bouncing ball, he quickly caught it before one of the Fukuda members got their hands on it. "Kise!" he shouted, seeing the blonde player already heading towards the other side of the court.

Kise sprung up before slamming the ball with one hand into the hoop. The buzzer was heard as the last second went away from the time; cheers from the crowd sprung as they saw the ending score of the game. Kise gave himself a smile before coming to see his team running to him with smiles of their own.

* * *

The miko's worry was washed away as she heard the buzzer. The smiles on Kaijo assured everything had ended well for them even if Kise was still injured. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she saw Kasamatsu roughly praise Kise by ruffling his hair.

"Our next opponent…is Kaijo," Hyuga spoke, already sensing everyone's seriousness as they knew they had a tough game coming.

All of them blinked as they came to see Kise's eyes on them as he held his fist towards them with a smile. Kagami and Kuroko smiled back before sending in their own fist as they knew their rivalry on an official court would finally be made real.

"Looks like we have a tough game tomorrow," Koganei sighed. "Kaijo has improved since the last time we played them."

"Yeah," nodded Hyuga, coming to stand from his seat. "We should go get rest."

As the team slowly walked out of their seats, the miko stopped at the edge of the line of seats to see Haizaki's glared glued on Kise's back. Kagome raised a brow as she read his dark aura with nothing but malicious intent. Seeing Kise walk out the court, she noticed Haizaki following suit. "Miina…" The team turned towards her before she gave them a bow. "I will catch up later! I need to…go do something." Turning around to leave, she narrowed her eyes as she had a bad feeling coming the moment her eyes landed on Haizaki.

"O-Oi!" Kagami called out, stretching out his hand to grab her wrist. Missing his chance, he cursed under his breath. "What the heck?"

Riko raised a brow before turning to see Kiyoshi's smile. "Do you know something?" she questioned. It was a bit strange to see Kiyoshi's attention fully on their manager ever since the Yosen match and although she had plans to question him, she never found the time to do it.

"No, nothing at all," he smiled innocently. "I just have a feeling Kagome-chan knows when someone is in trouble."

"Huh?" blinked Hyuga. "What the heck are you talking about?"

Kiyoshi released a small laugh, receiving questioning blinks from his teammates. "Oh, you will see."

Confusion breezed through his head as Kuroko heard Kiyoshi's words. What did he mean by Kagome knowing when someone was in trouble? Turning his head to face the exit of the balcony seats, he could not help but feel worrisome for the miko.

* * *

"You go on ahead, Satsuki."

"Huh?" Momoi blinked, hearing the steps from the tan male slowly walking away from her. Turning to face Aomine's leaving form, she took a step forward. "O-Oi! Dai-chan!" She sighed, seeing him continue his walk towards the exit as he completely ignored her call. _'Where is he going?'_

* * *

Following the crowd out from the stadium, the miko looked left and right as she searched for the aura she feared. She was not sure if she was making the right call, but the moment she saw Haizaki's eyes – she knew he wanted a different type of revenge. Kagome slowly made her way around the stadium before noticing a red sports jacket being worn by a male with cornrows. His back was turned to her as his eyes remained on the back doors which lead to the locker rooms of the participating teams.

'_So I was right…,' _she sighed under her breath before slowly making her way towards the male. "Kaijo is not going to come out yet."

Hearing the female voice behind him, he turned his head over his shoulder to see the black haired female from earlier. The sight of her did nothing but add fuel to the rage he held. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Call it a hunch, but I had a feeling you were thinking about getting revenge on Kise-kun."

"This is none of your business, onna," he spat out, taking a step towards the miko. "Don't meddle in something that isn't your problem."

"You're right," she glared, "this wasn't my problem, but you dragged me into it by actually threatening me. You really are a bastard, you know that?"

"So I've heard," he smirked. "But you are playing with fire, Kagome."

"Don't say my name so casually," Kagome crossed her arms, seeing him stop just a few feet in front of her. "You lost; go home. Kaijo doesn't need to be bothered by you anymore. Your way was not enough to win, understand that. If you had played throughout the game without having stepped on Kise's foot, I would have thought differently of you, but you really are the worst. Don't interfere with something Kise-kun, Kuroko-kun and the rest of the players have trained so hard for." It was a random thing for her to come up against him, but after reading his aura, she knew she had to do something; Kise had at least tried to save her from Haizaki's hands.

Haizaki released a scoff as he let his smirk sink into his lips: "Like I care, baka~. I do what I want."

"Like I said, this is a basketball tournament. You shouldn't be doing stupid things outside the court," her glare intensified as she saw Haizaki's rage blaze due to her words. She was grabbed by the collar of her shirt and brought close to Haizaki's face, seeing his own glare tighten.

"You better shut that little mouth of yours, onna!" he shouted. "Now I really want to destroy you! I told you, I don't care. Unfortunately, unlike you guys, I don't give a shit about basketball. If you want to stop me, onna…make me!"

The miko's eyes narrowed as she saw a fist coming her way. Preparing her leg to come up to kick his gut, she blinked the moment she saw Haizaki being punched on the side of his face before she was caught by another arm.

"Then I will."

Hearing the familiar heavy tone, Kagome's eyes blinked upwards until she saw Aomine's eyes narrowed down angrily as Haizaki fell to the floor unconscious from his punch. _'Wait…unconscious?' _The miko backed away from Aomine's hold as she took a step forward to check on Haizaki's status. _'He is unconscious! What the heck!?' _

"Huh?" blinked Aomine. "What should I do now?" he questioned himself, seeing the cornrow headed male laying on the floor. It wasn't his intent to knock him down in one punch, but he guessed he didn't know his own strength when it came to fighting.

Turning to face the tan male, Kagome noticed Aomine beginning to scratch the back of his head. "A-Aomine-kun, what the heck did you do?"

He raised a brow as he closed on eye at her sudden questioning. He wasn't even getting a thanks for saving her ass? "Punched him."

"I can see that!" she huffed, turning back to see no movement coming from Haizaki. She shook her head as she fully realized his presence. "Wait…what are you doing here?" she blinked.

Aomine scoffed with a roll of his eyes: "Satsuki dragged me here."

"No, I mean here."

Placing his hands inside his pockets, her blue haired male raised a brow at the female before running his fingers through his hair. "I saw Haizaki walking towards the back of the stadium. Knowing him from middle school, I had a feeling he was up to no good." His eyes narrowed as he heard a low grumble from the unconscious male. "I didn't expect him to lay a hand on a female."

Taken back by his words, the miko blinked as realization hit as to why he had punched Haizaki. Did he come to stop him from hitting her? With a low sigh, Kagome straightened out her collar before taking a glance at Aomine's back. "A-Arigatou…," she whispered, trying her best to lower the fever color on her cheeks.

"Like I was going to let him touch you when that is clearly my job-" He flinched as he felt a slap coming behind his head. Looking over his shoulder, she glared at the miko as she slapped her hands together with closed eyes. "Oi! What the hell!?"

"Just when I was starting to think you were sweet," she sighed, making her way past the blue haired male. Kagome stopped in her steps as she thought back to the Generation of Miracles and mentioning their 'Teiko' days. Her eyes dropped down to the concrete as she heard Aomine mumble a few words of 'nice doesn't get you nowhere' and 'thank you for the hit'. "Aomine-kun."

"What?" he sighed, turning to face the female. He blinked, noticing her still posture as her eyes remained glued on the floor.

Taking in a deep breath, the miko looked over her shoulder: "what exactly happened in Teiko?"

"Huh?" he raised a brow. Where had this come from?

"I know this sounds weird, but ever since I met Kuroko-kun, I have been hearing about your middle school days, yet I have no idea what exactly happened. Is there something I should know?"

Aomine exhaled tiredly before coming to scratch the back of his neck. How was he supposed to explain the complicated situation that occurred in Teiko? Even he could not think back what the root of the problem was. "Many things happened," he replied, coming to walk past the miko. "Perhaps if you see Midorima's and Akashi's match, you will get a sense of what happened."

Kagome blinked, confused by his sudden advice. Watch Akashi's and Midorima's game? "What do you mean by that?" she questioned.

"Only by seeing it yourself you will know what I mean," he sighed. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed slightly: "you have yet to see Akashi play. Once you see it, you will know."

Parting her lips to continue on with her questioning, she took a step forward before seeing Aomine waving her goodbye. There was still so much for her to ask and no one was giving her answers. _'Akashi-kun…?' _her eyes landed on the stadium, _'his match is with Shutoku tomorrow, but we have our own match against Kaijo.' _

Closing her eyes, the miko made her way towards her team as thoughts of the next day made her anxious. Who knew getting close to the finals would be so nerve wrecking. With a shake of her head, she took a few steps forward before she froze at the thought of her forgotten task. _'Crap! I forgot to refill their water bottles! I was supposed to do that before seeing Kise-kun's match!' _The miko's heart thumped against her chest as she was sure Riko would scold her. She was the manager for Kami's sake! The one job she had and she was not doing it!

* * *

"Where is she?" Riko sighed, crossing her arms as she turned her head to the left. Nothing but people walking out of the stadium was seen, but no sight of their manager. Where did she even go? Tapping her foot against the concrete, she heard Koganei trying to get sip of water from his water bottle.

"Huh?" he blinked, looking at the empty bottle. "There is no water."

Kiyoshi turned to face the team to see the box of water bottles completely empty. He titled his head to the side, knowing Kagome had probably forgotten to refill them between the break. He sighed under his breath: _'I can't blame me after everything she had been taking care of. Not to mention she had been worrying about the team and Kaijo.'_

Hearing an exhale from their female coach, they watched as she picked up the box herself before giving it to Furihata. "Do you mind doing it for us?" she turned to face the entrance of the stadium with no sign of the girl coming out. _'Kagome-chan has been acting strange lately. I don't know what it is, but I am going to have to talk to her…'_

"Mah, I am sure she is doing something productive," Kiyoshi spoke, gaining the attention of the coach. "She has been busy taking care of us, Riko."

"I know…," she sighed, her brown orbs dropping down to stare at his knee. _'But what exactly has she been doing?'_

"Kawahara and I can help you, Furi," Fukuda smiled as he took the box from his arms. "We don't mind!"

Riko nodded to his offer before sending them off with a flap of her hand. "We will be here waiting. Hopefully Kagome-chan returns on time." She was not necessarily mad that Kagome left without a reason, but if she was hiding something, she wanted to know. "Kagami-kun, Kuroko-kun." The two teens blinked as they heard their names escape the coach's lips. "See if you can find Kagome-chan anywhere."

"Hai," nodded Kuroko as he dropped his bag on the floor along with Kagami.

Straightening his glasses, Hyuga sighed as he watched the first-year duo run around the stadium. "Do you think Kagome-chan went off to meet someone?"

"Probably," Riko replied, keeping her gaze on the stadium. "But," slowly her eyes glided to see Kiyoshi's serious expression as he stared off into the distance, "I believe she is doing much more than just helping our team. Have any of you noticed how different the Generation of Miracles behave when they are around her?"

Shun scratched his cheek, unsure where his coach was going with the question. "Perhaps they have a crush on her?"

"I was thinking that too!" exclaimed Koganei. "Like how Kise and Aomine always seem to want Kagome-chan's attention!"

"More like…she has changed them," she sighed. "Kuroko-kun wanted to show the Generation of Miracles his way of basketball, but Kagome-chan contributed by giving them a slap of reality."

"Are you worried about something specific, coach?" Hyuga asked, seeing the brunette female adjust the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"I can't put in words…," she spoke softly. It was evident that Kagome had a secret she was not telling anybody, but what worried her the most was one person they had yet to see on the court play. "Akashi Seijuro…," she whispered, leaving the team with questioning blinks. The name alone gave them the idea of the problem she was mainly worried about.

They had yet to see her interactions with the captain of the Generation of Miracles.

* * *

'_Where are they?' _the miko quickened her pace as she felt the rush of cold air hitting her as she ran the opposite direction. The last thing she wanted was to get scolded by Riko. She had to be careful in her actions as she knew one of them was bound to catch on to her suspicious tasks. Kiyoshi could only hold the truth for so long.

Hearing the sound of water, Kagome stopped in her tracks as she noticed three familiar males refilling the white water bottles she knew so well. She blinked once as she came to see none other than Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda at the water fountains. "Ah…miina-," her steps stopped as she heard Furihata exhale while filling one of the water bottles.

"Man! That I seriously thought Kaijo was about to lose!" he exclaimed.

Fukuda nodded as he screwed the top closed before turning to the brunette beside him. "But they pulled through, now our next match is against them."

"That is going to be rough," Furihata sighed. "You think our senpais will be alright?"

The miko blinked again as she saw Kawahara's head hung low as his eyes stared at the running liquid disappearing into the bottle. If anything, his aura felt slightly heavy as if he had guilt of some sort.

"Oi, Kagome! There you are!"

Turning her head to the voice, she was taken back by Kuroko's and Kagami's appearance as they walked towards her. Did Riko send them? Kagome closed her eyes, knowing well Kagami was only going to send in another scold for her running off without saying anything specific.

"Where the hell did you-?" Kagami blinked as he saw the miko's finger over her lips, silencing him before he could ask about her whereabouts.

Kuroko tilted his head as he saw the miko turn her gaze towards the the water fountains. Trailing her line of sight, he and Kagami stopped their running thoughts as they saw the three first-years of their team talking among each other.

"Hey…"

Kawahara's voice was heard from his silence as he turned the water off. The tune of crickets filled the long pause as eyes landed on the guilty expression on Kawahara's face. Kagome and the other two waited to hear him continue, but could tell something was keeping Kawahara from talking.

"I am thinking of quitting the team…," he whispered, gaining wide eyed expressions from the five.

"Where did that come from?" Fukuda took a step towards his teammate, seeing he was more than serious in the thought. He knew where the thought originated as he felt the same kind of neglect from the team as they were never put once on an official game. But he had to think positive as this was about team effort! "If you work hard, I am sure-"

Kawahara gripped the edge of the drinking fountain as he noticed his eyesight blurring with the collective tears threatening to come out. "I like basketball, but…Kagami, Kuroko, Kagome-chan, and all the upperclassmen are amazing. I can barely keep up with them during practice. No matter how hard I try, I don't think I can play in a game."

"Kawahara-kun….," the miko whispered, seeing his tears spill one by one before taking a glance at the two beside her. Both were just as silent and still as her; clueless how to approach them as they heard their wishes.

"I have actually thought the same thing," Furihata spoke, catching their attention. "Everyone thinks the same thing when they see Kagami. That he is cut from a different cloth."

Taking a glance from the corner of her eyes, she noticed the tiger's eyes glide to the side as he felt a presence of guilt inside of him. Of course he would feel bad as he heard his friends wish they could play just like them.

Furihata chuckled as he stared at the water inside the bottle: "but watching Kuroko, I think something else. He is still amazing, but maybe there is something I can do, too. Even if I ride the bench until the end, I still want to play basketball with them. I would probably regret quitting."

Kagome noticed the down expressions on both Kagami and Kuroko as they heard Furihata's words. She could relate to Furihata's words as thoughts of wanting to help her feudal friends came in mind. She was determined to try anything she could to help the others even if it was just a little; support was enough. With a sigh, she patted the backs of Kagami and Kuroko before she made her way towards the three.

"O-Oi!" whispered Kagami, not wanting them to be found eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I see someone took my job," she spoke, surprising the three males as they whirled their heads to see her smile. "Well, I guess that is what I get for slacking," chuckling under her breath, she knelt down to grab the remaining empty bottles.

The three males were left speechless as they watched the miko begin to fill the rest of the bottles. Had she heard them? Would she say anything to the team? "Ano….Kagome-chan-," Furihata blinked as he saw the miko handing him a closed bottle.

"Don't ever think you three are not special," she spoke, surprising them by her words.

"Huh?" blinked Kawahara.

Kagome continued with her task as she could sense their auras calm down slightly from the guilt they felt of having spoken of quitting. The team had accepted her as a useless ordinary girl with no goals ahead of her. Graduating was the only thought in her head since she started school, but Kuroko and the rest of the team had seen something in her that was valued; something she could not see. These three were the same. Even if they could not see it or sense it themselves, she smiled at their calm auras; they were special.

Taking a glance from the corner of her eyes, she saw both Kuroko's and Kagami's smile. Kagome released a low chuckled before screwing the top on the last bottle. _'Perhaps the time is getting close for me to tell them…tell them about me.'_

* * *

Placing two containers of honey lemon slices inside the bag, the miko smiled as she checked her things. "Yosh! That should be everything"

Setting her eyes on her bag, the miko turned her head towards her window as she saw the wilted branches of the Sacred Tree. Sleep had not even helped her nerves calm down as thoughts of the next match continued to trespass into her dreams. She shook her head as she rubbed her temple: _'why am I turning into Kagami-kun all of a sudden?' _She was grateful Riko nor Hyuga had shouted at her the moment she returned to the team with Fukuda, Furihata, and Kawahara with the water bottle - of course Kagami and Kuroko behind. She really need to focus with the team getting close to the finals.

The ringtone of her phone caught her attention as she saw it vibrate against the wood of her nightstand. With a raised brow, her fingers reached for device before seeing Riko's name on the screen. _'Riko-senpai?' _Kagome blinked before bringing the cell phone to her ear: "Moshi-moshi?"

A sigh was heard from the other line before Riko's voice was heard. _"Kagome-chan are you still at your house?"_

"Uh, hai," she nodded, wondering why a question like that would come up. She was not late to meet them at the subway, right? Checking the time on her alarm, she noticed she was just on time to leave her house.

"_Good," _Riko sighed again. _"Go to Bakagami's apartment."_

Kagome's tongue froze as she heard the command of her coach. Shaking her head to return to reality, she gave her phone a 'dirty' look. "Wait, why?" Why of all places his apartment?

"_The baka's shoes are ruined! Now he needs to go buy new ones!" _A groan escaped through the call. _"I am sending you to keep an eye on him and make sure he comes to the stadium on time." _

"B-But-!"

"_I am counting on you, Kagome-chan!" _

The miko was left staring at her cell phone as the sound of the end call echoed in her room. Her eyebrow twitched before she closed her phone. Grabbing her bag, she placed the strap over her shoulder as she walked towards the door of her room. _'And here we go…babysitting a tiger.'_

* * *

Blue orbs blinked as she saw the number of the apartment on the door. Was this the right one? Her memory was foggy since the last time she had come with the team to Kagami's apartment. She only remembered the building and floor, but now she was just guessing. _'I just remember it being at the end of the hall…'_

As her finger came up to ring on the doorbell, she stopped as she heard a shout from the other side. Kagome blinked as she heard the conversation waking up the neighborhood.

"Why are you sleeping in my bed!?"

"It's super cold! Don't take all the covers!"

"Then put some clothes on!"

She heard a crash from the other side, making her drop her eyes as the corner of her lips twitched.

"How dare you throw clothes at your master using a move I taught you!?"

'_Yup, this is definitely Kagami-kun's apartment. And it looks like Alex-san is with him,' _with one last sigh, the miko rang the doorbell. She waited before hearing the sound of bare feet making their way to the entrance. Taking a step back, she was greeted by the red head and his look of shock.

"A-Ah, Kagome!" pink dusted over his cheeks as he came to see the girl's blue eyes on him as she held her bag over her shoulder. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Riko-senpai called me," she replied, "she told me you had to go shoe shopping since yours got ruined?"

Kagami opened the door for her to enter before seeing her place her bag over the couch. Grabbing her jacket from her, he sighed before showing her his red basketball shoes near his weights. The miko blinked, seeing the sole of the shoe flap down. "Uh….guess you really do need new ones."

The tiger sighed again before placing them on the floor again. Making his way towards the kitchen, he spoke: "Coach wasn't too happy hearing about it. Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Huh?" she blinked. "No," she chuckled softly, remembering she had left her house without having eaten anything. Her eyes caught sight of the red head beginning to bring out a few ingredients from the refrigerator. "Oh, I can help."

Hearing her offer to assist in the cooking, Kagami turned his head to the side to see the miko already putting her hair up in a high ponytail. "N-No, it's okay. I can do it."

"Don't sweat it," she smiled, reaching to grab one of the eggs. "The least I can do is help if you are going to let me eat your food."

Taking a glance from the corner of his eyes, Kagami could feel his cheeks blossom in color as he saw the miko beginning to crack the eggs over a bowl. He blinked as he heard her gasp; raising a brow as she looked into the bowl.

"Ha…," pointing at the bowl, she smiled nervously, "I dropped an egg shell."

He sighed as he made his way towards the miko before his arm brushed against hers. Gulping down his nerves, his hand reached for a spoon as he tried getting the egg shell from the yolk. "Baka," he whispered.

"Oi! We aren't all experts here," she huffed, elbowing him gently on his side.

"You don't need to be an expert to know not to drop egg shells," he sighed as he finally fished out the white shell. Scooping it with his finger, he raised a brow before sticking it on the miko's cheek. "There, it's done."

Kagome blinked as she felt the slightly cold shell on her cheek. As her fingers rose to take it off, she felt a wave of butterflies inside her stomach the moment she turned to face the tiger. When did he get this close?

"Oh? What is this? Are the couple making breakfast together?"

The two teens turned their head to the voice, seeing Alex pulling down her long sleeve shirt as she held a smirk. Facing each other once more, their close proximity finally hit before the two backed away into their personal space.

"Mah, mah, don't worry about me," Alex chuckled, "I was enjoying this cute moment."

The miko gave the blonde female a bow with her head: "O-Ohayo, Alex-san."

"Ohayo, Kagome-chan," she smiled as she came to sit on the couch. "I didn't expect such an early visit from you."

"I am here to accompany Kagami-kun to buy new shoes," she replied before handing the bowl of whisked eggs to the tiger.

Alex nodded as she came to see the shoes over the couch. "I see. It was time he got some new ones."

Moments of Haizaki's encounter came rushing through her head as she caught a glance at the smiling blonde. "Alex-san, are you okay? I mean…with what happened last night and all."

"Yeah, of course!" she softly laughed.

Kagome nodded before remembering out of everyone that was pulled into the conflict, Himuro had been the only one with the serious bruises. "What about Himuro-san?" she questioned.

"It was just a scratch," Alex reassured her. "He went back to his hotel immediately afterwards. But I should be asking if you're okay, Kagome-chan."

"Huh?" she blinked, stopping in the mid of her task of brewing coffee. "I'm fine," she smiled. Her mind glided to the moment Aomine had given Haizaki a punch: _'not that I can say the same thing for him…'_

The tiger sighed as he plated the eggs on three individual plates. The miko truly had no self-awareness when it came to danger. A small smile formed on his lips as he heard her say she was okay; that calmed him down.

Alex scratched the back of her head as she saw Kagome coming to hand her a cup of coffee along with Kagami placing the toast and the rest of his made breakfast on the table. "I can imagine why Taiga showed up then. Don't worry. I am sure Tatsuya felt the same way."

"Yeah," Kagami nodded as he came to sit on the opposite seat from the girls.

With a smile forming on her lips, Kagome reached for her mug before feeling her cell phone vibrate inside her bag. She blinked before placing her mug down on the coffee table and looking inside the front pocket. Kagome raised a brow as she saw the message having come from none other than Riko.

"Huh?" she whispered.

"What is it, Kagome?" Kagami asked, seeing her look into the message.

Kagome's eyes rose as she met with Kagami's questioning look. "Riko-senpai says she is sending someone else with us."

"Someone else?"

"Apparently he needs shoes too," she replied.

"_He_?"

* * *

"Domo."

Both Kagome and Kagami blinked in unison as they faced Kuroko in the middle of the downtown area. The moment Riko had sent the location where to meet the other member, they were surprised when they came to face the phantom player.

"Ohayo, Kuroko-kun," the miko smiled.

"Ohayo," he nodded back. His eyes went back and forth as he saw two standing next to each other. Were they coming together? "Ano, did you meet Kagami-kun at the subway?"

Kagome took a glance at the tiger before returning her eyes on the phantom player. Of course it would sound bad if she said she was coming from his apartment. With a nervous chuckle, Kagome scratched the back of her head. "Riko-senpai told me to come with him to make sure he returned back in time before the game, but looks like I am looking after you too." Walking ahead of the two males, she looked over her shoulder: "we should start looking before it gets late."

With a nod from the two, they followed behind as they searched for any shoe stores. Kagami sighed as he placed his hands inside his pockets and looked at the phantom player beside him. "Why are your shoes falling apart?" he questioned. Was it a coincidence both of them had "broken" shoes all of a sudden?

"I could ask you the same thing," Kuroko replied.

"Ah, there is one store right there," Kagome pointed before walking inside with the two males behind her.

* * *

What seemed like the tenth store, Kagome could not help but already feel exhausted from shopping – and she was a female that loved to shop! Turning her head to the right, she saw the tiger sulk as he came out of the store empty handed.

"We can't find my size anywhere…," he sighed.

"Kagami-kun, your feet are pointlessly large," Kuroko commented, receiving a small laugh from the miko as she quickly held it back with her hand.

"What do you mean pointlessly!?" his eyes landed on the miko. "Why are you laughing!?"

"Mah, mah, we still have some time," Kagome smiled. Although time was of the essence, she was glad at least Kuroko had bought his pair at the second store they visited. She only hoped Riko would not kill them with time ticking away. "Look, I can search in that store while you two search in that one," she pointed at the store behind her before seeing Kuroko nod. "We can meet right in front if there is nothing." Turning away from the two males, she waved them off with her hand. "I will go and ask if they have you size, okay?"

Making her way inside, the miko's took a glance at the shoes displayed on the walls. Seeing no sign of an employee, she noticed the sign above the stairs. _'Customer service?' _Kagome slowly made her way up before hearing a male's voice shouting out.

"Move, move!"

The miko took a step back as she saw a short blonde haired male jumping up from the top step before landing in front of her. Olive colored eyes met blue as she saw his closeness to her person. "Ano…," she whispered, hoping he got the message to give her some personal space.

"Ah!" he blinked, giving her a toothy grin. "I know you!"

"Huh?" she raised a brow. He knew her?

"You're Kagome-chan, aren't you?" the blonde male smiled, leaning closer to her.

"W-Wait, how do you know my-?"

"Yabe! I am going to be late!" his eyes looked at the time on his cell phone before he made a front flip down the first step of the stairs. Looking over his shoulder, he sent her a wave: "Ah, gomenasai! I am in a hurry…," taking another glance at his screen, he shook his head: "Oh, crap! I am really sorry!" he apologized once again as he gave her a bow with his head before rushing out of the store. What did he mean he knew her? She did not even know him!

Her eyes quickly caught sight of the white sports jacket he wore and the words stitched on the back. "Rakuzan…?" she whispered to herself. "Wait, that is-"

"Did you find any, Kagome?"

With another voice bringing her out of her thoughts, she turned her head the other way to see both Kagami and Kuroko empty handed. Exhaling tiredly, she parted her lips to speak: "I was going to ask one of the employees, but I can't find anyone."

Kuroko nodded before opening the zipper to his sports bag. "Very well," he spoke, "I will ask."

"Ask?" blinked Kagami, seeing the phantom player take out his cell phone.

"She usually comes through in times like these," Kuroko continued before he began to look through his contacts.

Kagome and Kagami shared a glance as curiosity began to swirl inside their heads. Who was Kuroko talking about?

* * *

"Their basketball shoes fell apart!?"

Hyuga sighed as he grabbed onto the handle above him inside the subway. He shook his head in disbelief that Kuroko and Kagami had the same problem at the same time in the most inconvenient moment! "Both of them at the same time?" he questioned, seeing Riko and Kiyoshi sitting on the only empty seats of the crowded subway. "Are you serious?"

"Will they make it in time? You sent Kagome-chan with them too, right?" whispered Kiyoshi, seeing Riko exhale.

Riko's eyebrow twitched as she hoped for the best. Buying shoes should not be a problem after all. "They will probably be okay on time. Our match is in the evening." Feeling the subway come to a stop, she stood from her seat before leading the team towards the exit. With the crowded train pushing her forward, she stumbled in her steps before feeling her fall being stopped by a male's chest. Embarrassment shot through her as she heard the male's voice. "S-Sumimazen…," she blinked, noticing the white skinned male with black hair coming down to his neck giving her a small smile.

"Ara, ara, are you okay?" he asked. "You should be careful."

"A-Arigatou…" she stuttered.

"Coach!" Hyuga called out, finally having had the freedom from the crowd. The team stopped as they noticed the tall slender male standing in front of their coach. He raised a brow the moment the mysterious black haired male gave him a stare.

"Chotto, you got to protect your girl," he spoke. Releasing a chuckle, he gave Riko a nod before making his way towards the stairs.

Seirin blinked as they noticed his attire consisting of a white basketball sports jacket. Riko raised a brow as she read the words on his back: "that guy…"

* * *

"Tetsu-kun!"

Kagome and Kagami blinked as they saw a blur of pink hair come in front of them before the female took Kuroko in her arms. The mysterious call Kuroko had made still had them curious even as they came to the public basketball court near the park. He would not even tell them who was coming to assist them with their shoe problem.

"Sorry for calling you so suddenly," Kuroko spoke as he was set free from the female's hug.

"It's totally fine," she chuckled. "In fact, I am so happy!"

"Momoi-san?" Kagome cut in, titling her head to the side. Kuroko called Momoi for help? Could she get them the shoes they needed for Kagami?

"Ohayo, Kagome-chan!" Momoi spoke as she gathered the miko's hands into her own. "If you had a problem Kagome-chan, you could have just called me."

The miko smiled nervously as she felt her personal space once again burst. What was with everyone getting so close to her today? "I-I will remember that…"

Kagami took a step forward as he caught the attention of the two females. He was just as surprised as Kagome to see the pink haired manager coming to their aid in such short notice. But at this point, any type of help he was glad to accept. Gulping his awkwardness, he gave Momoi a nod. "I appreciate you helping us look for shoes," his eyes slowly glided to the side as he saw a familiar tan male standing a few feet away from them, "but what the hell are you doing here, Aomine!?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Aomine sighed, feeling his eyebrow twitch. He had been dragged by Momoi with no explanation. All he saw was her taking something from his closet before they left his house. What he really wanted now was just sleep; could he not get that?

"Aomine-kun?" the miko blinked, surprised by his appearance. After the events from the night before, she did not expect to meet with him so soon. He gave her a glance from the corner of his eyes before he gave her a nod as a greeting. She felt her eyes close as she remembered Aomine having sent Haizaki down on the ground with one punch. They were lucky not to have gotten caught. "Wait, why is he here?" she questioned, turning to face the pink haired female.

Momoi chuckled as she lifted her finger with a smile: "Dai-chan has lots of basketball shoes and he said Kagamin could have some."

"He did?" Kagome questioned. She could not see Aomine giving his shoes freely.

"What!?" he exclaimed. "I didn't say that! Don't be ridiculous, Satsuki!"

"You guys wear the same size, right?" Momoi smiled, turning her attention to her childhood friend. "29.5 centimeters."

The miko was surprised how well Momoi knew or even remembered the information of each player; no surprise coming from an expert in analyzing numbers. She moved to the side as Kagami came forth with wide eyes. "How do you know that!?"

"Here," Momoi pushed the open box to the tiger as she revealed the black and red shoes. Kuroko and Kagome took a glance and noticed the shoes being fairly new. Did Aomine even use them?

Aomine took a step forward as he realized what shoes Momoi had taken from his closet. A tick appeared on his forehead seeing the girl just ignoring his protest. "Oi! You can't just take my shoes!" He sighed as Kagome took the box in her hands and looked at the logo.

"These are the same ones Kagami-kun wears," Kuroko commented.

"He happened to have a pair," Momoi chuckled softly. She was glad she was able to sneak in the shoes into her bag before Aomine noticed her scheme. "They are a different color. But you have always worn the same type of shoes, right, Kagamin?"

Kagami took a step back as he heard all the information the girl had gathered on him – not to mention the new nickname she had chosen for him. "D-Did you just say Kagamin?!"

"That's new…," Kagome whispered.

"But…," Kagami sighed, coming back to look at the shoes inside the box. "This isn't a bad color." He did not know what to do with his rival giving him his shoes. Was it even the right thing to do?

Hearing a heavy sigh from the tan male, eyes blinked to see him grabbing the basketball inside Kuroko's bag resting over the wooden bench. "Fine," he spun the ball over his index finger. He was not going to let those shoes go free just to anybody. "If you can beat me one-on-one, you can have them."

"Why do I have to do that!?" Kagami exclaimed. "I have a game after this!"

"We will play a best of three. It will be quick," Aomine made his way the miko after taking a glance at her. He only wondered if Kagome would go ahead and listen to his advice to see Akashi play against Midorima. He could not explain the past well, but perhaps she could get an idea just who Akashi was.

"I told you-!"

Aomine shook his head as he came to stand beside the tiger and cut him off his objections. "Just do it," he spoke. "While we are at it, I will give you a lecture." He ignored the silent blinks of the tiger before noticing him walking behind him.

Kagome fell silent as she saw the two males make their way to the middle of the concrete court. Looking down at the shoes inside the box, thoughts swarmed inside her head. The end of the tournament was near and it seemed like only yesterday Seirin had their match against Tōō. Sitting beside the phantom player, the two of them along with Momoi watched as Aomine started to dribble the ball.

"Kagome-chan?"

She heard her name from the phantom player, making her turn her head to see his eyes on her person. "Hai?" she spoke, unsure what he wanted.

"Where did you go last night?" he questioned. "Last night you met with us after Kaijo's match and said nothing." Kuroko had been worried she had had gotten lost or even came across Haizaki. After seeing his anger escape through his smirking façade, he was sure Haizaki was ready to punch anything that came his way. She was silent when he had found her with Kagami, but even after hearing Furihata's words, he nor the team got around to ask where she had gone.

Sighing under her breath, Kagome was sure she could not hide the fact of Aomine's mild fight the night before. She closed her eyes as she felt the stares from Kuroko and Momoi as both were curious to her silence. "Last night I confronted Haizaki."

"Haizaki-kun?" blinked Kuroko.

She nodded before coming to see Aomine make a dunk. "Aomine-kun appeared and when I was about to get hit by Haizaki, Aomine-kun punched him."

"Dai-chan did what?!" exclaimed Momoi as a gasp escaped her lungs.

"You could say he did it to save me and Kise-kun…," the miko sighed. Although a rush of panic ran through her veins the moment Aomine had punched Haizaki, she knew it was for the best to stop his plans to fight Kise.

"Wouldn't it be bad if someone found out?" Kuroko questioned as his eyes fell on his lap.

Momoi nodded to Kuroko's question, worried that if Aomine were to be found about his violence against Haizaki, he would get in trouble with the school. "But I don't think Shogo-kun will do anything else," she spoke, catching the miko's and phantom player's attention. "I am not sure how to put it, but I think if Dai-chan did that, Shogo-kun might be relieved he was stopped. Shogo-kun is twisted, but they both wore Teiko uniforms at one point."

'_Teiko…,' _the miko blinked, becoming even more curious to the past of the Generation of Miracles. Hearing steps coming their way, the three turned to see Aomine yawning before placing his hands inside his pockets.

"Satsuki, I am finished. Let's go."

"Isn't it a little soon?" she blinked, a bit taken back by the short game.

"I said it wouldn't take long," Aomine sighed.

Kuroko raised his eyes to meet his former teammate's gaze before he spoke: "how did it go?"

Dropping his gaze like a dead fish, Aomine shook his head: "I crushed him."

Kagome blinked as she tilted her head to the side. Kagami lost against Aomine? Where was the challenge?

"Matte, oi!" Kagami shouted, coming behind the blue haired male as he pointed his finger at him. "One more! One more time! I want the shoes, but more than anything I hate ending on a loss! Let's go one more time!"

Hearing a sigh from the tan male, they watched him grab the box of shoes from the miko's hands before sending it towards the tiger. "Here. Don't you have a game? What are you talking about? They are yours."

Kagami caught the box in his hands as he sent a confused blink to his rival. "W-What is going on?"

"Either way, I don't need them anymore," Aomine replied, looking over his shoulder.

"I-I can't take these when I lost! Take them back!"

"Just wear them, baka!"

Placing her finger over her chin, the miko turned to see the tired expression on Aomine's face. Frowning slightly, she placed her hands over her lap. "Are you sure about this? He did lose. I mean…we can go and buy some."

"Whatever," Aomine sighed, dropping his gaze to stare at the black haired female. It was the least he could do after the many times he gave her hell. He was not sure where this soft spot of his was coming from, but he guessed after his loss with Seirin, he was seeing things differently. "Besides," he spoke, "Kagami is the good he way he is. And he is playing Kise, right? If he plays like trash because he is wearing uncomfortable shoes, I will kill him. We will postpone our match."

Looking down at the box once again, Kagami blinked as he felt in debt to Aomine. As much as he wanted to win the shoes fair and square, he knew Aomine was right. "Thanks…then," he whispered. "I will take them. But we are just postponing our game!"

"Just go already!" Aomine's eyebrow twitched. Did this tiger not get the point!?

"Mah, mah, both of you stop flirting already," the miko spoke as she stood from her seat.

"Uruse, Kagome!" they both shouted in unison, receiving chuckles from the phantom player and Momoi as they watched Kagome hold her hands defensively.

* * *

"Well, now that we got both of you some shoes, we should hurry to the locker room." Kagome's eyes dropped down to the clipboard in her hand as she checked for the times of the matches. Making their way down the busy halls of the stadium, they only hoped Riko and the captain would not hold them by their necks. She was grateful to Momoi and Aomine for having listened to their cry of help as she knew they would have arrived late if they continued to look through stores.

"Oh? I didn't think I would find you so soon, Kagome~."

Hearing the familiar voice ahead of them, the three Seirin members blinked as they came to stare at two grins glued on the two incoming youkais. Kagome blinked once more as she felt her eyebrow raised in curiosity. "K-Koga? Shippo? What are you two doing here?"

"Well, we came to see the semi-finals, okaa-san~," the kitsune smiled before placing his arm around the miko's shoulder.

"I can never get used to that nickname…," Kagami groaned under his breath as Kuroko gave a small nod in agreement.

"Hm?" Koga blinked, noticing only the three of them were together without the entire team. Raising a brow at the miko, he leaned as he caught the lingering smell of worry on the girl. "Are you not with your team?" he questioned. He knew it was not the right time to ask about her set worries as people were walking by.

Kuroko pointed towards the door to their right as they noticed their school's name taped on the wall. "We were coming from getting new shoes."

"New shoes?" blinked Shippo. "Oh! You could have called Sesshomaru for that, okaa-san!"

"Sesshomaru-sama?" she raised a brow, leaning away. What the heck did Sesshomaru have to do with shoes? And even if he had some, he was the last person to give something for free.

The wolf youkai crossed his arms with a roll of his eyes. This is what they got for not explaining to the miko about what Sesshomaru truly did in this era. "Sesshomaru has expanded his branches in his business into the sports field. So you can say he has a clothing line of clothes and such. It hasn't been introduced yet, but we could have sneaked a few shoes your way."

"And get my head ripped off by him?" Kagome sighed. "I will pass on that."

Both Kagami and Kuroko took a glance at each other as they heard the small conversation of the so called 'Sesshomaru'. Just who exactly was this guy to have the miko so obedient? With a shake of his head, Kagami headed towards the door before placing his hand over the knob.

"Kagome," Koga's hand landed over the miko's shoulder, stopping her from letting her go inside the locker room with the two males, "are you planning on watching the Rakuzan versus Shutoku game?"

She had wanted to, but seeing their match would come right after theirs, she had no time to even observe Akashi. It was none of her business to get into the past of the Generation of Miracles, but something troubled her with Akashi; something was not right. Taking a glance at the closed door, she released a sigh, "I want to, but I am not sure if Riko-senpai and the others will allow me. I know I have been acting strange around them ever since I told Kiyoshi-senpai about myself and they are no doubt suspecting me of my strange behavior."

"Well, it isn't your fault," Shippo shrugged, "you have a secret that was revealed to a normal human. No doubt you would be acting strange."

"Thanks…," she blinked with dead-fish eyes.

Raising a brow at her expression, Koga slowly lifted his hand from her shoulder. "Are you thinking of telling them?"

No reply.

"Kagome, this is a serious question," he continued. "I have spoken with Shippo and we both agree Seirin is a trustful team, but are you sure about this? This will change everything, you know?"

That was the worry she had; would they look at her differently for her past?

"I am sure they would accept it," Shippo cut in. "I mean, what could they do with the information? The worst thing that could happen was to think of her as crazy-"

"Aho!" Koga's hand came behind the kitsune's head, slapping it to stop him from saying anything else.

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome slowly made her way towards the locker room door as she placed her hand over the knob. Butterflies were beginning to attack her stomach as she could predict their reactions if she were to tell them one day of her past. Would they take it well like Kiyoshi? Would they hate her or think of her as crazy?

Shippo rubbed the back of his head as he gave a mild glare to his attacked before turning to face his adoptive mother's back. He could smell her nerves bundle over her skin as he was sure thoughts of her secret ran in her mind. "Look, putting Sesshomaru aside, I agree it is your decision who you want to tell about yourself. I- well…we both know you can make the right decision on who to tell, okaa-san."

"Shippo…," Kagome whispered, looking at her son over her shoulder.

"But right now, you shouldn't be worrying about that," he smiled, walking over to open the door for her, "you have a game to worry about, right?" Turning the knob, the three were greeted with the team setting their things into their locker room as Riko turned to face the miko.

"Ah, Kagome-chan-," the female coach blinked, taken back by Koga's and Shippo's sudden appearance. "D-Domo," she whispered, giving the two a bow with her head.

Koga sent them a toothy grin as he saluted them with a 'hello'. "Hey there. I see everyone is ready for the semi-finals." Crossing his arms, he raised a brow as he caught the scent of tension swirling in the room, "and it looks like Kagome isn't the only one nervous." It was obvious to him and the kitsune this next match meant more than just reaching for the win; an old rivalry since the beginning of the year. _'The practice game against Kaijo has been heard ever since then and everyone is curious to see what an official match would hold – even me. But even my curiosity peaked in the incoming match – Shutoku versus Rakuzan.'_

"Ano…what are Koga-san and Shippo-san doing here?" blinked Koganei, seeing them stand behind the miko.

"_San?_" Shippo blinked, placing his hand over his chest. "Don't make me feel old."

"You are old," Koga replied.

Quietly observing the two, Kiyoshi could not help but wonder if perhaps these two were that close to Kagome; a relationship he knew was much deeper than what they showed.

"Well," the wolf youkai spoke, "the Rakuzan-Shutoku game is starting soon. We were here wondering if Kagome would like to come and watch."

"Koga, I have to stay with the team-," the miko blinked as she found herself being hugged by the kitsune as he cut her off, "we know! But we are going to watch it from the front lines!" His green eyes narrowed as he noticed the look on Seirin: "I think we can all agree we have yet to see Rakuzan play, right? Kagome is the best person to go and observe."

Riko placed her fingers under her chin as she saw the look on Kagome's face. She wanted to send Kagome to observe Rakuzan and Shutoku, but she also felt the need to have her with the team to calm their nerves; she had become one of the pillars of support for the team. Letting her eyes glide to observe the two males behind their manager, she could not help but ponder back the day Seirin met them. Kagome was definitely close to them – but how close?

"Ano, just how strong is Rakuzan?" Furihata cut in, catching everyone's attention.

"Well I am glad you asked," Koga snickered, "since I have made my own research. They are a super strong school that has been participating in the Winter Cup since its inception. They have won more tournaments than any other school. For the past five years they have won all three major titles."

"I am not an expert in these things, but I guess you could say they are the strongest high school team, right?" Shippo added in as he came to sit beside Shun.

The wolf youkai sighed before coming to rest his elbow over the miko's shoulder as the room felt silent. He never really had an interest in high school sports, but over the years, he had heard of 'Rakuzan' every now and then, but merely shrugged it off. But now that he was coming to see them in person, he figured research would not hurt. "Their lineup this year is the strongest it has ever been," he spoke.

"Akashi Seijuro of the Generation of Miracles," Kagami's eyes narrowed as they dropped to glare at the floor. The only Generation of Miracle he had yet to face and never had he watched him play; Kuroko never even spoke of him.

"Well, yeah," Koga nodded, taking a glance of the tiger from the corner of his eyes, "but he is not the only one."

"Not the only one?" Kagome blinked, turning her head to face the wolf. Was there more to the team than she thought? This feeling of uncertainty and unknowing of the team was eating her alive. She had thought of asking Kuroko, but every time she wanted to, Kuroko always had a look in his face saying there was more to this 'Akashi' than the surface she had met.

Hyuga exhaled as he placed his hands inside his pockets: "the Uncrowned Kings."

Feeling the stares of the team on his person, Koga took a pause before coming to stare at the brunette across the locker room. "Correct," he nodded, "five prodigies overshadowed by the Generation of Miracles. There is Kiyoshi and that bastard Hanamiya. And the remaining three players are all on Rakuzan."

"Three of them are part of Rakuzan?" Kagome's eyes widened slightly before turning her head to the silent phantom player sitting at the edge of the bench. But was Akashi not the captain of the team? A first year lead a team holding the remaining Uncrowned Kings?

"Very well," Riko spoke, lowering her hand to her side, "Kagome-chan, you can go and observe the game, but…," she stopped the miko from thanking her as she felt the need to know what was going on with the girl, "may I have a word with you?"

Kagome blinked in confusion as Shippo and Koga did the same. The two youkai shared a glance as they caught the serious expression on the coach's face. Lowering their view to observe the miko, they notice her small nod before Riko walked forward and out of the locker room with the miko trailing behind.

"What does the coach want to talk with Kagome-chan about?" whispered Koganei, leaving the team a bit dumbfounded.

Taking a glance at the brunette, Koga chuckled to see Kiyoshi sending him a smile. _'Looks like Kagome will have to tell them sooner than she thinks…this team is much smarter than I thought.'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** And there it is. I had such a hard time writing this chapter, but I do hope you enjoy. Now I need to finish this essay and get some sleep because I have not had it.

P.S.: I said this in the latest chapter of Dimensional Lovers, but a surprise is coming soon! Possibly in the next two weeks - hopefully people like it.

Thank you for reading! Thank you for being patient with me and I hope I did not lose any of you...

Please review? At least so I can read them during class ha-ha (because seriously my ethics class puts me to sleep, but I promise I am listening to the lecture!).

Ja~ne!


	29. Emperor of the Court

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **I have finally updated! This took way too long to write. I had no idea Shutoku versus Rakuzan would take this long. The outline took FOREVER! So I apologize for the late update. I do hope you forgive me.

Now this chapter focuses more on Rakuzan and Kagome making her own observations. We are getting closer to Kagome telling Seirin about herself, perhaps the next chapter? Or the one after? We will see~ I did have to make a few changes to the original story line, so bear with me, okay?

I want to thank you all for the support you have given me thus far. This story would not be close to completion if it were not for the reviews, messages, and support everyone has given. Please continue on supporting me!

I do hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 29: **Emperor of the Court

* * *

Despite the huge crowd cheering in anticipation for the next match, the miko's world had become silent as she stared at the female coach's back. Having walked a few feet away from the Seirin locker room, she only wondered what Riko would want to talk to her about. Had she done something wrong? She could not blame Riko's suspicions because even she knew she was acting weird. Parting her lips to speak out, she blinked the moment she heard Riko's words being released first.

"Is something troubling you, Kagome-chan?" she questioned with crossed arms. Looking over her shoulder, Riko raised a brow as she caught a glimpse of the miko's gaze dropping down in a silent reply. "You have been acting strange lately."

No reply was given as only a sigh was heard from the miko's lips. Kagome knew it was only a matter of time before they truly questioned her. There was only so much she could hide now, but was it the right time to tell? The true question was how Seirin would react to the information. But before she could release her information, she had to be patient and wait to at least see Rakuzan.

She had to see Akashi's play.

A smile curved up her lips as she rose her head to meet Riko's curious blinks. "Everything is alright, Riko-senpai. Nothing too serious is troubling me."

"Kagome-chan, you can't hide it. There is something in the back of your mind that keeps pestering you," Riko sighed as she uncrossed her arms and turned to face the miko. "I can't force you to tell me or the team, but I want you to know that you are not alone, Kagome-chan. We are here for you. We are a team after all, right?"

The words sunk deep into the miko's heart as an automatic warmth filled her. Not even a year had passed with the team, but she felt secure and accepted with them. The team had filled her with a purpose all over again after returning from the feudal era.

The void was filled once more.

"Riko-senpai, the time is not right for me to tell everyone about myself…"

"Yourself?" Riko blinked. Was there a secret she had kept for this long?

"But I promise the time is coming soon," Kagome gave a bow, startling Riko slightly by the sudden politeness. "Sumimazen, Riko-senpai! But please give me some time to collect my thoughts. Onegai shimasu…"

Silent over Kagome's request, the female coach's shoulders relaxed. She could hear the pleading behind the miko's words and who was she to deny her the one favor she asked for? Exhaling, Riko placed her hand over Kagome's shoulder before sending her a smile. "Take the time you need, Kagome-chan."

* * *

With silent observations, brown orbs scanned over the features of the two older males inside the locker room. Kiyoshi blinked, noticing the orange haired male speak with Koganei and the other three first years as Koga simply stood in silence with crossed arms. No doubt everyone was curious over Riko having pulled Kagome out of the room for a talk.

Question was – what were they talking about?

Kiyoshi knew Kagome was anxious about keeping something so secretive over the people that trusted her, but he could not blame her for the secret was something even he would not tell about. _'And yet she told me first,' _the brunette told himself, his eyes glued on the wolf. _'I wonder though…she mentioned youkai. Could these two be youkai, then?' _Kagome had not told him the whole story nor any names to put to faces, but something told him from the closeness of these two to their manager, that they knew something.

"You sure are doing a lot of staring there."

Hearing Koga's voice from the other side of the locker room, all eyes blinked as they followed his line of sight to see Kiyoshi blinking in confusion.

"Me?" Kiyoshi pointed at himself. "Ah, well," he chuckled nervously as he scratched the back his head, "I was simply admiring how you two take care of Kagome-chan."

The wolf youkai raised a brow before meeting Shippo's orbs. Snickering over Kiyoshi's words, Koga closed his eyes: _'he is figuring it out himself. Guess he isn't as clueless as we thought.' _With a sigh, he knew the other members waited for a reply. "We take care of her because she has taken care of us for many years in…_the past. _We owe her a great debt that can never be repaid fully."

"Well, Kagome-chan seems like a strong girl to us," Hyuga cut in. "If anything, she has dealt with many of the annoying basketball players since the beginning of the school year."

Shippo gave out a shrug as he made his way beside the wolf: "Kagome is strong – mentally and physically, but she is human too. She has her own challenges she must face. That is why, we ask you all to take care of her when we can't."

Releasing a chuckle of his own, the captain placed his hands inside the pockets of his sweat pants. "We have been doing just that since she joined. This team looks after each other."

"I am glad to hear that," Koga smirked.

"Is…Kagome-chan still conflicted?"

Hearing the question come from Kiyoshi's mouth, heads turned to see the serious expression he held. Conflicted? What did he mean by that? Seirin blinked in unison before turning to face the silent youkai. Both Koga and Shippo were covered in a silence as their eyes remained glued on the brunette. That silence should have given Kiyoshi the answer.

"Ano, what do you mean, Kiyoshi-senpai?" Kuroko questioned, becoming curious on the topic. He was becoming worried over the miko's well-being as he saw Kiyoshi's own concern. Was there something they were supposed to know?

Before anyone else could add to the conversation, the click of the door caught their attention as they saw both females walking back inside. Riko sent the team a smile as she heard Kagome close the door behind her. "Well, the crowd is definitely ready for the match."

"Then we should get going," Koga spoke, giving Riko a bow with his head as he turned to open the door for the miko and the kitsune. "Shall we go?"

"Uh hai," Kagome nodded slowly. As Shippo gave his wave, the miko stopped in her steps before turning her head over her shoulder. The smile on her lips returned as she saw a wave of concern wash over the team. "I will be back, miina. Don't look so worried," she chuckled softly, "I promise you all that everything is okay." Giving them a bow with her head, she headed out the locker room with Koga behind.

Raising a brow at the sudden confusion lingering in the room, Hyuga rested his hand over his hip. "Something is definitely going on with Kagome-chan. Do you know anything, Kiyoshi?" he questioned, turning to see a smile still glued on the brunette's features.

"Hm?" he cocked his head to the side. "I was just asking if Kagome-chan was okay."

"Uso!" Hyuga shouted. "You know something!"

"Mah, mah," Riko sighed, fanning her hand up and down, "no need to get over worked by it. Kagome-chan is okay. It seems the stress of the game is just getting to her. When Kagome-chan is ready to tell us whatever is bothering her, let us just all be there for her, okay?"

The phantom player blinked as he turned to take a glance at the sitting tiger. Kagami nodded with a sigh as he could see Kuroko was becoming worried himself over the girl. He would not lie and say he was worried himself, but their coach's words were right.

They had to be patient and wait for Kagome to come to them.

* * *

As the miko's eyes remained glued on the backs of the youkai, she continued her way down the hall leading to the court. She was beginning to wonder why they decided to watch the game from there, but she agreed that maybe it was for the best to see Rakuzan's play. With a soft exhale, Kagome's head flashed her back to the image of her team. She knew it was time to tell, but when exactly?

"I have made my decision," she spoke in mid-whisper.

Koga and Shippo looked over their shoulders as they saw the miko's eyes lowered down from their view. With a smile forming over their lips, they continued their way ahead as they saw the open entrance to the court. "If that is what you have decided," Koga chuckled, "just let us know exactly when."

"Oh! Imagine the look on their faces!" Shippo laughed. "Especially the Generation of Miracles."

"Huh?" the miko blinked. "The Generation of Miracles? I was planning on only telling…Seirin."

"Eh?" the kitsune blinked, lowering his arms from behind his head. "Really? I thought you were close to the others, too. Are you not going to tell them?"

She had not thought of it in the first place. She was so focused on Seirin, the thought of telling the Generation of Miracles had not crossed her mind. Do they have the right to know? Although they were not as close as she was to her own team, she had begun to think of them as her friends. "I don't know how they would take it, to be honest."

"Well, when the times comes, I am sure you will know," the wolf youkai sighed. "If you decide to tell them, just make sure you know who exactly should know about your past."

"We can bring them all together!" Shippo shook his head, "imagine the look of confusion they will have when they are gathered."

Would she tell others beside her own team? Could she at least trust Midorima, Kise, Aomine, or even Murasakibara? A gentle sigh passed her lips as the light of the court hit her eyes. She had time to think it over; time was ticking with each passing second though. Deciding it was best to concentrate on the upcoming match, Kagome shook her head. "I am surprised you two decided to watch the game from the court."

"I think it would be more interesting," Shippo smiled as he stepped out first and stopped in his tracks the moment he caught sight of a silver haired male to his left. "Oh?"

"What is it?" questioned Koga.

The kitsune tilted his head to the side for their attention as he showed them the person he had noticed. Eyes blinked as they saw the familiar silver haired youkai standing with a few scouts as they spoke amongst each other.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome whispered under her breath.

"Wah, Sesshomaru, I didn't expect you here," Shippo spoke as he watched some of the scouts move to the nearby table for their work. "I thought you would be in the suite."

Walking behind the enthusiastic kitsune, Kagome and Koga blinked in unison as they saw the inu raise a brow with narrowed eyes. Crossing his arms, Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the empty court as he released a small sigh. "This Sesshomaru came with the college scouts and other sponsors to decide which team would represent the new sports line for Taisho Corporation."

"And?" Shippo tilted his head to the side, "who has caught your eye?"

"Oi," Koga glared, placing his hand over the kitsune's head, "why are you being nosy all of a sudden?"

The miko chuckled as she watched the two youkai bicker before seeing the clean court. Nothing but reporter and referees surrounding the area as the crowd awaited for the two upcoming teams. Who would win this match? It was a tough call to make on her own.

"Miko."

Turning her head at the call of her name, Kagome blinked as she saw Sesshomaru's own sights on the court. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"This Sesshomaru believes Shutoku High will be going against Rakuzan High," he stated as his eyes observed the entire area. "Miko, do you have an idea who would win?"

Was he really asking her? Rarely did Sesshomaru care for someone else's opinion, let alone, thoughts. Not wanting to ruin the moment of their talk, the miko's shoulder relaxed as she gently scratched her cheek. "Seirin has gone against Shutoku twice and they have made it this far already. I have heard Rakuzan is a strong team, but Shutoku is equally as strong. It is hard to say, Sesshomaru-sama."

The stadium was soon filled with the crowd's cheers as the first team made its appearance. The youkai along with the miko looked to their right as they saw the familiar orange basketball uniform making its appearance. Shippo released a whistle as he came to see the green haired male standing behind his seniors. "Looks like Shutoku has arrived," he whispered, resting his hands inside his pockets.

"They are out!" shouted the audience. "The veterans of eleven consecutive appearances! The veteran kings, Shutoku High!"

Kagome's eyes followed the team as they made their way towards their bench. Blinking at the sight of Midorima's green orbs on her person, she sent him a nod in a form of greeting. This would be the first time seeing Midorima play against another Generation of Miracles member and the former captain nonetheless.

"Eh~," Takao chuckled, giving a light elbow push to the green haired male, "I see you have your eyes on Kagome-chan. Don't go embarrassing yourself out there, you hear?"

"Uruse, Takao," Midorima pushed his glasses in, turning away from the miko as he took off his orange jacket.

"Midorima looks concentrated," Koga whispered, crossing his arms as he observed the whole team, "the entire team knows who exactly they are going against. They have to be cautious from the start."

"They are here!"

"The strongest high school team!"

Hearing the audience speak once more, attention was drawn to the incoming team dressed in white and light blue. The miko's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the confident auras surrounding the entire Rakuzan team; the strongest and calmest aura being enveloped around the captain nonetheless.

"The emperors since the beginning of time, Rakuzan High," the wolf youkai spoke, seeing the Uncrowned Kings in the front with no concerns of the upcoming match.

"Ah! It's you!"

The miko and youkai blinked as they noticed the blonde Rakuzan player give a wide smile as he came towards her. Kagome raised a brow in confusion as she saw the toothy grin from the green eyed male. Who was he- _'ah, wait…that is the guy I saw inside the shoe store this morning!' _

"Kagome-chan, was it? Or can I call you Kagome-nee?" he smiled, grabbing her hands into his. "It is an honor meeting the girl Akashi has his eyes on!"

"Nani?" Koga's eyes widened slightly with an angry glare glozing over. He took a glance towards the kitsune and inu and saw the curiosity hit them. Who was this guy to say Akashi had his eyes on the miko?

"Akashi-kun?" the miko whispered. The Rakuzan captain had his eyes on her? Did she hear that right?

"Kotaro, you are scaring the poor girl."

Hayama blinked as he turned his head over his shoulder to see the black haired Uncrowned King walking towards them. With a small pout, Hayama brought the miko closer – much to her surprise. "But this is the first time I got to meet Kagome-nee! I was only curious about her since Akashi had become fond of her, Reo-nee."

Mibuchi sighed as he saw Hayama release the confused girl. "I do apologize on his behalf, but I cannot blame him for his curiosity over you, Kago-chan."

"K-Kago-chan?" she repeated.

A burp was heard from behind the males as eyes came to see the buff tan male hitting the middle of his chest with a grin. "I guess I ate too much," he sighed with a smile before cracking his neck.

"That is gross," Mibuchi spoke, taking a step back from his teammate. "That is not gentleman like, Eikichi, especially when in front of this young lady. Why would you eat so much before a game?"

Nebuya released a scoff as his eyes glided to the corner to stare at the disgusted black haired male. What was his problem? "I am stronger when I eat meat." Taking a glance at the silent miko, he chuckled under his breath: "wouldn't you agree, onna?"

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she heard no name behind his question. She could accept the weird nicknames coming from the weird basketball players, but it was clear to her that Rakuzan knew her name. "I have a name you know," she glared.

"Do you know mine?" Nebuya asked with a raised brow.

"Uh…no," she took a step back. She did not know any of them, but they seemed to know their information on her. Could these three be-?

"Kotaro. Eikichi. Reo, the game is about to start."

Hearing the order from the familiar cold tone, the three Rakuzan members turned to see none other than Akashi's fixed on them. "R-Right, Akashi," Hayama chuckled, "gomen!" Giving the miko his signature toothy grin again, he saluted her a goodbye. "Watch us play, Kagome-nee! Make sure you root for u!"

"Why would she cheer for us, baka?" Mibuchi sighed with a shake of his head. "She is part of Seirin's team."

"Ah…that's right," he chuckled again, passing by the Rakuzan captain as he left him to face the silent miko.

Akashi's eyes slowly glided to meet the miko's blue orbs before sending her the soft smile he always held. With a slight bow of his head, he closed his eyes: "I do apologize on their behalf for making you feel uncomfortable, but the Uncrowned Kings mean no harm."

'_So they are the Uncrowned Kings…,' _Kagome blinked, _'they are the ones on par with Kiyoshi-senpai and Hanamiya-san.'_

"Seirin will be going against Kaijo, is that correct?" Akashi questioned, grabbing the miko's attention back on him. Seeing her nod as a reply, he released a low chuckle under his breath, "then I wish you and Seirin the best of luck."

"Likewise…"

The Rakuzan captain pressed his lips shut as he held back his snicker, "I am afraid I will not be needing it, Kagome, for I am absolute."

"Huh?" Kagome blinked in confusion. What did he mean by that? Was his confidence that high for him to feel the victory at his fingertips? Narrowing her eyes at the red headed male, she had caught the name he had called her by. _'Last time he called me 'Higurashi-san', and now…he is using my first name?' _Letting her eyes fall suspiciously, she watched as he turned his back to her before making his way to the Rakuzan bench. _'Two auras…there is no mistake.'_

"Tch, those three got too close to my woman if you ask me," Koga spoke as he took a step forward. What the hell did they mean Akashi had his eyes on her? That didn't suit him right.

"Your woman?" the miko's eyebrow twitched.

"Nee~," Shippo cut in, his eyes glued on the undefeated team as they prepared for the game, "this thought just occurred to me, but doesn't Akashi remind you of someone?"

With a few blinks, both Kagome and Koga raised an eyebrow as the question sunk in. With three pairs of eyes glided towards the silver haired inu, they could not help but see the meaning behind Shippo's question. Akashi had a personality similar to someone's – well confidence wise.

Sesshomaru felt the stares on his person, making his eyebrow twitch as his eyelids closed. He could feel irritation drape over him the more the three stared. "Do not compare this Sesshomaru to a mere high school student; that is a warning."

The three jumped from the warning tone, making them turn away before they faced the inu's deadly glare. Shippo chuckled under his breath with a scratch of his head as he thought of way to clear the atmosphere. "Well, now that we have met the members of Rakuzan, I thought they would be more uptight since they are so strong. They are pretty normal, if you ask me."

"What are you talking about?" Koga sighed, giving Shippo a light push on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Shippo blinked.

"There is nothing normal about them," the miko cut in with a sigh. She hated to admit it, but they were acting to laid back for being in the semi-finals.

The wolf crossed his arms as he kept his eyes on the elite team, seeing them prepare for the match themselves. Besides the three Uncrowned Kings having set a bad impression on them, Akashi had presented himself and set his curiosities even higher. "Number four is their captain, Akashi Seijuro. From what I have heard, no matter how amazing a first is, becoming a captain almost never happens. What is even more incredible is not a single player on the bench or the rest of the team seems to have a problem with it."

"Neither do the Uncrowned Kings," Kagome added, seeing the calmness and support Akashi had within the team itself. "They all have their quirks and a lot of pride. All of them accept him as their captain. As someone who knows them, something seems really out of place. At the very least, you can't call someone who leads so naturally…_normal." _

"The Akashi family have a confidence even this Sesshomaru will acknowledge," Sesshomaru spoke, grabbing the attention of the three in front of him. "For mere humans, Akashi Seijuro has what most don't possess."

"Do you know him, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome questioned.

Shippo chuckled under his breath as he came back to stare at the back of Akashi's jersey. "Akashi's father is a CEO himself. Apparently, he and Sesshomaru made a contract not too long ago over a few business matters. If I remember correctly," he placed his fingers under his chin, "Akashi-san and his son were present."

"You mean Akashi-kun is the son of a CEO?" Kagome whispered with wide eyes. She had a feeling his was well off financially, but to know he was at the same level as Sesshomaru definitely surprised her. Just how strong was Akashi?

* * *

"What a pain in the ass~," putting two more sticks of Pocky into his mouth, the purple haired male made his way to his teammate as he looked over from the balcony. Seeing both Shutoku and Rakuzan walking onto the court, he released a sigh as he felt pure laziness. "If you want to watch the game, watch it yourself, Murochin."

"Don't be that way, Atsushi," Himuro chuckled, seeing the tall male staring at him from the corner of his eyes. He was curious over the semi-finals and thought having Murasakibara beside him would help in analyzing Rakuzan's play; Akashi was the biggest mystery of them all.

Murasakibara's eyebrows furrowed as he knew there was no benefit for his coming: "can I leave-?"

"I have seaweed and salt chips," bringing out a bag of chips in front of the snack lover, Himuro's lips curved as he saw he had won the persuasion the moment Murasakibara took the bag into his hands.

"I will have some."

"Besides," Himuro spoke, "it looks like Kagome-san is watching the game as well."

Purple orbs glided down to the court before landing on the miko standing beside the three mysterious males. "Eh~, Gome-chin is with that famous athletic trainer?"

"Huh? I guess you're right, but isn't that Taisho's CEO?" questioned Himuro.

* * *

"I'm going to win, Akashi."

Stopping in his steps, the Rakuzan captain raised a brow before turning to face Shutoku's shooting guard. A smile appeared on his lips as he faced his former teammate. "That is impossible, Shintaro. Have you ever forced me to concede?"

Midorima's eyes narrowed as he saw the confidence permanently glued on Akashi's features. It never surprised him that Akashi always knew victory would be his; this time it would be different. "Shogi and basketball are different," he replied.

"They are the same. I have never been wrong," Akashi chuckled as he saw the glare tighten on Midorima's features, "because I always win, I am always right."

"The first semifinal game of the Winter Cup between Rakuzan High and Shutoku High will now begin! Bow!"

Watching Rakuzan and Shutoku give their respective bows on the middle of the court, the miko's shoulders relaxed down as an exhaled was released. As the referee threw the ball for the tip off, she was surprised the moment Otsubo pushed it away towards Takao's spot.

"Yeah!" Takao smirked, seeing Mibuchi heading his way, "just kidding!"

Kagome blinked, seeing Takao send the ball behind is back and onto Midorima's hands as he prepared his knees for his three pointer.

"Crap! Already?" Hayama chuckled with a grin.

"You are always right?" Midorima spoke out, raising his arms slowly as he took his aim. "Don't make me laugh, Akashi. Don't talk like you know everything when you have only ever won!"

Eyes followed the arc of the ball as it was perfectly made into the hoop. Koga chuckled under his breath as he crossed his arms across his chest: "well what do you know, he already came out strong."

Back and forth they watched both teams score as nothing but Midorima was giving his ultimate best. The miko remained silent as her eyes stayed glued on Rakuzan's movements. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening and it was beginning to make her feel uneasy. _'Wouldn't Rakuzan do something about Midorima-kun's three pointer shots?' _Midorima gave high precision with each shot, despite Rakuzan being closely behind their score. _'Nothing but ordinary shots are being made by Rakuzan themselves…what is going on?'_

Her ears soon heard the sound of the ball being bounced in place by none other than Akashi himself. Narrowing her focus on the Rakuzan captain, she noticed the calm aura still lingering around. _'That aura of his is what gets me confused. He is really confident in himself,' _her eyes landed on Takao, seeing him come in front of Akashi's path. Seeing him exhale, she knew Takao was forcing himself to focus on Akashi's movements as his aura wavered slightly with fear.

She gasped as she saw Akashi's fast break as he took the ball in a dribble: _'he's fast!' _Blinking at the speed Akashi took, she was surprised the moment she caught sight of Takao having caught up to the captain.

Akashi quickly sent a pass over Takao's head into Nebuya's hands as he ran towards their hoop. "Nice pass!" he shouted as he tied the score with his shot.

The buzzer was soon released into the ears of the audience, making the miko blink. "Eh? The first quarter is already over?" she questioned herself. Where had time gone? But something was not sitting right with her. "That's weird…," she whispered, catching Koga's and Shippo's attention.

"What is?" Koga blinked.

"Akashi-kun is good and he has the skills. He is as good as you would expect a point guard to be, but Takao-kun was able to keep up with him. Is this really the captain of the Generation of Miracles?" she questioned, knowing Koga and Shippo heard her question. _'Even Midorima-kun is being too silent.'_

"The game is going well."

Hearing Rakuzan's captain speak, the miko blinked as she saw the serious and unchanged expression on the members. Where they not worried at all?

"No changes to our game plan," he continued with crossed arms. "I will leave the detailed game-making to you guys. If you need to fix anything, listen to Akashi."

"Yes, sir!

"Tch, even the coach is giving Akashi high praise and authority," Koga spoke, resting his hand over his hip. Even he would not give so much power to a first-year, but perhaps Akashi did have the traits of a leader. He could understand the miko's concern over Akashi's game play, but even with the experience he had over athletes, he could tell one thing. "Akashi is definitely not holding back, if that is what you are thinking, Kagome."

The miko blinked, taken back by Koga's words. Turning to face the wolf youkai, her eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"

"The course of this game closely resembles shogi." The three turned at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, seeing his eyes focused on the red headed captain. "Right now, they are still feeling each other out; an enemy coming to meet the enemy face-to-face." His golden eyes narrowed down as he let out a chuckle, "they will probably start making their move…in the next quarter. Shutoku will try to make the first move."

Was Sesshomaru seeing this a battle strategy? Kagome kept her eyes on the inu before bringing her attention back on the court. She had a feeling things were not going to be like they were during the first quarter.

"The break it over!" the referee announced. "The second quarter will now begin!"

"Don't underestimate me, Akashi," Midorima spoke, stopping Akashi from walking to his post. The green haired male was not stupid to know what Akashi was doing during the first quarter; spending three years at Teiko with him had given him observations himself. "It was rather leisurely of you to so obviously watch and wait during the first quarter. Surely you don't think you can win without using your _eye._"

Akashi's eyes slowly glided to the corner, seeing the serious expression Midorima gave as he mentioned his ability. "I don't underestimate you, Shintaro. If anything, I couldn't be playing more carefully. One must be careful how they play their trump card. However," tightening his sight, he sent the glare to his former teammate, "at this rate the game may end before I even play it."

"What did you say?" Midorima returned the glare.

"Eye?" whispered Shippo as his face shifted with his confusion. "What is he talking about?"

Curious over Midorima's warning, she was beginning to wonder what Akashi was hiding from everyone else. _'Eye? Does he mean his eyes?' _With the sound of the referee's whistle breaking her out of her inner thoughts, she blinked as she saw Takao stop in his tracks with the ball as they noticed the two Rakuzan members marking Midorima. "They are doubling teaming Midorima-kun?"

'_Shin-chan doesn't know what to do?' _Takao bounced the ball as he noticed his teammate trying to break free from the defense. _'Tch! We expected this from Rakuzan! Their defense is strong!' _Chuckling under his breath, Takao gave the ball one last bounce, "but we knew it would be!"

Passing the ball over to Miyaji, the small forward took a step back as he saw Hayama coming in front of him with the usual grin. "All right, a one-on-one!" chuckled Hayama. "Come on!"

A tick appeared on Miyaji's forehead as he heard his junior's enthusiasm: "what are you getting so excited about, huh!?" Dribbling the ball around the blonde, he quickly passed him and passed the ball over to his captain.

'_Huh?' _Hayama smirked with glee. _'He is good at dribbling!'_

Watching Otsubo make the dunk, the miko blinked in awe as Shutoku's score was raised. "Sugoi," she whispered, "Shutoku has definitely improved since the last time."

"Oi!" shouted Nebuya, seeing Hayam's apologetic look. "How could you just let them pass you?!"

"G-Gomen!"

"Chotto!" Mibuchi joined in, seeing Hayama's over excited expression kicking back in, "you're not asleep, are you? Keep it together."

"Gomen, gomen."

"Kotaro."

The blonde jumped at the sound of Akashi's voice coming from behind. Turning to face his captain, Hayama's sweat drop appeared as he knew the tone well. "A-Ah! I'll get them back! Don't be mad, Akashi!"

Keeping his stoic expression, Akashi took a step forward as he ignored Hayama's apology. "That is fine, but if you don't want to play, I will sub you out."

"I'm fine!" Hayama smiled, sending him a thumbs up. His teammates were scolding him for nothing! "No one is better at dribbling than me!" he reassured them.

Seeing the ball coming into Hayama's hands, Koga raised a brow as he saw the Rakuzan blonde face Miyaji once again. "Eh~, does he intend to get his revenge already?" After hearing Akashi's warning, he was now sure Akashi had full control of his team.

"Huh?" smirked Miyaji. "You're not going anywhere."

"No, I'm going to do it," Hayama spoke, letting the grin on his lips widen. Adjusting his fingers over the orange ball, he placed his three fingers firmly upon it, "three should do it."

'_Three?' _Miyaji blinked. What was he talking about?

With one bounce of the ball, Miyaji and the rest of the audience were taken back by the vibrations and loud echoing of the ball hitting the wooden court. Another came soon after, making Kagome, Shippo, Koga, and the rest of the audience cover their ears in irritation.

"Oi! Oi! Does he want us to go deaf!?" Shippo grunted, feeling his eyebrow twitch as his ears rung with each dribble.

Koga scoffed under his breath as he felt his sensitive ears take in the dribbling's sounds more loudly than the humans; the perks of having youkai ears. "The hard you dribble, the faster the ball travels and the more difficult it is to control. But that technique…is not easy," he smirked, surprised Rakuzan had such a member to perform that technique.

The inu youkai's eyes narrowed as he began to feel annoyed over the sound, but had to give props to Rakuzan as they were beginning to show themselves worth of the name as the emperors of the court.

"If you had trouble understanding me earlier, allow me to rephrase," Akashi whispered, catching Midorima's attention as he stood beside him. "I don't need to do anything myself. That is all."

'_How is he dribbling like that?' _Miyaji's eyes widened as he tried keeping up with each bounce Hayama gave. _'My eyes can't keep up!' _In a blink of an eye, he found himself staring at an empty spot as Hayama dribbled the ball under Miyaji's legs before making a quick pass his defense.

Dodging Kimura's reach for the ball, Hayama smirked as he ducked under his arm and threw the ball over his head to make the shot.

"Eh~," Koga blinked, surprised by how fluid Hayama's movements were, "a double clutch, huh? He is very agile."

"He passed two Shutoku members in the long run," Shippo sighed, seeing the score tied once again.

* * *

"His dribbling is so loud," Murasakibara dug his pinky into his ear as he eyed the blonde Rakuzan member. He was becoming annoyed by how loud Hayama's dribbles were and that is not what he needed.

Himuro nodded, having to agree with the purple haired male beside him. Never in his life had he seen such quick dribbling – not even in streetball back in America. "They say it is better to dribble harder, but I have never seen anyone dribble that hard. But why does his dribbling seem so strange?"

* * *

Miyaji's eyes shook as he remained frozen in place; Hayama's words echoing inside his head. _'I barely saw it, but is that even possible? Hayama only touched the ball with three of his fingers. __**Three **__meant the number of fingers he was using to convey his entire body's strength to the ball.' _His fingers curled into his palm as he saw Hayama running back to capture the ball from Mibuchi's pass. _'Does that mean there are two higher levels of that dribbling?!'_

Narrowing her focus, the miko watched as Hayama easily passed Miyaji's defense one time after another with ease. His speed was increasing with each dribble he gave, but she was sure she saw him only using three fingers. Seeing the ball being passed to Nebuya, she sighed the moment the dunk was made. "The gap is getting wider," she commented as her eyes glided to the score board.

"Nice pass!" Nebuya exclaimed as he gave a smack behind Hayama's head.

Hayama's eyebrows furrowed as he felt the sting of the hit. Rubbing the back of his head, he turned around to face the grinning Rakuzan center. "That hurt, you muscle-bound gorilla!"

"Oh, thanks!"

"That's not a compliment!" Hayama's eyes tightened in a glare, seeing he was not going to insult this big guy in any way.

Kagome shook her head as she saw the two Rakuzan members argue before noticing the ball in Takao's hands. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Akashi coming in front of Takao's path, preventing him from going any further. _'Shutoku is managing to score with Midorima-kun, but the difference is too great. Miyaji-san is not the only one who is struggling with Hayama-san,' _her sights landed on the Shutoku captain as Nebuya defended against him. _'They are completely overpowering Otsubo-san, too. Not to mention they are leaving Kimura-san open by double-teaming Midorima-kun, but both of them are struggling. What is weird,' _her cerulean orbs landed on the stoic Rakuzan captain, _'is Akashi-kun hasn't done anything yet. He is just passing effectively, but Shutoku can barely keep up!'_

"Wari, but the rest of your team is just holding you back," Mibuchi spoke, catching Midorima's attention in the middle of their defense. He could see Shutoku struggling and it was a disappointment that the shooting guard of the Generation of Miracles was being held back by such a weak team.

"What did you say?" Midorima glared.

Mibuchi chuckled under his breath, seeing he had grasped on a tick inside his head. "We are barely keeping you under control by double-teaming you, but the other four are average at best."

Eyes widened as Akashi tipped the ball away from Takao's grasp, letting Hayama grab the ball and head towards their hoop. "You aren't going anywhere!" shouted Miyaji, stopping in front of Hayama once again. There was no way he would let Hayama ridicule him the way he did.

"Weak!" Hayama smirked. Placing three of his fingers on the ball once more, he quickly dribbled past Miyaji's defense before he took his jump for his shot.

Miyaji cursed under his breath before blinking at the blurry sight of green hair moving past him until his team member came beside Hayama and tipped the ball away from its intended course. "M-Midorima?!"

"Nice!" Takao chuckled, catching the ball into his hands. Throwing the ball across, he smirked as his green haired teammate made his way towards two Rakuzan members.

"Holding me back?" Midorima's eyes narrowed, seeing Mibuchi come first. His words still echoed in his head as he remembered the times he had seen his seniors stay late practicing their skills. He was prodigy, but he valued hard work.

The miko blinked as she noticed Midorima easily pass the silver haired male before charging towards Mibuchi head on. _'Chotto…,' _she blinked again, coming back to stare at the fifth Rakuzan member. Her pupils widened slightly as she lost sight of the male in an instant, _'I was sure I saw someone there!' _She placed her attention back on the court, seeing Kimura having screened Mibuchi's defense before Midorima came face-to-face with Nebuya.

"You're not taking this shot!" Nebuya shouted, extending his arm out as he saw Midorima's knees bend

In a blink of an eye, Rakuzan and the audience were taken back by Midorima's sudden pass to the right as Miyaji caught the ball and made his shot. The green haired shooting guard adjusted his glasses as he saw the two points added to their score. "I don't know of anyone who holds me back on this team."

As the cheer of the audience echoed, the miko was left in awe at the sudden sportsmanship Midorima had displayed. Seeing Miyaji pat Midorima's back with a smile, she blinked at the sight of the small curve on his lips. _'Midorima-kun…,' _she whispered, _'looks like you have changed as well.'_

With one last three pointer shot from Midorima, the buzzer was heard once again, revealing the ending score of the second quarter. Kagome blinked as she saw the score having tired off again. "Thirty-nine to thirty-nine. Both are not giving in."

"That will change soon," Sesshomaru spoke, catching their attentions as he crossed his arms. "One side's balance will tip off."

* * *

"Midorima Shintaro is not easy to handle," Nebuya sighed, sitting on the bench as his other benched teammates handed him a water bottle. His eyes glided to the green haired male, seeing him collect his jacket before putting it on. "What should we do?" he questioned, turning to his own resting teammates. "Should we put another man on him?"

"No, that is not necessary."

Rakuzan blinked as they heard their captain's voice. Turning their heads ahead, they watched as Akashi made his way towards them with a tightened glare.

"Putting more men on him would be counterproductive. You may be Uncrowned Kings, but it will be difficult for you to stop Shintaro now. We will put one man on him in the second half."

"Eh?" Hayama blinked, taken back by Akashi's plan. "Only one?"

A smile grew on Akashi's lips as he gave his teammates a nod, "I will take on Shintaro."

* * *

"So?" Shippo spoke, watching both Rakuzan and Shutoku stand from their benches, "what do you think Rakuzan will do about Midorima? Obviously when they come back from their break, Akashi is bound to have something planned."

"Who knows," the wolf spoke out, hearing the crowd cheer as they saw both Seirin and Kaijo make their way towards the empty benches. "Seirin and Kaijo are coming out to warm up, huh? Amazing how fast this game is going, huh?"

The miko sighed under her breath as she noticed Midorima making his way behind his team as Kaijo walked the opposite direction. Midorima was definitely shouldering heavy worries.

* * *

"You seem to be doing all right," the Kaijo ace spoke, seeing Midorima's attention on his path. Stopping beside him, he chuckled under his breath as he heard Midorima's light scoff. He was quite surprised by the score. He had heard the first quarter had ended at a tie too, but he guessed this was the expectation when you put two Generation of Miracles on the court against each other.

"I'm not so sure," Midorima sighed as he adjusted his glasses. "Akashi has not used his eyes yet."

Kise blinked, taken back by the news. Akashi had not used his skill yet? Letting his eyebrows furrow, he turned his head to see the seriousness painted across Midorima's features. No doubt Midorima knew the worse was coming.

"If he does use them, it will be during the second half," narrowing his eyes, Midorima continued his path down towards the exit, "then the true battle will begin."

* * *

Noticing the emperor team walking towards the other side of the court, the miko raised a brow as Akashi made his way towards the incoming Seirin first-year duo. The emperor stopped in his steps as he let his teammates continue towards the locker room; a smile presented itself on his lips as he saw the phantom player's eyes on him. "I haven't seen you since the opening ceremony, Tetsuya," he chuckled.

"Hai," Kuroko nodded, seeing the two colored eyes on his person.

'_This is Rakuzan and Akashi Seijuro…,' _Hyuga observed the walking team, feeling the strength and confidence just by being a few feet away, _'they seem different from everyone else.'_

Akashi raised a brow as he noticed the red headed ace come forth and stand in his view. Raising his eyes, he was unfazed by the dark glare the tiger sent him. "Yo," Kagami called out, "you haven't forgotten me, have you? You pulled some dangerous crap on Kagome and me back then. I will beat Kise, and I will beat you."

'_B-Baka!' _Kagome sighed as she saw Kagami having stood against Akashi right away. There was no way to control the tiger. She could see the intense anger in the tiger's eyes as he looked down at the emperor – who had no change in expression.

"Of course I remember you, Kagami Taiga," Akashi replied, "I should warn you. Only those who serve me are allowed to look me in the eye when they speak to me." Placing his hand over Kagami's shoulder, his eyes narrowed as he saw Kagami's pupils widen. "I never allow those who oppose me to look down at me." In a blink of an eye, Akashi's hand pushed the tiger down on the floor as his own heterochromatic eyes lowered to see the shock painted across Kagami's features, "lower your head."

Seirin's eyes widened as they saw Kagami sitting on the court by Akashi's strength. Where they hell had that come from!? The miko gasped as she made her way towards her team before kneeling down beside the red head, "Kagami-kun! Are you okay?'

"What the hell?" whispered Koga with a raised brow. "That definitely wasn't strength. What the hell did he do?"

"Kagami!" Hyuga called out, making his way towards the three first-years in front of the emperor.

"Ah, Kagome, Tetsuya." Hearing Akashi's voice call out to them, both teens turned their heads to the side as they saw Akashi's unchanged expression. "If you intend to fight me, you must prepare yourself," his eyes landed on the phantom player, seeing his own eyes narrow at his person. "I am the one who discovered your power, Tetsuya. You will come to realize what that means."

Letting the Rakuzan captain walk past them, the miko's teeth clenched as she bit back the words that threatened to release. Oh how much she wanted to give him a piece of her mind! Letting a sigh pass her lips, she relaxed her fuming desires to open her mouth knowing that would only seek further issues. _'Besides, it is best I stay quiet until I get more information on Akashi-kun…,' _standing back on her feet with the tiger following after, her cerulean orbs looked over her shoulder before letting curiosity swim back into her mind. The miko raised a brow as she caught sight of a silver haired male with an aura she recognized. _'Huh? His aura is…'_

"Are you three okay?" Hyuga questioned, bringing in his first-years attention.

The three remained silent as their eyes dropped down the court. It was more than nerves at this point getting to them; they had to be cautious now.

"Kuroko-kun."

Hearing the miko's voice, Kuroko blinked as he turned around. He noticed her eyes staring at the exit Rakuzan left as her expression seemed a bit lost. Was she alright? "Hai, Kagome-chan?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome slowly faced the phantom player as she remembered hearing Midorima's words. "Midorima-kun mentioned something about Akashi-kun's eye…," her words trailed off as she caught Kuroko's pupils slowly widen, "what exactly does he mean?"

Confusion hit the Seirin members as their attention was placed on the silent phantom player. No reply was given from his side as they waited. Akashi's eye? What did that mean? From observing Kuroko's odd behavior to the topic, they had a feeling it was something to be concerned about.

"Has he used it yet, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.

No response.

Kuroko gave himself a nod as his eyes glided to the empty court: "he will soon."

* * *

"Akashi discovered Kuroko-kun's power?" Himuro questioned, seeing Murasakibara grab a snack from the vending machine inside the lobby. As they waited for the third quarter to begin, Murasakibara had requested to buy snacks for the rest of the game upon Himuro's payment.

"Yeah," the purple haired male nodded, bending down to collect the three bags of chips inside.

Raising a brow, Himuro sat on the nearby bench as his eyes narrowed to stare at the tile floor. "So his eyes allow him to discover hidden powers in people?"

Murasakibara shook his head as he put another yen inside the machine and searched for the number of his appetite. "Well," he spoke, "Akachin is good at that, too, but it's different on the court. He makes everything powerless, both offense and defense. That is how his power works." Pressing the button to his snack, he released a sigh, "you will see soon enough."

* * *

Observing her team warm-up on half of the court, Riko crossed her arms as she exhaled the worry she had for the upcoming match. The more she saw Kaijo's movements, the more she became anxious. The bigger question was about Akashi – the emperor of Rakuzan. There was still so much that was unknown to them. Moving her sights to see the miko standing beside her, she parted her lips to speak. "So?" she asked. "What do you think about Rakuzan?"

"Nothing," the miko replied.

"N-Nothing?" Riko blinked, taken back by Kagome's words. What did she mean by nothing? What was she doing the whole time she was here?!

Kagome sighed as she scratched the back of her head: "don't get me wrong, Riko-senpai. No matter how hard I tried, I could not catch anything. Rakuzan has not shown anything for me to observe and analyze. All I have gotten was Hayama-san's dribbling, but he isn't even showing his full potential."

"Akashi-kun should have already made his move seeing that the score is tied," Riko's eyebrows furrowed as her focus returned on the court.

"He will…"

With the referee blowing on his whistle, both females turned their heads as they watched both Rakuzan and Shutoku making their way back to the benches as Kaijo and Seirin returned the balls on the nearby basket. Riko sighed under her breath as she saw her team walking towards her. If Kagome could not get a grasp on Rakuzan, then she had to make the decision to watch herself as well. "Seirin," she spoke, "we will stay here and observe the second half."

"Huh? We are watching the game, coach?" Kagami blinked.

"We might as well," her eyes narrowed, "we do not intend to lose to Kaijo and we need to observe both Shutoku and Rakuzan."

Watching the team walk around the miko, they made their space as Koga and Shippo stood in front of them. After witnessing Akashi's strength against Kagami, they only wondered what his true strength was.

* * *

"Ah! Kagomecchi-!"

"No you don't!" Kasamatsu quickly grabbed the back of Kise's collar as he stopped him from charging towards the miko. He knew his ace would go crazy over the girl the moment he decided to stay at the side lines to observe the game, but he did not think he would go jump on her so quickly. "You are going to focus on the game."

Kise's lips formed a pout as he looked at his captain over his shoulder. "But senpai~," he whined. It was not every day he had the chance to see the miko in person!

The Kaijo captain sighed as he released his ace's clothing before tilting his head to the side for Kise to follow. "Don't you see that Higurashi-san is focused on the game, too?"

Blinking at the sight of the serious manager, Kise could see what his captain was trying to tell him. The miko was fully focused on the court as both Rakuzan and Shutoku prepared at the benches. Sighing under his breath, he gave himself a nod as he turned to face forward. He could feel the heavy anticipating atmosphere as the referee gave Kimura the ball outside the court.

As Kimura passed the ball over to Midorima, all eyes widened as they noticed the person in front of him blocking his path. The Shutoku shooting guard narrowed his eyes as he met a pair of heterochromatic eyes. "I knew you would do this," he whispered, seeing the challenge written on the emperor's expression.

"Come, Shintaro."

"It was about time Akashi made his move," Koga scoffed, seeing no movement from the two. He was wondering when the Rakuzan captain would actually go head-to-head with his former teammate. "Midorima versus Akashi, huh?" His interest had peaked to see the outcome of the two.

"They are challenging each other already," the Seirin coach whispered with narrowed eyes. "It is a one-on-one with both teams' aces. Whichever team wins this is sure to take control of the game."

Eyes widened as Midorima made the first move and took his aim from the same spot. Hyuga's pupils shook as he saw the form Midorima had taken: "He is going for a three without a fake!?"

"Chigou!" the miko exclaimed, seeing Akashi's eyes focused in on the ball. In a blink of an eye, Akashi's hand had tipped the ball away in between the moment Midorima had raised it above his head. Shock overfilled the audience as Akashi took the ball into his own hands and charged towards his basket. _'His aura glowed slightly the moment he tipped the ball away from Midorima's hands!'_

"Impossible!" Shun shouted. "I can't believe he intercepted the ball before he jumped! His reactions are too fast!"

Kuroko narrowed his eyes as he watched Akashi stop in his run the moment Takao came forth. "Akashi-kun is not fast," he spoke, "he just sees it. Akashi-kun's eyes make both offense and defense powerless."

"Huh?" they blinked in unison.

"I am not letting you pass me!" Takao yelled, stretching out his arms as he focused his attention on the Rakuzan captain. He was filled with complete shock the moment the ball was stolen from Midorima's hands, but he could not let him score; he would not let him!

Akashi bounced the ball under his palm as his two different colored eyes took in Takao's stance. "Pass you?" he questioned under his breath. "I don't need to." Closing his eyes for a split second, he quickly opened them as he focused in on Takao's foot. "You are going to move for me."

As he dribbled the ball between his own legs and moved forward, Akashi raised a brow the moment Takao lost his footing and fell back onto the court. Takao's eyes widened as he was in complete shock of what had happened in a second. _'H-He did a crossover during the second I was reacting! Crap!'_

"I never allow those who oppose me to look down at me," Akashi stopped his dribbling as he took a step forward with his eyes looking down at the silent Hawk Eye player. Taking his aim to the hoop, Akashi released the ball with a flick of his wrist before setting his eyes back down on the fallen Shutoku player, "lower your head."

Silence was draped over the opposing teams as they watched the ball fall into the basket and bounce on the wooden court. No words were said as everyone stood frozen in disbelief as they saw Takao still on the ground. Akashi had begun using his eyes.

* * *

"He can predict every movement with his eyes."

Himuro turned away from his mid-shock as he saw Murasakibara chewing on the chips he had placed inside his mouth. He had never seen such precision in an ankle break and it was almost frightening to see it being used by the emperor.

"All abilities are rendered useless," Murasakibara continued, "people can't even remain standing. Akashi Seijuro can predict the future movements of his opponents."

* * *

"Shutoku is fourteen points behind," Kasamatsu commented, seeing the game already being brought to the fourth quarter. He had thought the game would be a close call after the second quarter, but as Akashi slowly revealed his skills, the score was widening.

The miko's eyes scrunched as she stood watching Midorima struggle to free himself from Akashi's defense. With every step he took, Akashi took one in front; no freedom was given to him. She watched as Kimura quietly made his way beside the Rakuzan captain and prepared himself for a screen for Midorima's escape. Narrowing her focus, she noticed Akashi's eyes pulse slightly as Midorima made his way past Kimura with Akashi effortlessly pivoting around Kimura's screen. _'Impossible!' _her eyes widened. _'Akashi-kun managed to avoid the screen!? He was in his blind spot!'_

Catching the ball from Otsubo's pass, Midorima cursed under his breath as he saw his former captain stand in front of him once again. _'It's no use. I can't get into a shooting stance!'_

'_He intercepts the ball the second he starts to shoot or dribble! Shin-chan can't move a single step!' _Takao clenched his teeth as he saw his shooting guard struggle. Who knew someone would give this much hell to Midorima. He could not even make his three pointer shots! "Hey!" he shouted, catching Midorima's attention with a wave of his hand.

Akashi watched in silence as Midorima turned his body slightly to the side as he aimed for a pass. He quickly caught Midorima's intentions and pushed the ball away from Midorima's hands the moment he returned to take his aim once more.

"He even saw through that fake pass?" Moriyama's eyes widened, surprised by how well Akashi's observation were.

"The triple threat," Kasamatsu sighed, crossing his arms as he caught no flaws in Midorima's movements. "The most basic form in basketball. The stance sets up shooting, passing, and dribbling. No matter how quick someone is, just before he moves, he always enters the corresponding form."

"Akashicchi's future-predicting eyes never miss that moment," Kise added in, knowing just how threatening it was to go against Akashi's eyes. "No one can even move in the face of his defense. Not even fakes work against him."

Dribbling the ball to the other side of the court, Akashi watched unfazed the moment both Kimura and Miyaji came in front to stop him. "You're not going anywhere! Don't get ahead of yourself, first-year!" Miyaji shouted.

"Why don't you get out of my way?" Akashi questioned.

Kimura sent him a glare, annoyed that someone like him actually thought they would do that freely. "You can't seriously think we will do that!"

With nothing to say back, Akashi quickly dribbled the ball back and forth between his legs as he made both Kimura and Miyaji trip back as they lost their balance in the middle of their movements. Akashi's eyes remained glued ahead as he bounced the ball slowly while walking down the middle path the two Shutoku members had opened. "No," he spoke softly, "my orders are absolute."

"An ankle break," Koga nodded, seeing the talent Akashi had with his eyes. He was finally understanding why the others feared his true potential. Feeling Seirin's eyes on his person, he exhaled, "skilled high-speed dribblers use that technique to throw their opponents off balance and make them fall. That technique can only be performed when your opponent's center of gravity is on his pivot leg while he is turning. For Akashi and his future-predicting eyes, it is an easy task."

The miko's eyes widened as she turned her head back to the court and saw Akashi jumping up for a shot. With Otsubo jumping in front of him for a block, she released an inaudible gasp as Akashi moved the ball behind his back before passing it with his elbow to Nebuya's way.

"Nice pass!" Nebuya quickly dunked the ball in with full force.

Kagami's mouth fell open as he saw how quick Akashi was to make his decisions. "He is crushing Shutoku like they are children…this is Akashi Seijuro."

Watching Akashi catch the passed ball from Nebuya, everyone fell silent as Midorima came to meet the emperor once again. "Akashi!" Midorima shouted, clenching his teeth together as he saw the unchanged expression on the captain's features.

"Shintaro, you are strong," he spoke, bouncing the ball in place, "but you will lose. Who do you think commanded the Generation of Miracles?" Moving the ball back and forth, Akashi's eyes moved to the hoop as Midorima slowly fell back. "Not even you can stand against me."

Kagome took a step forward as she saw Akashi's simple double clutch make it into the net as the score increased on their side. Not only was Shutoku in disbelief, but even Seirin and Kaijo were. Her heart clenched at the sight of the green haired male still sitting on the ground with his eyes hidden underneath the shadow of his hair.

"A twenty point difference…," Riko whispered.

"Is this truly the strength of Rakuzan and Akashi?" Hyuga questioned, feeling a bit uneasy as he watched them play.

Silence rung on the court as only the audience added noise to their discomfort. The miko's eyebrows scrunched as she continued to watch the green haired male sitting on the court with heavy breathing. It pained her to see someone so defeated when they were giving their all; Midorima was putting trust into his teammates and Akashi was stepping down on them. Curling her fingers into her palm, she watched as Takao made small steps behind his teammate before offering his hand.

"Come on, Shin-chan," he whispered; defeat painted across his features.

In a blink of an eye, both Midorima and Takao stared at Miyaji the moment he came by and slapped the back of Midorima's head. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his first-years over his shoulder: "how long are you going to keep sitting there? I'll break your glasses!"

"Oi!" Kimura shouted, catching their attention before tilting his head for them to see their school cheering for them with the huge orange sign for support. "Can't you see those characters? Pull yourself together!"

"Go get them, Midorima!"

"Go, Takao!"

"Midorima, Takao. We still have time," Otsubo spoke as he passed the ball into Takao's hands. "Don't give up before the game is over. Let's get a basket! Let's win."

Watching their seniors run to their offense position, Midorima and Takao were left staring at their backs. Both were taken back by their team members' determination. Takao chuckled under his breath as he stared at the orange ball between his hands: "Oi, Shin-chan. Miyaji-san was really scary during practice, wasn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Otsubo-san was serious and strict, too. Practice was hard enough already, but they never let anyone relax. I thought I would die during our training camp. I puked a bunch of times. But the watermelon Kimura-san brought us was really good."

"Yeah."

Gripping the ball between his hands, Takao clenched his teeth at the memories he had made over the year with his seniors. "The more I think about it," he sighed, "the more I wish we could keep playing basketball with them."

Silent for a few seconds, Midorima gave him a nod in reply: "let's go, Takao."

The miko blinked as she watched the green haired male come back on his feet as every Rakuzan member turned to see determination having washed away the look of defeat he had. A small smile formed on her lips while reading both Midorima's and Takao's aura rising in strength.

"The game isn't over yet," Kuroko spoke, catching both hers and Kagami's attention, "Midorima-kun and his team haven't given up."

"They haven't given up?" questioned Tsuchida, having caught all of Seirin's attention with his statement.

"Hai," the phantom player nodded, seeing the tight concentration Midorima held, "he is trying to do something."

Crossing her arms, Kagome raised a brow as she noticed the Rakuzan members watching Midorima closely like predators. No doubt they knew themselves something was up. "If Shutoku is trying to close the gap now, they will need Midorima-kun's threes, but as long as Akashi-kun is on him, it is impossible."

Seirin watched as Takao continued to bounce the ball in place as Mibuchi defended against him. The timer on the violation warning soon went off, giving Takao ten seconds before the referee called it out. "They only have ten seconds left," Koganei spoke, "do they not know how to attack?"

"I am sure that is partly true, but what they are about to attempt is probably pretty risky," Kiyoshi sighed, keeping a close eye on Midorima's focus.

Shun raised a brow as he turned to face the brunette beside him: "what do you mean?"

"Considering the remaining time and point gap, a single mistake could be fatal. Hesitation and uncertainty lead to mistakes. In other words, they will make their move when they are ready."

Grounding his feet into the court, Midorima's eyes narrowed as he prepared for his move. His mind was in turmoil, but he had to trust his team for it; it would only work that way. _'This is a gamble. I must trust my teammates more than I trust myself. It is not enough for me to do everything I possibly can. But I am certain there is not a man on this team who has not done everything humanly possible!'_

Eyes widened as they watched Midorima get into his three pointer shot pose as no ball was seen in his hands. Bending his knees slowly, Akashi watched from his spot as Midorima's eyes remained focus on the hoop.

"He is entering his shooting motion…without the ball?" the miko questioned, raising a brow at the sudden move. What was Midorima thinking? It was exactly the position he always took when he shot his long arcs.

Koga smirked with crossed arms as he noticed both Kimura and Otsubo turning around to push both Nebuya and Hayama away from the hoop. "I see…," he chuckled, already knowing what the plan was.

'_What is he doing?' _Akashi questioned inside his head, eyes widening slightly at the pose his former teammate took. _'Could it be?'_

Seeing Midorima take his vertical leap, Takao quickly sent the ball to his right as it landed precisely into the hands of his shooting guard. Mouths gaped open as Midorima showed no hesitation in the release of the ball before gravity took it down into the net.

"He caught the ball mid-air and shot a three-pointer!?" exclaimed Moriyama. "Is that even possible?"

Hyuga's pupils shook as he was still in shock from the move. He had never seen such precision and trust for a two person three-point shot in his life! "From that height, even if Akashi could see the future, he couldn't intercept the shot, but that was more than just difficult!"

"Midorima is amazing for making the shot, but that is not all," Shun added in, "passing the ball right into Midorima's hands takes unbelievable accuracy."

Releasing a chuckle under his breath, Kise shook his head as his eyes remained on the green haired male. He could not believe what he had just seen and he was sure Akashi was just as surprised as they were. "I can't imagine the old Midorimacchi doing anything like this. Midorimacchi only takes shots he is absolutely confident in," narrowing his eyes, his lips curved into a grin, "but no matter how accurate the pass was, what he just did was less accurate than a standard shot. He may be trying to beat Akashicchi, but he would never take a shot that might miss unless he really trusted his teammates."

One after another Midorima's and Takao's partnered shots come into play as the gap on their score slowly came close. She was surprised by how well Midorima was doing as he depended on Takao's precision. Noticing the shock on the Uncrowned Kings, she knew Shutoku was giving them a hard time. Seeing them walk beside each other, she blinked as a certain red head and phantom player came into mind in their silhouettes. Kagome released a low chuckle: "their style is different, but those two are like you, Kagami-kun. Kuroko-kun." Feeling their eyes on her, she continued to observe the smile Takao placed on his features as he gave a small fist bump with the tsundere. "They are like the light and shadow of Shutoku."

Kuroko blinked as he saw the warm smile on the miko's lips. He could tell she was slowly warming up to the Generation of Miracles she had come to get close to and understand; the ones he had come to love for them. "You are right," he nodded with a smile of his own.

"But catching a pass mid-air and making a three…that is an incredible move," Kiyoshi spoke, still taken back by how well Takao's and Midorima's coordination worked.

Shun scratched the back of his head as he wondered something that plagued his mind every time he saw the Generation of Miracles play, "but why are they holding back?"

"I think everything may be going according to Midorima-kun's plan," Kuroko replied, narrowing his eyes on his former teammates on the court. "On Teiko, the Generation of Miracles were forbidden from exercising their full strength. It was because their bodies had not caught up to the magnitude of their strength. Though they all knew what they were capable of, no one has ever fought at full strength."

"In other words," Koga sighed, "this is Midorima's first time experiencing the Emperor Eye. He knew he could not win without gambling."

"Hai. Though the move is powerful and effective against Akashi-kun, it is likely very risky, as well."

"But the rick was worth it," Kagami smirked. "Look," he tilted his head ahead, making his team members turn to see the corner of Akashi's lips lift, "Akashi's unconcerned expression has changed."

'_I don't think that is a good thing, Kagami-kun,' _the miko sighed, watching as Akashi began to dribble the ball forward until Midorima came in front with arms spread to the side. Scrunching her eyes at the two, she began to feel Akashi's aura rise slightly with amusement.

Midorima's eyebrow dropped as he kept his guard up against his former captain: "Shutoku is not dead yet. The game is just getting started!"

"This is more than I expected, Shintaro," Akashi chuckled under his breath. He could not help but let his lips mold into a smile as he saw the determination flood in the shooting guard's eyes. "I couldn't ask for more. This is pointless. Move!" Moving the ball to the back of his waist, his eyes narrowed as Midorima reacted to the movement and tripped back on his feet. Akashi continued his way forward as he resumed his path towards the hoop, "my orders are absolute."

Midorima's teeth clenched as the sounds of his school's cheering pushed him to stand up on his feet. His eyes watched the emperor aim for a lane-up, making him curse under his breath. _'Don't give up! There is no shame in falling down! The only shame is not getting back up!' _

"Akashi!" the emperor's eyes widened as he saw Midorima's person beside him with his arm extended upwards. When did he get there? He was sure he had no time to get back up!

"Impossible!" Hayama exclaimed. "How did he get there from the ground?!"

Unfazed by his presence, Akashi's eyes dived to the side as he changed the course of his plan and passed the ball under Midorima's arm. Midorima cursed once more the moment Nebuya caught the ball into his hands and jumped up for a dunk.

"He changed plans in a second!?" Shun exclaimed. "His judgment is terrifyingly fast!"

Otsubo quickly slapped the ball away from Nebuya's hand, grunting as he gave it all his strength in the jump to catch up. Takao chuckled under his breath as the ball came to his spot, "Otsubo-san, you're the best!" Giving a smirk to his opponents, Takao quickly looked over his shoulder before he headed towards their own hoop.

"You're not going anywhere!" Mibuchi shouted, coming in front of stop Takao's intended path. His eyes widened as the ball's movement was passed to Takao's right before landing into Midorima's hands. _'N-No!' _The ball was released, setting it high in the air before it dropped back down into the net. _'Y-You're kidding, right? He could have shot a normal three just now. Both are too confident at this point!'_

"They are catching up," Shippo whispered under his breath, seeing that was the fourth shot Midorima had made in a row. If it continued on, he was sure Shutoku would catch up back into a tie like before.

Focusing in on Akashi's aura, the miko remained silent as she felt something uncomfortable in the atmosphere. The spark that had risen within his aura was slowly coming down and she had no answer as to why. Watching as Shutoku and Rakuzan went to a full-court press with the Rakuzan members becoming worried over Shutoku's comeback. She became uneasy as Akashi bounced the ball in place while Midorima and Takao defended against him. Her eyes immediately widened as she saw Akashi sigh under his breath before taking a step back. Akashi held the ball between his hands as he took aim at the opposite basket of his team's. Kagome's pupils shook as she saw his intentions: _'w-what is he doing? That is Shutoku's basket!'_

Silence waved over the stadium as the sound of the counted points and the bouncing ball were heard. No one moved a muscle nor spoke as eyes remained on the orange ball losing its bounce.

"W-What did he…?" Shun whispered, unsure what to say for he was not even sure what he saw. "He was aiming for that."

"An own goal?" Hyuga blinked. "What is he thinking?"

"Akashicchi…," Kise's eyes widened, seeing no live reaction from the Shutoku or Rakuzan members.

Sesshomaru released a low chuckle under his breath as he saw the glow in Akashi's eyes. Humans still irritated him from time to time, but he was always amazed when he came across those with natural talent to lead. "Just like a commander or leader slaying his own people to put his followers back on a mental state," he whispered under his breath.

The miko slowly turned her head over her shoulder as she overheard the inu's words. Akashi sacrificed two points to set his team back on track? How did that even make sense?

"Akashi…," Nebuya whispered, seeing their captain staring at them as their heads hung down in shame. They knew what was coming and it was unavoidable now.

"When did I say you could let your guard down? The game isn't over yet," he spoke, letting his eyes harden in anger as his teammates avoided any type of eye contact. "Did you relax after we established a large lead? I can tell because you were reeling after they scored just a few baskets in a row. If the game were closer, you would not have disgraced yourselves in this way. In that case, we should lose the gap." Tightening the glare in his eyes, he ignored the look of mild-fear in his teammates' eyes: "cool your heads. But if we lose, you can blame me all you want. We will have lost because of that shot I took. I will accept full responsibility and quit the team."

"Quit the team?" Kagami's eyes widened. "Is he serious?"

Akashi chuckled under his breath as he extended his arm out and unfolded his fingers to show the inside of his palm. "To pay for my crime, I will gouge out my eyes and give them to you."

All pupils widened at the statement as they saw the confidence in Akashi's expression. He was not faking his words and the tone he had used had them shake in fear. The miko shook her head slowly as she saw Rakuzan having the same shock as themselves. _'C-Chotto…what is Akashi-kun talking about?!'_

"What are you talking about, Akashi?" Hayama explained, taking a step towards his red headed captain. "You don't need to do that!"

"It is only if we lose. If we win, there is no problem," a confident smirk appeared on his lips, "I am not worried because I am certain." The look in his eyes softened, giving everyone a different outlook on the emperor. "We cannot lose with you on the team."

'_Oi, oi! This is a high school sport! There is no way he would really gouge his eyes out!' _Takao shook his head, still taken back by Akashi's words. Someone like this was the captain of Rakuzan? _'But why did the other guys react like that?'_

Kagami clenched his teeth as a drop of sweat trailed down the side of his cheek. Akashi had inflicted fear not only within his team, but within everyone else around. "It is hard to believe," he whispered, "but Akashi might really do it." His mind took him back to Akashi's intent to stab him with the scissors at the opening of the Winter Cup. "He is dangerous enough."

"Either way," Sesshomaru sighed, catching the attention of the Seirin members and the youkai, "it was an effective way to inspire the team. The expressions of the Rakuzan players changed."

The game resumed with Akashi passing the ball towards Mibuchi before Takao came forward to stop his advances. With a graceful smile pulling on his lips, Mibuchi quickly bounced the ball in a pass towards Hayama before it was made into the basket.

"Yes!" Hayama shouted, giving Mibuchi a high-five.

"Damn it," Takao cursed under his breath. Akashi's words had pulled them out of the deep hole they were in.

Hyuga sighed, crossing his arms as he watched Rakuzan score once again: "even though the gap has closed, they are strong enough to hold them back. Rakuzan's attacks are relentless."

"Sesshomaru was right about Akashi. Akashi's speech got the back on their feet," Koga shook his head with a smirk. Having gone through wars himself, he knew the speech was the perfect way for a general to get his men back on their feet.

"But Shutoku still has a chance," Hyuga continued, "he may be able to predict the future, but he still can't stop Midorima's shots."

Seeing Midorima marking him, Akashi exhaled softly under his breath: "unfortunately, this game is already over. I have something to tell you. You will not even be able to touch the ball again."

"What?" Midorima's eyes widened. Never touch the ball? That was absurd! "That is impossible, Akashi. Not even your Emperor Eye can stop our shots."

"Height is certainly an important factor in basketball," Akashi nodded, never letting go of the amusement he held from seeing Midorima's determination. "At first glance, it seems as though I cannot stop you. But let me tell you something. I am absolute. I see everything that will happen," his eyes widened with sureness, "changing it is easy."

Scoffing under his breath, Takao began to bounce the ball up and down under his palm as he heard a wave of silence taking over the court. The echoing of the ball entering everyone's ears as even cheers toned down. Taking a glance to his right, he noticed Midorima's eyes on his person as a signal. Takao prepared his step forward until his eyes became wide at the sight of two people marking him.

"They are double-teaming Takao this time?!" exclaimed Hyuga.

"Takao-kun…," Kagome whispered under her breath, watching as the Hawk Eye user struggled to find a path to move through.

Scoffing under his breath with an accompanied smile, Takao took a step back as he continued to bounce the ball under his hand. "We knew you would do this. You think I would be Shin-chan's partner if I lost my cool over this? Don't underestimate me!" Dribbling the ball back and forth, Takao quickly pivoted around Mibuchi's defense as he charged forward.

"He got past them!" Kagami exclaimed, shocked to see Midorima already in his position for the three-point turn, "and Midorima is entering the motions! He started moving just before Takao did! He believed Takao would make it past them!"

Kagome's eyes widened as she saw Takao passing the ball towards Midorima's hands only for Akashi to intercept and catch the ball from his standing position with one hand over his head. "I-Impossible!" she was left breathless at Akashi's interception, seeing Shutoku in pure shock at Akashi's sudden appearance.

"I told you," Akashi spoke, "I am absolute."

In a blink of an eye, everyone around watched as Akashi wasted no time in dribbling the ball towards his own hoop before making the shot with any problems. Straightening his back, Akashi slowly turned to the wide eyes Shutoku duo: "you shot has a weakness. Because you are left-handed, he has to pass from your left side. And your shooting motion is the same every time. In other words, I can easily predict the timing and path of the pass even without my Emperor Eye. I used my eyes for only a moment so I could get a head start on him at the moment of no return. I intentionally let him slip past the double-team on this side, too, to close the distance between us."

'_What did he say?' _the miko eyes widened slowly. She was sure Takao could have confirmed Akashi's position with his Hawk Eye ability, but Akashi had proved that was a useless move. Akashi's movements in the first half replayed in her mind as she remembered his normal plays. _'Chotto…did he intentionally slow himself down during the first half?' _

"He had made his opening move without anyone realizing," Koga sighed under his breath.

Akashi released a chuckle as his eyes remained on the shocked Midorima across from him, "you exceeded my expectations, but now how I had imagined. Shogi and basketball are the same. Did I not always tell you? An opening move only works when you plan ahead without your opponent's knowledge."

"He does not just rely on his physical or mental capabilities," the inu youkai whispered, "he also has frighteningly well-design strategies. So this is the captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi Seijuro." Crossing his arms across his chest, he could not help but applaud the human for his leadership skills; something not all humans could do like second nature. "Akashi Seijuro was in control of everything that happened since the game started."

Watching Mibuchi catch the ball into his hands, Kagome blinked as she saw the gentle smile forming over his lips. It was not until Takao came forth that she noticed the smirk overwriting the _innocent _smile.

"Not yet!" Takao shouted. "It's not over yet!" Seeing Mibuchi bend his knees for a vertical jump, he quickly took off in the same direction as his arm extended upwards. "You are not taking that shot!"

"Wait, Takao!" Miyaji's eyes shook as he noticed the fake position Mibuchi had taken as his feet never left the ground. Mibuchi quickly jumped up as his chest collided with Takao's, earning the Hawk Eye user a foul by the referee.

Takao's eyes slowly widened as he watched the ball over his shoulder turn in the air before it was made into the basket. _'He made a three while drawing a foul…could it be? You're kidding, right?!'_

"I am actually greedier than I look," Mibuchi spoke, furrowing his eyebrows with a softened expression.

"A three-pointer and the basket counts," Koganei whispered, surprised Mibuchi had made the foul on purpose to get an extra point. "Seriously? That is a four point play."

"All right!" Nebuya's hand aimed for a slap behind Mibuchi's back, only to blink at the dodge from his teammate. "Huh?"

"No way," the shooting guard spoke, "your always hurt."

Hayama sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face the other two Uncrowned Kings: "you should have started with that, Reo-nee."

"I told you, I can't do it anytime," he spoke, walking over to get the ball from the referee as he prepared his free throw. Releasing the ball from his grip, Shutoku's eyes narrowed with anger as the gap continued to get wider.

Wincing at the sight of the shots Rakuzan made one after another, the miko was afraid to even take one glance at the scoreboard. The three Uncrowned Kings had no stop their fuel of scoring and it was evident to her and the rest of the audience that Shutoku was slowly becoming defeated.

"It's over, Shintaro," Akashi whispered, taking a step back the moment the green haired shooting guard came to block his path. Moving the ball to the left, his expression remained the same as Midorima's reflex made him fall to the ground.

Midorima clenched his teeth tightly as he watched the emperor prepare his shot right in front of him, "Akashi!"

"I must express my respect for all of you, Shintaro and Shutoku High. Not a single one of you lost the will to fight until the end, but," Akashi's eyes narrowed, "you fell short." Releasing the ball into the air, everyone around stood frozen as the ball swooshed into the net before the buzzer ended the entire game. "Sleep now, veteran kings."

Fingers curled deeply into the miko's palm as she watched the distraught look on Shutoku's faces. As the two teams met at the center of the court and gave their bows, she could not help but feel her heart completely freeze at the end results. She had heard Akashi was a player to fear, but a part of her thought Shutoku would win. With the audience clapping at Rakuzan's win, she blinked at the sight of Rakuzan's calm faces. No smiles; no cheers.

"Rakuzan is kind of quiet," Kobori spoke, seeing the Uncrowned Kings and the emperor making their way over to their bench. "More than happy, they seem relieved this critical game is over."

"Of course," Kasamatsu replied, crossing his arms as he observed the expressions of the undefeated team, "they expect to win. Anything but victory is failure. The pressure of being the best exceeds imagination. They must not lose. That is the fate of an emperor."

Watching the green haired male walking over to the emperor, both Kaijo and Seirin fell silent as they saw the pride Midorima held even with his defeat. Akashi blinked as he heard the light foot steps behind him, making him turn around to face his former teammate, "Shintaro…"

Closing his eyes at the feel of his pride stopping him from what he wanted to do, Midorima swallowed it up before slowly extending his right arm out for a handshake. "We lost," he whispered, "but next time we will win."

"I should thank you, Shintaro," Akashi replied, taking a glance at the offering hand. "It's been a while since I last played such a thrilling game. But unfortunately, I can't shake your hand. If you desire victory, you must become cold-hearted. Victory is everything. I wish to be your enemy."

"I see…you haven't changed since then, Akashi," Midorima dropped his arm back to his side, narrowing his eyes at the emperor before him, "even so, we will win next time." Turning around to walk back to his team, his head snapped up from his shame of loss the moment his own captain's voice brought their attention to him.

"Hold your heads high!" Otsubo shouted. "Look sharp until we leave! We are not the only ones who fought! Line up in front of the stands!"

As Shutoku ran to the front of their cheer team, they all took their bows as the shouted their gratitude in unison, "thank you for all of your support!"

Kagome's eyes softened, hearing the claps of not only Shutoku's cheer team, but the rest of the audience as Shutoku slowly straightened up from their bow. Their auras quivered in anger and disappointment, but the façade they held is what pained her the most. Seeing the orange uniformed team walk towards them as they headed to the exit, Kagome blinked as she saw Takao coming in front of her.

"Why the sad look, Kagome-chan? That frown really doesn't suit you, right, Shin-chan?" Takao chuckled, placing his hand over the miko's shoulder. He blinked, noticing no reaction from his shooting guard as he came closer to the two.

Her eyes blinked against as she saw the threatening tears clinging at the corners of Takao's eyes. "Takao-kun…," she whispered, knowing the pain they must have been holding back.

"Shin-chan needs consoling, Kagome-chan," he smiled, "you think you can help him?"

Hearing no reply from the green haired male, Kagome followed his movements before she turned to face him and the rest of his team. She took a slow, ninety degree bow, making both Seirin and Shutoku blink in confusion on the sudden respect. "You all did great," she smile, coming up from her bow, "you really did."

Taking a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes, Midorima returned in his path as he followed his team down towards the hall. What was this ache in his chest? What was this feeling wanting to drip out of his body?

"Well, Kagome-chan definitely knows how to make someone smile even we know we don't deserve it," Takao sighed, raising his arms to rest them behind his head, "we are the top four, huh? It's about what I expected. We did pretty well against Rakuzan. Huh?" Takao blinked, looking over his shoulder as he saw Midorima's eyes fixed ahead in the dark hall, "Shin-chan, are you heartbroken? But…wari," his voice cracked, slowly lowering his arms back to his side as he felt his body tremble with each words that passed between his lips, "I can't…console you right now."

"I know," Midorima whispered, seeing the tears stream down Takao's cheeks as his teammate's eyes closed tightly as to stop the flow of his frustration. "Me, too. Losing is frustrating." He would let one tear run down; he would let his emotions take over his expression as he felt judgment between his teammates no longer existed at that time.

* * *

"A sixteen point difference. I guess that sounds about right," Shippo whispered, seeing the scoreboard one last time before it was reset for the upcoming game. "I thought the game would actually be a little closer." He was surprised by how well Shutoku stood against Rakuzan, but in the end, he was not surprised by the outcome."

Koga exhaled, watching as both Kaijo and Seirin prepared for their games as each member warmed up on the court. "It is true that Shutoku was strong, but an emperor is even stronger. There is no doubt Akashi is a player to fear on this tournament. Whoever wins this game will be going against him. But something doesn't tell right."

"Huh?" the kitsune blinked.

"Was that truly Rakuzan's strength?" Turning to face the silent inu, he chuckled under his breath: "so? Who do you think will win, Sesshomaru?"

Hearing the delivered question, Sesshomaru kept his golden eyes on the court, watching as each player took turns to shoot the ball into the basket. He would not admit it out loud, but he was definitely interested in Seirin's outcome after coming so far.

* * *

Seeing both teams warm up on the court, Himuro could not help but feel his eyes narrow at the sudden silence that fell upon the audience. No cheering; no talks. Scratching his chin, he watched as Kaijo and Seirin continued their cycle of shooting the balls as time got closer to the official match.

"I see," he spoke in a whisper, "this is an old rivalry." His ears would continue to hear the whispers of some of the people in front of them as they spoke of the practice game Kaijo and Seirin had before the Inter-High.

"Yeah, but…," Murasakibara trailed off, chewing on the chips inside his mouth. His eyes landed on the Seirin duo, watching their silent game play as Kise made his own shots, "…it's pretty quiet for that. Even Gome-chin is quiet," he pointed out, seeing the miko hold a clipboard to her chest as she watched Seirin's movements and Kaijo's.

* * *

"Last one!" Kasamatu shouted, pulling his teammates attention onto him. "Oi, Kise," he narrowed his eyes, passing the ball to the blonde as he felt the urge to give Seirin a greeting, "go say hello to them."

Kise blinked as he saw Kasamatsu tilting his head towards the hoop before a smirk appeared on his lips. Nodding to his captain's orders, he bounced the ball twice before shouting to Seirin: "Hey!" he called out, stopping their opponents' movements as they turned to Kaijo's space.

The miko blinked along with Riko as they all watched Kise run towards the hoop before taking off from the ground and dunking the ball with one hand with full force.

"Is that…a lane up!?" exclaimed Koganei.

The Kaijo captain shook his head as a smirk lifted his lips after seeing his ace's move: "I didn't tell you to go that hard," he whispered under his breath. Although Kise had a tendency to show off, he was glad the message was given to Seirin.

"That is what you call a declaration of war," Kise chuckled under his breath, pointing his finger at the miko and the team.

Kagami and Kuroko narrowed their eyes as they saw Kise straightening up. Riko shook her head as she saw her team freeze at the sight of Kise's move; intimidation was key in a game.

"A declaration of war, huh?" Kagome whispered, lowering the clipboard to her side. Basketball was becoming more like a war than an actual sport. But after seeing Kise's jump, she could not help but feel uneasy for him and Seirin. _'He jumped about as high as Kagami-kun.'_

"Don't just stand there, aho!" Hyuga shouted with a tick pulsing over his forehead. Forming an annoyed smile over his features, he passed the ball over to the tiger, "return the favor. Show them the original." If one thing he hated was for his teammates to stay quiet when it was obvious the other team was trying to frighten them.

Catching the ball in his hand, Kagami nodded with a smirk before quickly passing the ball over to his shadow as he ran towards the hoop. Kuroko pushed the ball upwards into the air as Kagami took his leap and made the dunk with the same force Kise had given himself.

"He got them back! A lane up alley-oop!" a reported shouted as he held his camera behind the hoop stand. "Are those guys really high school students?"

"I ask that myself every time," the miko sighed under her breath, seeing the smiles form on Seirin.

* * *

"Anyone can do that," Murasakibara pouted with a frown. Irritation swelled within him as he felt his eyebrows furrow at the sight of both Kagami and Kise making the dunk.

Himuro chuckled under his breath as he witnessed Murasakibara's childish behavior before a sweat drop appeared on his head, "you really hate to lose, don't you?"

* * *

"Alright," Riko sighed, gathering her team in a circle inside the court. Seeing time was limited for their talk about the plan, she needed to be quick in giving them the upcoming plan they should take against Kaijo. "Today's game will be nothing like the others," she whispered, hoping Kaijo would not over hear their conversation, "in short, we will have to establish and hold a lead. It is what we have to do to win." Her eyes narrowed as she caught a glance of the blonde player on the other side of the court, "Kagome-chan and I have agreed that Kise-kun's Perfect Copy is too strong."

"To be honest," Kagome spoke, "it is practically impossible for us to stop it right now, but there is a time limit to his ability."

"He will probably use it in the final stages of the game," the female coach spoke, placing her fingers under her chin. "The only problem is how long that time limit is. That is why we have to create an insurmountable lead by then. In other words, we will strike first."

"It can't last throughout the whole game, right?" questioned Furihata, wording the worry out loud for everyone. If Kise truly had a long time limit, it would become a problem for the whole team.

Taking a glance over her shoulder, the miko watched as Shippo and Koga spoke with the inu (Sesshomaru ignoring the talk), before taking in a deep breath. She knew it was a risk, but if she wanted to tell Seirin any time soon about herself, she would have to reveal her abilities. Kagome turned to face the team before sending them a smile, "leave Kise-kun to me."

"Huh?" Seirin blinked together.

"I will know when Kise-kun is about to use his Perfect Copy."

"H-How would you know that, Kagome-chan?" questioned Hyuga, raising a brow in curiosity. Their manager knew?

Hearing the meaning behind her words, Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath, catching the attention of the rest of the team, "well, let's leave that to Kagome-chan, shall we?"

Wanting to question the two, Kuroko saw the team wanting to do it themselves. He took a glance over at the miko, seeing her smile returning after witnessing Akashi's frightening abilities. His blue eyes lowered to his palm, seeing the slight shaking as he felt his heart thump against his chest. He could feel the need of change in the subject and curled his fingers into his palm as he raised his head to look at his team, "captain," he spoke softly, "I have been trying to contain myself, but I can't anymore. I am so excited, I can't wait for the game to start."

"Aho," Hyuga smirked as the rest of the team sent Kuroko a smirk of their own, "so are we."

Feeling the warmth over the team's excitement, Kagome's shoulders relaxed as she heard the rest of the team tease Kuroko for finally showing a bit of emotion. It was times like these that truly made her smile, but she knew it was too soon to feel that as the worst was yet to come.

"Higurashi-san."

Blinking at the sound of her name, the miko turned around only to meet with the Kaijo captain. Her eyes immediately landed on the familiar keychain with the pink sphere at the end in his hand. _'Ah…that's right,' _her memories returned her back to when she had heard Kasamatsu's own frustration when they had lost against Too. "Kasamatsu-senpai," she whispered, her voice having stopped Seirin's conversation.

Holding back the fear of talking to the girl, Kasamatsu took a deep breath before giving the miko a nod. "I hope you haven't forgotten the promise."

Kaijo and Seirin stood still as they over heard the rare conversation between the manager and captain. Their eyes landed on the keychain he held out in front of the miko before wondering what it was exactly.

"Of course not," she replied with a smile gracing her lips. She had given that keychain for his faith to continue on with his team and the promise had entailed that whoever won this match would get to keep it. "As much as I wish for you, Kasamatsu-senpai, to keep that keychain, I am afraid Seirin can't lose here."

Kasamatsu could not help but smirk as he heard the words from the manager. The first time he had seen her with Seirin, she and the rest of the team were still rookies to everything else. There was no confidence in the girl and even she had admitted to her lack of knowledge of the sport. _'She has learned a lot,' _he chuckled under his breath.

"Eh?! A keychain!?" Kise exclaimed, appearing in between the two as his eyes were glued on the object resting on his captain's palm.

"What is this about a keychain?" Kagami spoke, raising a brow. Kagome had given a gift to someone? Why was this unheard of?

Feeling the stares behind her back, Kagome slowly turned her head over her shoulder as she gave them a nervous laugh: "uh, well, after the Inter-High match, Kaijo versus Too, I had given Kasamatsu-senpai my keychain that our shrine has. It is an old myth about the jewel granting your wish, but I gave it to Kasamatsu-senpai and we both agreed that once we meet on the same court, the winner gets to keep it."

"That is unfair!" the Kaijo ace whined, seeing the pink jewel attached to the keychain. "Why do you get one, captain!? I want one too!" Turning to face the miko, he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her close, "Nee, Kagomecchi~ give me one~"

"Hai, hai," she sighed, "you can buy one at the shrine."

"I will buy them all!"

"Is no one going to comment the fact Kagome-chan rejected the idea of giving him a gift?" Koganei whispered to his teammates.

Crossing his arms, Hyuga took a step forward as the rest of the team looked at the miko. "So how come we haven't received one?" he questioned with a raised brow. Sure it was just a keychain, but any gift from a girl is what they wanted!

Kagome chuckled nervously as a sweat dropped appeared over her head. Guess her grandfather was going to get ecstatic about the keychains being used.

* * *

"The Shikon no Tama? That surely brings back memories," Koga raised a brow, seeing the small pink jewel dangle below the gold keychain with the engraved name.

Letting the corner of his lips lift into a smirk, Sesshomaru was a bit surprised the miko still held the past dear to her. After the hell that jewel had put them all through, it was shocking to see the importance it held to the miko.

"Ah!" Shippo exclaimed, "Sesshomaru smiled!"

Sending him a glare with eyebrows tightening at the middle, Sesshomaru gave him a low growl.

* * *

The referee's whistle was heard, letting people know to get into their places for the start of the game. Standing at the middle of the court, Kasamatsu watched as Hyuga came forth and shook his head – firmly, much to his surprise.

"Let's have a good game," Hyuga spoke, giving the Kaijo captain a nod.

"Good game," Kasamatsu replied, his eyes coming back down to their hands, _'eh~ last time he seemed like an inexperienced captain. You can tell how hard he has fought to get here. It seems Higurashi-san is not the only one who has evolved.' _The corner of his lips stretched into a smirk, excited to see Seirin's play after a long wait of finally going against them. "Good," he spoke, "I couldn't ask for more. Now we don't have to show any restraint when we get our revenge."

Hearing nothing coming from the pun master, Kiyoshi blinked as he looked to his side: "what's wrong, Izuki?" he questioned, wondering over his silence. "Your expression is a little stiff."

"Eh?" he blinked. "Ah, I'm fine," he smiled to reassure the tall brunette. "If it is, it is just because I am little nervous. Like Kuroko said, I am excited. Though I have considered our opponents the enemy in previous games, what I feel now is a pure, unadulterated competitive drive. I wonder what drives me to it."

Letting a low chuckle escape under his breath, Kiyoshi smiled at the Eagle Eye user, "Izuki…you could have skipped the last part."

"Oi, Coach! Kagome-chan! We are changing our starting lineup!" Hyuga exclaimed, seeing Izuki's sensitive side coming out.

"Eh!?" Shun exclaimed.

"But I know what you are trying to say," the Seirin center nodded, placing his hands over his hips, "let's have some fun."

'_Kiyoshi Teppei…,' _Kobori's eyes remained on the brunette, seeing his smile having no concerns, _'he is the greatest difference between the old and new Seirin. I better psych myself up.' _Hearing the light footsteps behind him, his eyebrow twitched as he saw Moriyama observing the audience, "so…," he turned around, "could you stop looking around for your type of girls, Moriyama?"

"Eh?" he blinked.

"Please, Moriyama-san!" Hayakawa shouted. "Do you even want to win?!"

Moriyama sighed as his head dropped from his search, "want to win? Don't be stupid. Do you know how long I have waited for this day? I am so focused on this game, I haven't noticed any girls…because the one girl that has caught my attention is on the other side of court!" he shouted, receiving a sweat drop from both Kobori and Hayakawa as their eyes glided over to the miko talking to the tiger and phantom player.

Feeling a shiver run up and down her spine, the miko shook her head as she tried to ignore the feeling. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko as he took the wrist band from the miko's hand before adjusting them.

"Uh, h-hai," she chuckled, "just got a chill out of nowhere."

"Kagomecchi. Kagamicchi. Kurokocchi."

With the familiar nicknames being heard, the three turned around as they saw Kise holding a smile of his own. "Kise-kun," Kagome whispered, blinking as she saw his eyes drop down to hide underneath his bangs.

"That day," he spoke, "I experienced the frustration of defeat for the first time. I haven't forgotten it for a single day. But thanks to you three, I realized something. I love basketball," Kise chuckled under his breath. "So much that I can devote my entire self to it. That is why," lifting his eyes full of confidence, he sent them a smirk, "I won't lose anymore!"

"Kise-kun," the miko blinked again, "shouldn't you have noticed sooner?"

"Eh!?"

Kagami sighed as he scratched the back of his head, wanting to laugh at the miko's blunt comment. "Anyways," he closed his eyes, "you have gone kind of soft. Don't worry about the small stuff. We are raring to go, too. Let's get this started already."

Seeing Kagami was more than ready to go, Kise turned his head towards the phantom player, "Kurokocchi, do you feel the same way?"

"Hai," he nodded. "I am also thinking about how much…I disliked you."

The three blinked, taken back by Kuroko's comment. And here they thought Kagome was the blunt one. "Eh?" Kise tilted his head to the side. "Eh!?"

"Seriously?" Kagome spoke, turning to face the phantom player, "I thought the same thing when I met him."

"Kagomecchi! You too!?"

Kuroko sent the miko a smile before turning to face the crying blonde in front of him. "But I mean it in a good way. Once you joined the basketball team, I was assigned to train you. Because of it, I thought of you in a special way. But you surpassed me in the blink of an eye. I knew out abilities were different. But I was frustrated and didn't want to lose. In other words, though it was one-sided, I have always considered you," his smile widened slightly, "my rival."

Kise's eyes widened as he heard the words being said by the last person who could have thought of him as a rival. Chuckling under his breath, Kise ran his fingers through his hair, "I don't know what to say. You meant it in a good way? I couldn't be more fired up!"

The miko nodded to herself as she felt their auras slowly rise. Moving away, she patted both Kuroko's and Kagami's shoulders before making her way over to the bench as the referee's whistle was heard once again for the bow.

"The game between Kaijo High and Seirin High will now begin! Bow!"

"Let's have a good game!" they greeted in unison.

Sitting beside the coach, Kagome watched as the ball was released upwards as both Kobori and Kiyoshi jumped. The ball was quickly tipped by Kiyoshi's hand and caught by Shun before they made their charge towards their hoop as planned.

Passing the ball to the phantom player, Kuroko made his first move in using the Vanishing Drive as he passed by Hayakawa's defense.

"The Vanishing Drive!?" Kasamatsu exclaimed.

"All right, Kuroko!" Koganei cheered.

Moriyama stepped in front of him only for his eyes to widen at the sight of Kuroko's stance: _'he is already breaking out two of his special moves?! The Phantom Shot!' _Reaching for the ball, he cursed under his breath the moment it disappeared and it dropped into the net.

"Yosh!" Hyuga nodded, signaling his team members to head for the defense position.

The miko's eyes widened as she felt the rise of someone's aura inside the court. Abruptly leaning forward, Kagome shook her head at seeing Seirin's mistake: "Miina!"

In a blink of an eye, the ball was quickly shot into the air and made into Kaijo's basket, stopping all movements. Everyone froze in their place as heads slowly turned to see none other than Kise having made the shot.

"I-Impossible…," Riko whispered under her breath. "Kagome-chan?"

"Hai…," she nodded, feeling her shoulders return to heaviness, "Kise-kun is breaking into it already."

Kise's eyes narrowed as he saw the shock in Seirin's expression, "one of the things Kagamicchi said before the match rubbed me the wrong way. Who has gone soft?"

Catching the ball into his hands, Hyuga aimed for the hoop once again, only for Kise's block to come forth and push the ball out of its course. _'I can feel it when I play against him. That was Muraskibara's block!' _

With Kasamatsu passing the ball to him, Kise prepared his three-pointer shot as Kiyoshi jumped in front of him, "no, you don't!" Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he saw the blonde duck down and dribble around him before running forward. "A fake!?" he cursed under his breath, _'that was Aomine's change of pace!'_

'_Midorima-kun's shooting ability and Aomine-kun's agility,' _the miko clenched her teeth. _'They are strong enough on their own!' _She was not expecting for Kise to break into his Perfect Copy so soon! Seeing Kagami come forth and stop Kise's advances, her eyes widened the moment Kise dribbled the ball back and forth before bringing it between his legs. _'That move-!' _

Kagami cursed under his breath as he fell back on the ground, watching as Kise made the shot in front of him with ease. The miko's eyes shook in disbelief after seeing the move being executed. _'That was…Akashi-kun's Ankle Breaker? But how?' _Feeling Kise's aura continue to rise, she felt her body break into a cold sweat. _'How are we supposed to deal with all of the Generation of Miracles at once!?'_

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **And that ends this chapter! Next chapter will hold Kaijo versus Seirin and...surprises! I do hope you all enjoyed!

P.S.: For those who do not know, on Tumblr, every Friday on my blog, I write Kagome scenarios. If you are curious, go check it out because I will be having a giveaway soon!

Thank you for reading!

Please remember to review?

Again, thank you!

Ja~ne!


	30. The Truth Behind the Victory

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: Well, after a long...long...long wait, chapter 30 has finally been completed. I did not think this semester would give me such a hard time, but it is. So many essays and very little time to write long chapters. I apologize for the wait, but another factor was reviews. They had dropped the last chapter so I decided to put Love Hoop on hold. I know reviews are a pain the butt to write, but they do help authors feel appreciated. We do this for free and with the free time we have. So any encouraging words help us continue.  
**

**But thank you to those who have been reviewing for a long time (every chapter actually). We are getting closer to the end in Love Hoop! Please continue to support the story! Also, extra long chapter since I made you wait this long! **

**This chapter focuses on Kise and Sesshomaru making the first move to tell about Kagome's past. Trust me on the story. It may be confusing, but trust me on this! There are reasons for how the characters speak and act. **

**Well, enjoy! **

**Chapter 30: The Truth Behind the Victory **

* * *

How on earth was Kise able to copy Akashi's move? The miko's eyes shook in disbelief as everyone else stood frozen on the court. Holding her gaze on the blonde ace, she watched his aura slowly rise in strength. How could she had been so stupid? She should have known Kise was going to use his 'Perfect Copy' right away to take the lead in the game.

"H-How…?" whispered Shun.

Kasamatsu scoffed as his eyes narrowed at the shock Seirin had taken. "His keen observations skills that allow him to copy an opponent's movements in a second. The experience he has gained from our previous games…his natural sense for the game…though he is not absolute, he can see the future with nearly perfect accuracy."

'_He can even copy Akashi's Emperor Eye?' _Kagami's pupils shook as he saw the slight resemblance in Kise's gaze; the gaze of the emperor looking down on those unworthy to be his opponent. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, watching as Kise went back on defense while the crowd cheered for the ace.

"Hm…"

"What is it?" questioned Shippo, seeing the wolf youkai crossing his arms with his focus on Kaijo's ace.

Koga sighed, seeing Seirin already on edge with the fast attacks Kise had given them in a blink of an eye. Even he was surprised to see all of the Generation of Miracles' movement perfectly copied without flaws. "He is replicating abilities by compensating for what he lacks with something else. Strictly speaking, they are not exactly the same, but," he paused, seeing the tight concentration in Kise's expression, "they are more than just imitations."

"In other words…the Perfect Copy is invincible," Shippo whispered.

"Dammit!" Riko's fingers curled into her palm, catching the attention of her benched team. With eyebrows furrowing down, she quickly set her eyes on the tiger. "Only Kagami-kun's Zone can withstand Kise-kun now."

Kagome sighed as her shoulder relaxed down, "but from our previous games, we know Kagami-kun never enters the Zone at the start of a game."

"They struck at exactly the right time," the female coach cursed once again under her breath as she watched the scoreboard.

"Then will Kise stay this way until he reaches his time limit?" questioned Tsuchida as he felt the panic for everyone in the team.

Riko took in a deep breath, moving her eyes over to the miko beside her. It was up to Kagome at this point to tell when Kise would strike. "Kagome-chan?"

"He won't," she whispered her reply, "he won't use it all now." It was risky move for Kise to start off with his 'Perfect Copy', but he was not stupid to use it all. Considering two minutes had gone by and reading his aura wavering, she could tell he did not have much time left to use it.

With a slow nod, Riko returned her attention back to the court, "but if nothing changes this won't be all the damage we take. They won't let their guard down like before."

Hyuga clenched his teeth as he felt the pressure getting to him with over cheering crowd along with the high confidence Kaijo held. As his eyes narrowed on Moriyama's defense, he released a sigh. "That doesn't change what we have to do. Izuki!" As the ball was passed to his hands, he quickly took his stance, "if we can't stop you, then we just have to score! We are an offensive team!"

'_The Barrier Jumper!' _Moriyama took a step forward as he saw the Seirin captain take one back. As his hand reached for the ball over Hyuga's head, his eyes widened the moment the orange ball was bounced between his legs. _'Nani!?' _From over his shoulder, he watched the phantom player grab the ball before going into his own shooting stance.

The miko's eyes watched carefully as Kuroko eyed the hoop with the ball in his hands. The sudden spark of Kise's aura caught her attention, watching as the blonde male rushed forward to stop Kuroko's shot. _'C-Chotto! Not even Murasakibara-kun could stop the Phantom Shot!' _

Hesitating for a second, Kuroko's eyes shifted to the tiger standing a few feet behind the blonde. He had to make his move as soon as possible-

"Wari," Kise spoke, breaking into Kuroko's thoughts, "but switching to a pass won't save you. Even if I can't see it, the ball is still flying through the air. As long as I know where it's going," bending his knees for the jump, he smirked the moment his hand reached out and stopped Kuroko's shot, "I can stop it!"

Seirin's eyes widened as the saw the ball slowly go back from Kise's hand; shock filling them to having witnessed Kise stopping Kuroko's Phantom Shot. Kagome shook her head slowly in disbelief, "not even Murasakibara-kun could stop that invincible shot, and…he blocked it?" Her eyes immediately landed on Kuroko's person, seeing his body having frozen from the surprise. _'This isn't good…'_

Kiyoshi sighed as his he tried keeping his calm. _'Kise predicted its angle with the Emperor Eye and stopped its trajectory with Murasakibara's block. He couldn't see it, but he stopped it through brute force.'_

"Kuroko, are you okay?" Kagami asked, walking behind the silent shadow.

"No…I'm beat," Kuroko slowly turned to see the smile on Kise's lips, "Kise-kun is amazing. I lost. He is so strong, I can't help but laugh."

Sighing under her breath, Kagome watched as one after another Kise performed the same moves she had seen the Generation of Miracles execute as Seirin tried their ultimate best to stop him. _'Aomine-kun. Midorima-kun. Akashi-kun. Murasakibara-kun…he is not stopping for a second.' _Checking the scoreboard, her eyes scrunched, _'and Kaijo is already thirteen points ahead of us! Fighting the whole Generation of Miracles at once is too taxing for the team!' _Kise's aura flared to her surprise. How on earth did he still have this much strength? Not to mention – _'he is still injured…he is out of control at this point.'_

"Three minutes have gone by," Riko whispered, "how much longer do you think he will last?"

Focusing in to read his aura, Kagome watched as the yellow glow around him slowly thinned out, "two minutes."

"Two?" she blinked. As much as she wanted to ask Kagome her way of knowing these things, she knew it was not the right time. _'But she did say to give her time to think. Just how big of a secret is this?'_

"But I don't think he will be using them until towards the end of the game…," Kagome replied, seeing how hard Kise tried to regain his breath. Yeah, he was going to wait towards the end of the game for those last two minutes; last two minutes of hell.

"Man," Kise chuckled, placing his hands over his hips, "this is rough. I'm taking a break."

"N-Nani?" Kagami stuttered, overhearing the small laugh Kise released.

Kise slowly turned his head towards the tiger as his lips curved into a smirk. "Copying them is really tiring. I can't be falling over at the start of the game."

"He is done…for now," Kagome whispered as her eyes remained on the blonde while the Seirin members on the bench turned to look at her.

"The game is just getting started," Kise continued, "I need to save some fun for later. But I got what I wanted." Pointing his index finger at the frozen Seirin team, he let his smirk widened, "we are in control of the game."

Watching his team clench their expression with anger, Hyuga took a step forward: "this is terrible."

* * *

"Uh-oh," Murasakibara spoke, watching the struggle Seirin displayed against Kise's play, "they are losing already. But…Kise-chin's Perfect Copy is certainly impressive, but he only has a little bit of time to use at the end of the game. It could happen sooner or later."

Himuro sighed, understanding Murasakibara's thinking of Kise's timing. Looking over the court, his eyes narrowed, "no, it's not that simple," he spoke out.

"Hm?"

"Every game has its own flow. Their surprise attack succeeded. It will keep affecting the game." Himuro's eyes lowered to Kaijo's bench and noticed their calm expressions, "that was probably Kaijo's true aim."

* * *

As Hyuga's shot backfired, Koga's eyes narrowed as he watched Seirin break away from their balance. _'No doubt Seirin is thinking of closing the gap as quickly as possible.' _Following the ball being passed from Shun to Kagami, he watched carefully as Kagami did a fade-away for a shot. No surprise came to him as the ball bounced back the rim of the hoop and noticed the shock in Kagami's face. "Another failed attack," he whispered under his breath.

"They are completely off balance," Shippo spoke, noticing how badly coordinated Seirin was playing.

"Hai," Koga nodded, "Seirin initially planned to establish a lead and hold it. But after that unexpected surprise attack, they have fallen far behind."

"They want to close the gap." Both Koga and Shippo turned their heads to the voice, noticing Sesshomaru focused in on the game. "Their impatience dulls their attacks, leading to mistakes. At this rate, their attacks will keep failing."

* * *

'_Something is off…but what can we do to calm Seirin down?' _the miko lowered her vision down to the clipboard on her lap as she saw the drawing of the Riko's formation. _'If only I could go in there myself to calm them down-' _

Her eyes snapped up to the court before sliding over to their bench and noticed the other three first years being drowned in concern. _'Perhaps…,' _turning her head over to the coach, she leaned in a little closer. "Riko-senpai?"

"Hm?"

"Did you noticed?"

"That everyone is on edge?" Riko sighed. Setting her eyes back on the court, she flinched at Hyuga's miss, "we need something to calm them down."

"Then how about…," Kagome tilted her head to the side as Riko's eyes followed and landed on Furihata. Having remembered the three talk amongst each other of wanting to play, Kagome could not help but feel their auras being the calm type; a total opposite to what she was feeling on the court right now.

Giving thought, Riko kept her eyes on the silent first years before nodding. Placing her fingers under her chin, she eyed the court. "Member change," she spoke out, catching the attention of the team on the bench.

"Huh?" blinked Koganei. "Member change?"

"Furihata-kun." The brunette male blinked as he heard his name being called by the coach and turned towards the smiling miko. His eyes immediately widened as he heard Riko's next words: "you're in."

"E-Eh?" he blinked, pointing his finger at himself. "C-Chotto-!" Feeling a hand tapping his shoulder, he trailed it upwards before noticing Kagome having come to stand in front of him. "K-Kagome-chan?"

She knew this was his first game and only his nerves would pile up, but she had a feeling this was the best chance Seirin had in order to bring back the balance. "Don't worry, Furihata-kun, you will do just fine."

"B-But…"

"Izuki-kun!" standing from her seat, Riko waited for the referee's whistle to stop the movements from both teams. The Seirin members blinked in unison as they turned towards the coach and watched as Kagome tried to push the stiff Furihata down to the court.

Kagome sighed as she could hear his heart beating uncontrollably. "It's okay, Furihata-kun," she chuckled, "I believe in you."

"But why me!?" he exclaimed. He was not prepared for this!

"Just trust me," she smiled.

Furihata gulped a big lump of nerves down his throat as his eyes slowly found themselves staring at the court. _'C-Calm down! You have been wanting this for a long time. T-That day has finally come. Just like Kagome-chan said…I will be okay!' _As he took a step forward, he quickly heard the cheers of the crowd. This was a whole different level of just being present for the game! What was this dimension he just entered!? _'It feels totally different once I am on the court! Kuroko and the upperclassmen have been playing like this!?'_

Watching his eyes spin in fear, Kagome sighed before giving him one last pat on his back, "I believe your marking is on number four, so just be calm and do your best."

"H-Hai!" he exclaimed, slowly taking steps further into the overwhelming sports' battle ground.

"We are counting on you," Izuki smiled as he walked past him.

Kise raised a brow while observing the newcomer. What idea did Kagome have now? _'Is he a secret weapon they have been hiding until now?' _Watching streaks of sweat roll down Furihata's face, he gave himself a low sigh, "I guess not."

"I don't know what the coach and Kagome are thinking, but do your best, Furi," Kagami gave the brunette a nod as Furihata made his way towards his marking.

'_Do your best?' _Furihata blinked, _'is that English? Can I eat it?'_

"Let's do our best, Furihata-kun," the phantom player slowly made his way towards his panicking teammate. He stopped in his steps as he saw no reaction nor heard a reply from Furihata himself. "Huh?"

Fukuda and the rest of the bench blinked as their teammate walked right past the phantom player. "He…doesn't even see Kuroko," Fukuda whispered under his breath as sweat drops appeared over their heads. "Is he going to be okay?"

The Kaijo captain raised a brow as he watched the rookie make his way towards him. He had overheard Seirin's talk and the so called 'plan' Kagome and the coach had put out of the blue. "Huh?" he glared, making Furihata shiver from his harsh tone, "Higurashi-san sent a petrified first year?"

'_I really can't do this, Kagome-chan!' _Furihata screamed inside his head. _'How do you deal with these people, Kagome-chan!? It's too scary!'_

"Let's go!" Hyuga shouted. As the referee's whistle went off, the Seirin captain passed the ball over towards Furihata's person. He watched as the nervous brunette knocked the ball away from his grip with his knee during his dribbling. "Calm down!" What the heck was he so nervous about!?

"Thanks, I guess," Kasamatsu blinked with the ball coming right into his hands before taking off. The ball was quickly pushed away from his grasp as his eyes glided over and noticed the familiar ghostly haired male. "_Nani!? Shit! This invisible kid!' _

Kuroko gave the Kaijo captain a nod in apology, "Sumimazen. Give us a minute. He is still nervous."

"Huh?" he blinked back. "That is not my problem!"

Reaching for the ball, Furihata sighed in relief as he caught it between his hands. His mind was all jumbled up and his body would not cooperate! He did not want to fail the team at this point in the tournament! Kagome, the coach, and the rest of his teammates were counting on him…for some reason.

"Furihata-kun!"

The brunette male blinked as he heard the familiar voice behind him. Turning around, he blinked again as he saw a smile on Kuroko's face. "Kuroko…?"

"It's okay," he gave him a nod, "in my first game, I tripped and got a bloody nose."

A smile of his own broke into Furihata's lips while hearing Kuroko's story. He was trying to make him feel better. "Kuroko…seriously?" he blinked with a sweat drop.

"Hai."

Kagome sighed as an awkward silence drifted between the two conversing teammates. Who would have thought Kuroko had experienced such a thing in his first game. Coming to sit between the Eagle Eye user and the coach, she watched the other two first years looking at them with concern.

"Coach, are you sure about this?" Kawahara questioned. "He is the biggest wuss around."

"That is why you two subbed him in, right?" Shun chuckled, taking a glance at the two females from the corner of his eyes.

The miko shrugged with a small smile as her eyes returned to the nervous brunette dribbling the ball, "being a coward is not a weakness. There are some things only a coward can do."

"I have been meaning to put him on the court," Riko cut in, "and it looks like his specialty can be properly used here. Just watch."

Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed as he came in front of Furihata's path as he held the ball between his hands. Just what plan did Seirin have with this guy? _'He is still stiff as a board. Even if he weren't nervous, I doubt he would work against us.' _

"Oi!"

Jumping the shout, Furihata looked over his shoulder as Kagami gave him a wave to pass the ball. Without hesitation, the brunette male passed the ball over to the tiger and watched as Kise came forth. Kagami's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he saw the smirk displayed over Kise's lips. "I am not missing the next one! Let's go, Kise!"

"Bring it on!" Kise chuckled as he bent his knees knowing very well the move Kagami would explode into.

Triggered by Kise's cockiness, Kagami took a step forward before he stopped at the sound of Furihata's voice. "Kagami, stop!" The tiger looked over his shoulder and noticed the shaking stance the brunette held as his hand reached for his attention. "C-Calm…calm down!"

"Huh? Nani? You're the one who needs to calm down!" With a frown taking over his features, the tiger's eyes came back to the blonde as he released a sigh. With a 'tch' being released, Kagami passed the ball over to his captain.

"You're not coming?" Kise smirked.

"Uruse. We have to get this back under control," he replied.

Koga smirked as he felt the different energy within the court. No doubt the coach and the miko had made the right move to change members.

"Seirin feels different," Shippo whispered. "They are passing the ball around and attacking carefully. I see…okaa-san's goal was to slow the pace down."

"I don't know if you saw, but the moment Kagami had gotten the ball, both Kaijo's Kobori and Hayakawa were quick to respond when they thought Kagami was coming," Koga crossed his arms, seeing the two Kaijo members left in confusion over Furihata's words. "Even if he made it past Kise, they would have caught him immediately."

Seeing the way Furihata's eyes moved back and forth on the court, Koganei could not help but notice how careful Furihata was to make a move. "Wait, this is…"

"Yes," nodded Riko, "cowardly is just another way to say careful. In other words, cowards never attack recklessly."

"He may not look like much, but Furihata-kun is the perfect player when you want to change the pace of the game," the miko chuckled, seeing the rookie point guard observing his teammates plays and movements. As Furihata passed the ball over to Kuroko's way, the ball was moved on a different course towards Kiyoshi. In a matter of seconds, Kiyoshi dodged Kobori's hands and passed the ball behind him and over to Hyuga before the ball was thrown up in the air. "But he may be nervous, but he will learn that he can rely on us as much as he needs to." A smile formed on Kagome's expression as she saw the ball being made into the basket with Hyuga and the rest of the team giving Furihata his praise.

Kiyoshi patted Furihata's back as Hyuga came to ruffle his hair. "Nice pass, Furi! Looks like you're starting to loosen up."

'_W-We did it?' _Furihata blinked, watching both Kiyoshi's and Hyuga's back as they ran to their defense positions. Taking a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes, he smile the moment she gave him a thumbs up. _'I…can do it!' _Running forward, Furihata watched as Hyuga was given the ball by Kuroko's pass and seeing his struggle against Moriyama. "Captain!" he shouted.

Kasamatsu blinked as he noticed Furihata's appearance the moment the ball was passed to him. _'Number twelve doesn't stand out much, but he moves well. He is supporting his teammates well, and he is allows them to move around freely. I sensed it during their last attack, but that first year point guard, he compensates for mistakes and avoids dangerous situations. He's good at assisting his allies. This could be bad for us!' _Kasamatsu's eyes drifted off towards Seirin's bench, seeing the smile on the miko's face. _'Hm, looks like Higurashi-san has done it again.'_

As Furihata caught Kuroko's passing ball, he heard the yells of his teammates before he made the shot. Excitement ran through his veins as he felt the rush of victory. With his teammates giving him high-fives and smiles, he could not help but feel a new level of welcoming to the _family. _The buzzer went off before the referee called out a time-out by Kaijo's requests. With both teams walking over to their respective benches, Moriyama sighed as he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"I wasn't expecting that ambush," he whispered, seeing his coach's annoyance over Furihata's sudden appearance. They had no information on him to know what he truly was made of.

"But they will sub him out soon, right?" questioned Hayakawa.

"Yeah," their coach spoke, "and even if they do, it won't change their weakness. It's Seirin's greatest weakness. We will focus our attacks around Kasamatsu even more during the second quarter."

"Yes, sir!"

Kise chuckled under his breath as he released a sigh with an accompanying smile. Giving his captain a thumbs up, he rested his other elbow on his knee. "I am counting on you, captain."

"You don't have to tell me!" Kasamatsu quickly gave him a light smack on the back of his head, ignoring the low moan Kise released.

* * *

"Here you go."

Raising his eyes to the voice, Furihata blinked as he stared at the water bottle before seeing Kagome's smile. "Kagome-chan…," he whispered.

"You did well," she spoke as the rest of the team gave him the same grateful smiles for his help. His aura slightly increased with joy and Kagome could not help but feel relief despite the tough situation Seirin was in.

"Yes, good job!" Riko cut in, giving him a thumbs out. "Izuki-kun, you're up next."

"I'm okay to go-kay! Nice one!"

Riko sighed as she knelt down to the team, ignoring Shun's hurtful expression of being ignored. "Now that we are back on our feet…we will go with the plan we established before the game. We have something this time to double our strength." Her eyes landed on the center as he grabbed the container of honey lemons from the miko's hands. "We will focus our attacks around Teppei."

With a nod, Kiyoshi replied before eating a slice, "leave it to me."

"Just be careful," Kagome whispered for Kiyoshi to hear.

No worded reply was given back to her, but only a genuine and warm smile was returned on his part to reassure her worries.

* * *

Kiyoshi clenched his teeth as he captured the ball from Kuroko's pass and turned his head over his shoulder to see Kobori already on his tail. The Kaijo captain's eyes narrowed, watching the careful movements of the Seirin center as he tried to make a basket. _'I knew this was coming!'_

"Come!" Kobori shouted. His eyes followed the movements of the ball, noticing Kiyoshi going for another pass to the phantom player. _'He is passing from under the net!' _He gasped as Kiyoshi's wrist twisted the ball around, and pivoted around his body before making the simple shot from under the net. "Damn it!"

"Don't worry, Kobori!" Moriyama spoke. "Offense!"

* * *

"A center showdown, huh?" Himuro spoke as he saw the rivalry both Kobori and Kiyoshi displayed under the net. "It's Seirin's greatest chance of winning. They are going for the mismatch."

"It looks that way," Murasakibara cut in, placing his hands inside his pockets, "but isn't this more obvious?"

Himuro's focus narrowed, noticing the cleared path in front of Kasamatsu as he dribbled the ball in place towards the hoop with only Shun in front of him. "Isolation, huh? They created space for Kasamatsu to penetrate the key. In other words, they want a one-on-one."

* * *

Furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of Shun coming in front of him, Kasamatsu clenched his teeth. _'That first-year did his best, but he is still only a first year. After that underwhelming performance, I am not holding back.' _

'_Look closely,' _Shun told himself, keeping his eyes on Kasamatsu's feet, _'he is way faster than you. Predict his movements. Left…no, right!' _Prepared to take a step to the right, Shun's eyes widened a fraction the moment Kasamatsu made a drive to the left before making the shot. _'N-Nani? My prediction was right! So how…!?'_

"I'm not finished yet!" Kasamatsu smirked as Shun clenched his teeth.

'_He is fast. Aside from the Generation of Miracles, he is the fastest opponent we have faced, yet,' _the miko sighed, noticing Shun beginning to get annoyed with the Kaijo captain. She blinked at the sight of Hyuga calling out the Eagle Eye player and tilted her head to the side.

"They will probably keep attacking like this," Riko sighed, catching Kagome's attention, "they are assuming they can pass Izuki-kun. In other words, they think Izuki-kun is our weakest player."

Blinking at the words Riko had used, she was a little appalled that someone would think Shun as the weak point in Seirin. "Isn't that a little harsh?" she questioned.

"Huh? Well, perhaps," the coach exhaled, "you see, Izuki-kun started playing his second year of grade school. He has been playing longer than any of our players. Don't worry," she whispered, knowing Kagome's worry what Shun might think of himself, "this isn't enough to get him down. No one has put more into basketball than him. Encouraging him is senseless."

Returning her focus onto the court, Kagome was left silent the moment the ball was given back to Kasamatsu and Shun was found again facing him one-to-one. "Sorry," Kasamatsu spoke, "but you can't stop me."

Shun narrowed his eyes as memories flashed back in his head how the harsh and difficult trainings he gave himself to accomplish what he wanted. He was not naturally gifted liked other players, but that did not mean he was weak! In a blink of an eye, Kasamatsu passed him on his right, making him smirk, "this is it. I can finally use the Eagle Spear!" Pressing his fingers together, he jabbed his hand in the gap Kasamatsu's arm made and pushed the ball away from his grasp.

'_N-Nani!?' _Kasamatsu's pupils shook, watching the ball bounce away from his vision. _'He waited until my defenses were lowest, just after my drive…'_

"I see," Koga nodded to himself, "he used his Eagle Eye to tip the ball behind his back. By not changing the direction he is facing, his speed dramatically increases."

"Is that even possible?" Shippo's eyebrow rose.

Koga gave out a shrug with his shoulders, "well to us nothing is impossible to believe, right?"

Seeing Hyuga grab the ball and make a shot, Shun smirked as he turned to face the Kaijo captain with his own confidence. "Mad men make mad interceptions!"

"Shut up, Izuki!" Hyuga shouted.

"I guess you're right," Kagome chuckled. With Hayakawa passing the ball over to his captain, her eyes carefully observed the movement Kasamats took as Shun met with him head-to-head.

The Kaijo captain snickered as he bounced the ball in place. How unlikely of him to underestimate his opponent. "I apologize," he spoke, "honestly, I underestimated you, Izuki Shun."

"Well, I am more than just a pun master."

"Huh? Puns? When did you make any?"

"You didn't notice!?" Shun blinked, taken back by how much his puns were being ignored today. With a sigh, Shun's lips returned back to a smirk before taking a step forward with extended arms to his side to lessen the options Kasamatsu had to escape.

Cursing under his breath, Kasamatsu took a step back, _'if I pour all my nerves into it, I should be able to go fast enough to outrun his back tip, but…'_

"The pressure is incredible," Shippo whispered. "He is not backing down, even though he knows he will pass him.

"If I remember correctly, Kasamatsu's strengths are his outside attacks and quick drives," the wolf youkai spoke as he remembered reading over Kaijo's profiles. "If his opponent approaches him to prevent a shot, he drives. If they back away to prevent a drive, he shoots. It's one of the most orthodox and powerful styles. To be honest, if I were him, a drive would be the most effective, but Seirin has something that won't allow that."

Sesshomaru released a low chuckle as his eyes found the phantom player prepared behind Shun for the captain to move forward. He would not admit it out loud, but the miko had definitely found an interesting set of people that kept his own interest high.

"Senpai!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Kasamatsu sighed before passing the ball to his side, _'I don't want to back down now, but…it's all on you, ace!'_

Sensing the auras rise, Kagome watched both Kise and Kagami come face-to-face as their auras clashes with one another. A closer reading on the tiger had Kagome tense as she saw the light sparks of aura surrounding him, _'he is getting close…'_

'_Looks like you're finally warmed up,' _Kise's eyebrows furrowed in on Kagami's relaxed stance. _'In fact…now that I am facing him, I can tell he is a totally different person now than what he was before.' _Taking in a deep breath, Kise charged forward with the tiger by his side.

Kagome's eyes scrunched the moment the blonde basketball player took a step back and winced. Looking down at his foot, Kagome blinked as she saw the pulsing pain. _'Kise-kun is still playing like that?' _As soon as Kise tried taking the shot, all eyes widened the moment Kagami slapped the ball back towards Shun's path.

All eyes immediately went over to the red head as he passed Kise and was given the ball by Shun. Kagami dribbled the ball while passing both Kobori and Hayakawa and eyed the hoop only a few feet away. As he heard the encouraging shouts of his teammates to make the dunk, Kagami's eyes widened as Kise appeared once again in front of him and pushed the ball away from his grasp.

"Neither of them are giving up," Shippo whispered under his breath. The amount of sweat accumulating on their skin was evidence of their determination to beat each other.

As the ball was thrown back to Kagami's hands, the miko watched in silence as he faced Kise once more. The aura surrounding them was definitely getting heavier, but stronger. _'The pressure is incredible between the two. It is like when I watched Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-sama face off against each other.' _In a matter of seconds, Kagami found his chance and passed the blonde in a blink of an eye before jumping and dunking the ball into the hoop. Everyone on the court remained still as they were shock to see the tiger having passed Kise that easily without a mistake.

Scoffing at the dunk, Kise smirked as he saw Kagami turn to face him. "Damn you…," he whispered, knowing fully well Kagami was only getting started.

* * *

"Oi, Satsuki."

As she sipped on her soda pop, the pink haired manager raised her eyes to see Aomine staring at his cup of coffee as they sat inside the café. With a blink of her eyes, she gave another slurp of her drink knowing he knew she was listening.

"Do you believe in destiny?" he questioned.

Satsuki blinked once more before the question finally settled in her mind and her lips disconnected from the straw. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she stared at the tan male with wide eyes. "E-Eh?" Leaning forward, Satsuki quickly placed her hand over Aomine's forehead as she hoped to feel a fever coming in. "What are you talking about!? Are you feeling sick!?"

"I don't have a fever!" Aomine grumbled as he grabbed the girl's wrist. Of course he did not sound like his normal self, but after his loss against Seirin, he had a lot of thinking to do. With a sigh passing his lips, he leaned back in his seat as he closed his eyes. "I know it's out of character, but lately I have been thinking about the things around us."

"The things around us?"

"Was it really a coincidence that the Generation of Miracles and Tetsu came together at the same time? I don't know if it means anything. It's just something I sense." Aomine's eyes slowly opened as he saw the small amount of steam rising from the hot liquid inside his cup. "We were on the same team. Then we became enemies. Recently we all made it to this tournament. If destiny does exist, then both of their appearances must have been fate, too."

Tilting her head to the side, Satsuki blinked as she heard the word that caught her attention. "Their?" she repeated. "Who exactly are you talking about, Dai-chan?"

With another sigh, Aomine's eyes glided to the corner as he stared outside the window near his seat. The image of the red head appeared in his mind as he spoke. "One like the Generation of Miracles that could not become one of us. The last awakened one with as much talent as the Generation of Miracles. The Miracle that never was."

"Kagami-kun, huh?" Satsuki exhaled, watching the ripples of her drink as she stirred it with her straw. "I am guessing the other person is Kagome-chan?" The name made the tan male tense as his eyes narrowed which did not go unnoticed by her. "To tell you the truth, I could not find much information on her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was curious about her middle school days, but I did not find anything. She missed a lot of days, but I could not find the reasons." Satsuki slowly grabbed her glass before bringing the straw close to her lips. "Yet she appeared in Seirin and rumors have it that she knows not only Ichiro Koga, but also Tashio Sesshomaru."

Aomine raised a brow as he heard the connection Kagome had. Was it a coincidence that she had come across? But now Koga, the infamous professional athlete trainer, and Sesshomaru, the CEO of one of the top companies in Japan were involved in a high school tournament. They were definitely missing a piece to the puzzle and they knew Kagome was the one who had it – hidden.

"Fate, huh?" he whispered as he brought his cup of coffee up to his lips. Fate was definitely a mysterious thing.

* * *

"Kagami Taiga."

Hearing the name being spoken out by the inu youkai, both Shippo and Koga blinked as they saw Sesshomaru's attention on the red head.

"He is like one of the Generation of Miracles," he spoke. "He is a member that followed a different path. That is why the other Generation of Miracles see him as a threat." Sesshomaru chuckled under his breath as he saw the tiger make his way back towards defense as Kise glared at his back. No doubt it was about to get worse for both teams.

* * *

"Change gears," Kasamatsu whispered, catching Kise's attention. "We are on offense. Let's get them back."

Watching his captain walk forward, Kise sighed as he knew his anger was about to get the best of him. He had to get them back; he had to. "I know," he chuckled. Taking in a deep breath, he pressed his anger back down, '_that's right. We will get them back.' _Getting into his position, his eyes narrowed the moment Kasamatsu passed the ball towards him and was met with the tiger once again.

As soon as he passed the red head, Kise ran towards Kaijo's hoop before jumping into his stance. The miko blinked, noticing a little hesitation in Kise's jump before Kagami was able to smack the ball away from its intended course. Kagome raised a brow as her eyes followed the slow movement Kise made into his next transition. _'Something isn't right…'_

"Nice, Kagami!" Kiyoshi shouted. Throwing the ball across the court, he and the rest of Seirin ran back towards their own basket.

"Fast break!" Hyuga ordered knowing Kaijo would be behind their tails any second. They needed to catch up as soon as possible!

"Hmm…was it just me or was Kise-kun's jump way lower than normal?" the Seirin coach question, catching Kagome's attention.

Kagome took a glance towards the Kaijo bench, noticing the coach's worried look as his eyes remained on Kise the whole time. So she was right about Kise. The miko turned her head back to the court before parting her lips to speak. "I am afraid Kise-kun won't be playing for a while."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Riko blinked. With the sound of the ball making it into the basket, her eyes glided back to the court to see Kagami having made the dunk after passing a frustrated Kise.

'_It's not over yet! I can still fight! I don't want to lose to him! I can still-!' _the sound of the buzzer broke Kise's inner thoughts and eyes went wide the moment the referee spoke.

"Player substitution, black!"

The Kaijo ace quickly turned his head to the side as he saw his coach with crossed arms. "Kise, you're out," Takeuchi spoke. He knew this was a bad decision to make, but he could not afford losing Kise entirely.

"N-Nani?" Kise whispered as he took small steps towards his coach. "Why me? If you sub me out now-!"

"Kise." Hearing his captain's stern voice, Kise pressed his lips together upon seeing the serious look on Kasamatsu's face. "Listen to the coach," Kasamatsu sighed. It was not only the coach feeling this way. Losing Kise would put them behind and he knew it.

"But!"

"Listen to the coach!" Kasamatsu shouted.

Seirin blinked in unison as the boys on the court overheard the conversation. Shock filled their minds as they heard Takeuchi wanting to sub their ace. "A sub?" whispered Kiyoshi. "Why?"

"Kise-kun…," Kuroko watched as Kise's fists shook on either side of his hips. It was a game of pride at this point. The last thing a member of the Generation of Miracles wanted was to be subbed out.

Standing from her seat, Kagome lowered the clipboard from her chest down to her side as she saw Kise grind his teeth. Out of the mindset of the game and being part of Seirin's team, she knew if Kise went any further with that injured foot, he would most likely injure it permanently and never play again. Kagome gripped the clipboard by her fingers as she slowly made her way towards the line at the edge of the court. It was not her business, but was it her fault to look after others?

"Kagome-chan?" Riko whispered, watching as the miko's shoulders shook.

"Kise-kun!"

With the sound of the miko's voice being heard within the court, all eyes landed on her. Hyuga raised a brow as he saw their own manager staring at Kaijo's ace with a mild-glare. "What is she doing?"

"Listen to your coach…," she spoke, slowly dropping her eyes down to her feet.

"Tch!" Kise's fingers tightened inside his palm as he heard Kagome's voice telling him to back away from the game. Like hell he was! Taking a step towards the girl, he narrowed his eyes. "Stay out of it, Kagomecchi! Don't see this as an opportunity for Seirin to get ahead-!"

"I am not!" she shouted back, meeting him eye-to-eye. "Your foot is injured!"

Kise and the rest of the basketball players reacted with a blink as they heard Kagome's words. With scrunched eyes, Kasamatsu focused his eyes on the girl. _'How did she know about Kise's foot?' _

"Don't hide it," Kagome continued, "it has been bothering you since your match against Haizaki. I can tell you have overworked yourself. It was wrong of Haizaki to stomp on your injured foot, but understand that if you continue like this your injury will get worse!"

"I can still play through the pain-!"

"And then never play another game again!?" she cut him off. She knew it was wrong to help Kaijo at this time in the tournament, but Seirin understood her reasons. They all wanted a fair fight and Kise was in the plan to defeat.

Hiding his eyes behind his bangs, Kise bit his lower lip. Was that true? Would he never play again if he continued to push himself like that? With one last tightened grip in his fists, he turned away from the miko's concern look and walked over to his bench.

Kagome sighed, watching the basketball player with squared glasses pat Kise's shoulder before running to the small huddle Kasamatsu made. She blinked as soon as she saw Kasamatsu's eyes on her person before he turned towards his team. Was he on her? Relaxing her shoulders the best she could, the miko slowly made her way towards her bench as she felt Seirin's eyes on her person; questions were definitely ready to be asked.

* * *

"You shut him down hard again," Moriyama spoke, catching Kasamatsu's attention, "but I am surprised Kagome-chan was able to put some sense into him."

"She is definitely a mystery," Kasamatsu sighed, "but what she says is right. If he went any further the way he was pushing himself, he probably wouldn't be able to play anymore. The coach thought knows what he is doing. If he were so badly injured he couldn't go on again, the coach never would have put him in. Even Higurashi-san knows it…he will be back, but we can't roll over just because he is gone." Narrowing his eyes at his teammates, his fingers curled into his palm. "Show them what you are made of."

"This is our chance," Hyuga whispered, seeing the new person walking into the court. "I am not sure what Kagome-chan was thinking in pushing Kise to go to the bench, but if she saw him injured, then it is a serious matter." With a sigh, he turned towards the tiger and had his team huddle around him. "We can ask Kagome-chan later about this, but for now, we will focus our attacks around Kagami."

With the three upperclassmen going to their positions, Kagami exhaled heavily before hearing the light footsteps of the phantom player approaching him. "Kagami-kun…," Kuroko whispered.

"Yeah," the tiger nodded. "I don't know what Kagome saw or…felt, but I can't help but feel bad for him." Both he and Kuroko watched as Kise was left sitting on the bench with his head hung down. "But we have to play as hard as we can."

Kagome continued to observe the blonde male on the other side as his eyes remained on the floor. She knew he would not have listened to his captain and coach that easily and it was none of her business to get into in the first place, but imagining an injured Kise was something she…could not see.

"Kagome-chan?"

"Hai?" she blinked, turning her head to Riko.

"You saw his injured foot somehow, right?" she whispered her question. It was all becoming too suspicious for her now. She could see injuries, but not to the extent Kagome could. "Is this part of your secret? Being able to tell if someone is injured?"

Riko was definitely the closer one in finding out about the secrets she was hiding. With a sigh, Kagome returned her attention back to the court and watched as Kagami was quickly double-teamed by Hayakawa and Nakamura. "All I can say now…is yes, Riko-senpai."

She wanted to ask more, but she knew this was not the time nor place to ask for those answers. _'But it looks like Kagome-chan is becoming more open with us.' _With a small nod, Riko sighed, "I will give you the time you need, Kagome-chan. Don't worry." Riko returned her attention over to the court, watching as Nakamura took a step forward with Kagami glaring at the newcomer.

"You're not going anywhere," Nakamura spoke.

"Nakamura, huh?" Riko whispered, "a top eight player in middle school. He is famous for his defense."

"Should we be worried about him?" the miko questioned. Hearing Hyuga shout for a pass, the ball was quickly thrown to him and towards the phantom player before Kobori came in front. Kagome watched Kuroko get into his shooting form before releasing the ball upwards.

'_Damn it! The Phantom Shot!' _Kobori cursed under his breath as soon as the ball swooshed into the basket. _'How does this shot even work!?'_

Hayakawa clenched his teeth as he saw the scoreboard, "D-Damn it! Sumimazen! If I had been guarding him more closely-!"

"You should be double-teaming Kagami!" Kasamatsu cut him off as a tick rose on his forehead. "What are you, stupid? Besides, if you stick closer to him, you will only be more susceptible to his mis-whatever-," his eyes widened as his mind formed a way to stop Kuroko's shot. How could he have not thought of this before? "I figured out why that shot disappears."

"Really, Kasamatsu?" Moriyama asked, a bit taken back he was able to say such a thing.

"Yeah," he nodded back, "but I don't have time to explain. Keep our current formation. They will have to bench Kuroko, but I won't let them do it for free. I will crush one of their weapons." Grabbing the ball into his hands, Kasamatsu dribbled his way through the court after hearing the referee's whistle. "Hayakawa!"

With the ball being passed to his hands, Hayakawa quickly released the ball towards the hoop only to curse under his breath the moment it hit the rim. "Rebound!" both Moriyama and Hyuga shouted.

Kiyoshi planted his feet onto the ground as he tried his best to keep Kobori behind him. In a blink of an eye, he watched as Kobori pivoted around him and was pushed back by Kobori's back. _'T-This guy!' _His eyes widened the moment Kobori jumped up and caught the ball into his hands before throwing it over to Moriyama. _'He is good!' _Kiyoshi's eyes scrunched, watching as the ball was made in by Moriyama's shot.

Watching Kaijo celebrate the small victory, Riko's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Kuroko. "I think it is time to sub Kuroko-kun. Mitobe-kun, get ready-"

"Chotto, Riko-senpai," the miko whispered, "something isn't right."

"Huh?" turning her head to the court, her eyes widened at the sight of Shun bouncing the ball in place as Kasamatsu kept his distance. "What is Kasamatsu-san doing? Are they trying to make Izuki-kun shoot?"

Eyes widened as Shun quickly passed the ball towards the phantom player and noticed the Kaijo captain appear in front of him. Kagome and Riko stood form their seats as they watched Kuroko already in his Phantom Shot stance and Kasamatsu having taken a step back.

"A-A step back?!" Hyuga exclaimed.

"So he has figured it out," Koga whispered, crossing his arms.

"The Phantom Shot?" Shippo raised a brow. Even he was certain there was no way of stopping it after seeing Yosen struggle with such a shot.

The wolf youkai sighed, seeing the wide eyed expression the phantom player made the moment Kasamatsu had given distance. "Most players think the ball's trajectory is high, but it is just the opposite. I noticed it towards the end of the Yosen match. The unique low form of the shot is the secret behind his disappearing shot. In the case of a normal shot, the defender looks upwards. But because he thrusts the ball out from his chest, the ball's position is low."

"In other words, the defender looks down," the kitsune finished. "The rapidly rising ball quickly flies out of sight. At the same time, he misdirects the defender's attention towards Kagami, making him lose sight of the ball as though it disappeared."

Koga nodded as he heard Shippo's words. It was an effective move, until someone like Kasamatsu found the answer to the trick. "But stepping back instead of jumping broadens your field of view. If you have the speed to block it…," his eyes narrowed as Kuroko released the ball from his palm before Kasamatsu quickly jumped up and pushed it away from its path, "which Kasamatsu does."

"You are in plain sight!" Kasamatsu shouted.

The miko's eyes shook as she saw the wide eyed expression Kuroko was left in. "Kuroko-kun…," she whispered under her breath. He was frozen in his spot and enveloped in shock. Of course he would feel defeat with his ultimate move having been stopped by the opponent. _'Unlike Kise-kun, Kasamatsu-senpai knows how it works now. They have completely overcome the Phantom Shot.'_

With the buzzer grabbing everyone's attention, the referee crossed his arms over his head. "Player substitution, white!"

As Kuroko made his way towards the bench, he stopped the moment Kagami walk past him. "Kuroko. Leave it to me." His eyes snapped open from his depression before giving the tiger a nod. Continuing his way towards the bench, he met the miko's eyes as a frown was displayed over her lips.

"Kuroko-kun…"

Riko sighed, watching the phantom player lower his eyes to the ground. _'We were late subbing him out. Now they will think we subbed out Kuroko-kun because they beat him. It could affect our morale.'_

"Sumimazen."

Hearing Kuroko speak, the benched team and the girls blinked as they saw the small smile form on his face.

"My shot was blocked just before I was subbed out," he continued, "I'm sorry I made us lose control of the game."

"Huh?" Koganei blinked. "His reaction is surprisingly normal. You're not shocked?"

"Of course I am, but it's okay. Seirin hasn't lost the game yet. Besides," gliding his eyes to the court to his left, he watched as Kagami was passed the ball with two Kaijo members double-teaming him, "we have an ace we can count on."

Moving her eye sight to the court, Kagome formed a smile as Kagami easily broke Kaijo's defense and went between both Hayakawa and Nakamura. "You're right about that," she chuckled the moment Kagami dunked the ball with full force despite Kobori having come in front of him.

"Keep giving me the ball, desu," Kagami spoke, turning to the surprised looks on Seirin's faces. "I feel like I can't lose right now."

As time quickly ticked away, Seirin watched the tiger make shot after shot as Kaijo struggled to stop his advances. With the last two seconds coming to an end, Kagami passed the ball behind his back towards the brunette center before it was made into the basket. The sound of the buzzer made all the players stop any further movements as all eyes landed on the scoreboard – a tie.

"We are back to square one!" Koganei shouted with excitement.

Hyuga grinned before giving the tiger a slap on the back of his head, "how did you manage that pass then? Huh?"

"Why am I getting hit!?"

Hearing the groans of his team, Kasamatsu exhaled as his eyes remained on Seirin. "We are on break. Let's head back." He hated to admit it, but this was definitely not the plan. A tie is not what he wanted before the end of the second quarter.

Kagome watched as Kaijo left the bench with Kise being the last one up. Her eyes softened at the sight of his limping foot: _'he is hiding the pain, alright.' _

"Kagome-chan?"

Looking over her shoulder, she blinked at the sight of Kuroko waiting for her to follow the team back to the locker room.

"Are you worried about Kise-kun?" he questioned.

"The Generation of Miracles don't accept defeat that easily," she whispered, "Kise-kun will comeback…"

* * *

Seeing the guys hydrating themselves with the given water bottles the miko passed around, Riko crossed her arms. "Guys, listen up. Let's talk about the second half." Seeing all eyes on her person, Riko formed a smile over her lips. "I have nothing to say!"

"Huh?" the blinked in unison as a sweat drop appeared over their heads.

"Nothing at all," she chuckled.

Koganei took a step forward, seeing everyone had the same question. "But, coach, you told us to listen."

"It means things are going well. We will keep playing like this. As Kagome-chan mentioned, Kise-kun's foot is injured, but he will definitely come back before the end of the game." Looking over at the miko, Riko crossed her arms. "Do you know how long Kise-kun will be able to use his Perfect Copy? We need to establish as much of a lead as we can before then."

"He has no more than two minutes," Kagome replied, earning herself curious blinks from the team. "Along with his injury, it is possible their coach will wait for those last two minutes of the game, but I could be wrong depending on Kise-kun's own determination to win."

"I am amazed you went head-to-head with him," Hyuga spoke, catching the miko's attention. "I am sure even the audience was surprised to see you telling someone else from the other team to sit on the bench."

Turning his attention to the now silent miko, Kuroko tilted his head to the side. "How bad is his injury, Kagome-chan?"

"Not as bad as everyone thinks," she chuckled nervously. "I mean, it is like any other injury. If you strain it, it could get worse. I…was simply looking after him. After all, he did save me from Haizaki."

"Don't even remind me of the bastard," Kagami scoffed as he tied his shoes.

Feeling a hand patting her shoulder, the miko trailed it up to see Kiyoshi sending her a smile. "You did well in stopping him before he got his injury worse, Kagome-chan," he chuckled, "you really do have a big heart."

The words warmed her heart as she was left smiling at the ground. This much trust was given to her by the team, how could she not tell them? The only obstacle in front of her was Sesshomaru. Would he let her?

* * *

"Please, coach! Put me in! I am the only one who can stop Kagami!"

Crossing his arms, Takeuchi sighed as she saw Kise's frustration to play. Of course he felt frustrated himself, but this was for the best for Kise's health.

"Am I wrong!?" Kise shouted.

"No," Takeuchi spoke, "the last two minutes. Until then, I can't put you in."

Kise's eyes went wide to hear the rejection. How could they not put the ace in? They needed him at this point! "But at this rate-!"

"Kise!"

Hearing Moriyama's voice behind him, Kise took a step back and faced his senior. Why could his teammates not back him up? Did they not need him? "Moriyama-senpai, say something!" Anything! Anything to get him on the court!

Moriyama's fingers curled into his palm as he bit his lower lip. _'Get on the court…I wish I could say it! Damn it! We are that powerless to stop Kagami right now.' _He knew everyone felt the same about the situation, but after hearing of Kise's injury, it was obvious what decision they had to go with.

Exhaling under his breath, Kasamatsu slowly made his way forward. "Kise…I understand your point. But you still can't play." His eye narrowed, making sure to let Kise know the decision was final.

"Nani!? Why can't I-!?"

"Uruse! That is an order from your senpai, moron! Don't talk back to me, first-year!"

Kise took a step back as he cursed under his breath. This was the first time he ever felt so powerless; he hated it.

* * *

"The third-quarter will now begin!"

Watching Kaijo make its way to the court, Kagome sighed as her eyes landed on the pouting blonde sitting on the bench. _'So they did sit him out…,' _the miko shook the thoughts away as she came to her spot and sat next to the phantom player. She was not sure if they would place him two minutes before the game was over, but after reading his aura, his Perfect Copy could not be strained for much longer.

The blonde ace scoffed under his breath as he watched the Kaijo captain walk forward. The scolding he had received inside the lockers replayed in his mind. _'He is really spirited. Come to think of it, he was like this when I joined Kaijo.' _Memories of the first day of introductions in the basketball club flashed through his memory. The feeling of Kasamatsu's kick was still fresh on his cheek. _'I knew it wasn't swagger, but I still didn't like it. But I liked being "Kise of Kaijo".' _His eyes narrowed with clenched teeth as he watched Seirin quickly make shot after shot despite the best efforts Kaijo made to stop them. Time was quickly flying by and it only felt like the third quarter had started.

Kagami easily broke through their defense; Hyuga made his three-pointer shots and the rest of the Seirin team prevailed over them. _'Please!' _Kise grunted under his breath, _'hand in there until I can get back in!' _

"Calm down, Kise. You need to recover before the last two minutes," Takeuchi spoke.

Watching Moriyama make his formless shot, Koga rubbed his chin with his fingers as he saw Hyuga struggle to stop them. "Although Seirin is pulling forward, Seirin's captain has yet to stop Moriyama's shot. If he cannot do that, they will fall behind even when Kise comes back."

* * *

"Hm," Himuro blinked, watching Hyuga catch the ball into his hands as Moriyama appeared before him. As soon as he tried to make a three-pointer shot, Hyuga saw the danger and quickly passed it over to Mitobe who made the shot with ease. "Even without Taiga, there isn't a single player on Seirin then can leave unguarded." His eyes narrowed, watching the frustration clearly written on Kaijo's faces as only five minutes were now left in the game. "What will Kaijo do?"

* * *

Grabbing the ball from the floor, Kasamatsu released a sigh. "Let's keep going," he spoke, grabbing the attention of his irritated team. He felt the same, but he could not let his feelings get the best of him at this point.

"But what about Kagami?" Hayakawa questioned.

"I hate to admit it, but not even double-teaming works," Nakamura sighed, clearing the sweat off from his chin with the back of his hand.

Taking a look towards their bench, Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed at the sight of their ace sitting beside their coach. It was abnormal to see him sit out for a long period of time and he, for one, was becoming uneasy over it. "We expected this the moment we learned about Kise's foot. But we weren't expecting him," his eyes glided over to Seirin's own ace, "to grow so quickly. There is no good way for us to handle all five Seirin players. But we can still score." He gripped the ball between his hands as his eyes took a glance at the scoreboard with Kaijo three points behind. "We will do everything we can, but we can't help it if they score. But we will get them back! Strike to them like your life depends on it!"

"Yeah!" they shouted in unison.

Kasamatsu exhaled, watching as his team prepared their offense while he walked towards his own position. As he dribbled the ball, he could not help but release a scoff. _'I sound pathetic. I hate it. We are desperately hanging on, and Kise is our last hope. But I will happily do it if it means we will win!'_

Seirin tensed at the sight of Kasamatsu's eyes as he dribbled the ball in place while Shun stood in front of him. The miko's eyes narrowed at the sight of Kasamatsu's aura slowly rising in sync with each breath he took in. As soon as he exhaled, Kasamatsu went in for a full-speed drive and passed the Eagle Eye user. _'He is…fast. If I remember correctly, that is his full-speed drive. Kasamatsu-senpai has definitely grown, too.'_

'_It's not over yet!' _Shun shouted inside his head. _'Eagle Spear!' _Stretching his arm back without looking, his fingers pushed the ball away from Kasamatsu's grip.

Clenching his teeth, Kasamatsu cursed under his breath as his eyes followed the ball and noticed it going straight towards Mitobe's hands. Shouting out, he quickly dived forward and smacked the ball away from its course before his body hit the ground.

'_Kasamatsu-senpai!' _Kagome's eyes widened, surprised by the sacrifices Kasamatsu made to get the ball into Kobori's hands before making a dunk without fail.

The Kaijo captain came back onto is feet and glared at their opponents as Seirin returned the eye gesture. "We are not finished yet!" Kasamatsu exclaimed. "Don't underestimate Kaijo!"

Kagome's shoulders relaxed down as she saw Moriyama capture the ball into his hands from Nakamura's pass before both he and Hyuga battled it out. Even without Kise, she could see Kaijo was a strong team to respect and although they were their opponents today, Kagome did respect them more than just basketball players. At the sound of Moriyama's released ball, the miko blinked as she saw Hyuga's fingertip scrape below the ball before it bounced off the hoop.

"Rebound!" Hyuga shouted.

Hayakawa and Kiyoshi quickly went up for the ball, only for Hayakawa to get to it first and land back on his feet. The tiger cursed under his breath as his eyes remained on the ball, _'he has a keen eye for rebounds! His reaction to offensive rebounds is especially quick!' _Lowering his eyes, he clenched his teeth as Nakamura tried to push him back. _'And this guy is screening me to keep me from jumping! Damn it!'_

"Hayakawa!"

Hearing his teammate's voice, Hayakawa turned his head away from Kiyoshi's defense and saw Kobori was freely open from opponents. Without hesitation, Hayakawa quickly passed the ball over to their center before he took it towards the hoop for a dunk. Kobori's eyes widened as he saw Kiyoshi meet him in jump as his arm extended upwards for the ball. As their chests bumped into each other, both Kobori and Kiyoshi watched as the ball made it into the hoop along with the referee's whistle being heard.

"Defense, pushing! White, number seven! Basket counts! One free throw!"

"Nice work, Kobori!" Moriyama shouted.

'_Crap!' _Kiyoshi shook his head as his hands rested over his hips. Why was he letting his guard down? "Damn it!"

"Kiyoshi Teppei…"

Snapping out of his negative thoughts, Kiyoshi looked over his shoulder as Kobori walked past him.

"You are much better than me," he spoke, "but I won't lose. Because we want to win more than you. We are more determined. This is our chance for revenge. Since you beat us once, you are on the receiving end. And you weren't in the last game. I won't lose to a guy who just wants to win."

Watching Kobori walk away, Kiyoshi could not help but remain silent as he tried to analyze his words. There was nothing he could say to the truth, was there?

"Say something, you moron!"

The brunette flinched as soon as he felt a heavy slap on his back. Looking over his shoulder, Kiyoshi closed one eye as he rubbed the hit spot. His eyes widened the moment he noticed the angry look on Hyuga's face.

"Don't just listen to him speak his mind!"

Kiyoshi sighed, understanding Hyuga's point, but what could he say back to Kobori when everything he had said was true? "It seemed reasonable, so I couldn't help it. It explains why they are strong."

A tick quickly appeared over Hyuga' forehead. He was not going to take that crap! "Have you forgotten everything we have practiced for? You couldn't help it?! Don't accept his logic, Tesshin!"

Flinching at the name, Kiyoshi gave his captain a smile as his hands rose defensively. "Wari, wari. I understand, so don't call me that."

"You have hardly done anything until now! We are counting on you, Uncrowned King!"

"Don't call me that, either," he chuckled nervously.

"Where is the spirit you had when you faced Murasakibara, Tesshin!?" Hyuga exclaimed.

"I really don't like it."

More tick pulsed over Hyuga's forehead as he placed his hands over his hips. "Pull yourself together, Tesshin!"

"Stop that-"

"Tesshin! Tesshin! Tesshin!"

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she watched and heard the scene unfold. It was obvious Kiyoshi did not like the nickname, but for Hyuga to push it was something else. This was definitely the first time she had seen Hyuga and Kiyoshi engage into a different level of fighting.

With every repeated word of his given name, Kiyoshi's ticks appeared and twitched before he finally broke out. Pointing his finger at Hyuga, Kiyoshi gave him a glare, "I told you to stop! We may be friends, but you don't get a free pass!"

The first-years, including Kagome, watched with wide eyes as they witnessed Kiyoshi having lost his temper and face their captain with a glare. This was definitely a sight to see.

"Don't call me Tesshin!" Kiyoshi shouted. "Don't you know it takes one to know one!?"

"What the hell are you talking about!? That doesn't make any sense, baka!" Hyuga argued back.

"Well, you have let tons of threes through!"

"Uruse! I am just getting started!"

Riko sighed as her eyes dropped to a dead-fish eyed expression. Why could these two not see the situation was not calling for an argument between the two? Feeling her own eyebrow twitch, she sighed as her fingers rubbed her temple.

"Shouldn't…we stop them?" Kagome whispered, a bit taken back as Kiyoshi and Hyuga continued with their insults.

"Leave them be," she sighed, "they will stop eventually."

"I would rather die than make lamer jokes than Izuki!" Hyuga shouted back, receiving a blank look from the first-years.

Watching Shun grab the ball, Kagome's sweat drop appeared as she saw angered expression on both Kiyoshi and Hyuga as they ran side-by-side. "A-Are they going to be okay?" she whispered.

"They will be fine," Riko replied. This was not the first time she had seen the two argue. "It happens all the time. They have grown up since you first-years joined. But when they played together last year, they were like that all the time."

'_All the time?' _the miko blinked.

"They say the closer you are, the more you fight. They are the pillars that carried the brand new Seirin team to the championship league. You can count on them." A smile formed over Riko's lips as she stared at the backs of the captain and the center.

Hearing the ball being bounced in a pass, Kagome blinked as she saw Shun pass the ball over to Hyuga before it was thrown towards Kiyoshi. Gripping the ball in his hand, Kiyoshi shouted from the top of his lungs as he jumped up with Kobori in front of him. The dunk was made with full force, earning Seirin another two points onto their score.

With three minutes left in the third quarter, Moriyama clenched his teeth as he grabbed the ball into his hands and glared at Hyuga's person. Keeping a close eye on Kaijo's shooting guard, Hyuga prepared himself for any type of movements from Moriyama. _'We have played before, but they are not here for revenge against us. If anything, it's the other way around. We failed to keep our promise last summer!'_

Koga narrowed his eyes as both Moriyama and Hyuga jumped at the same time. A smirk snaked onto his lips as he saw Hyuga's hand stretched upwards. _'He has gotten the timing.' _Nodding to himself, Koga watched the ball released by Moriyama being pushed back by Hyuga's hand, surprising Kaijo all together.

"Will you look at that," Shippo chuckled, "he managed to stop Moriyama's shot."

"Nice, Hyuga!" Shun smiled before catching the ball into his hands and charging towards their own hoop.

Kagome blinked, watching as Hyuga and Kiyoshi gave each other a glare before Hyuga pivoted around Moriyama's person. As soon as Moriyama tried to chase after him, he was faced with Kiyoshi's screen, making him curse under his breath. All eyes followed the quick passing movements Seirin made as the ball traveled from Shun to Hyuga and into Kiyoshi's hands before he dunked it in.

Cursing under his breath, Kasamatsu' eyebrows furrowed: _'a screen to the outside and back in?!'_

With the points added to their score, Kagome watched as Hyuga and Kiyoshi ran back to defense without giving a glance towards each other.

"Nice pass," Kiyoshi whispered.

"Nice screen," he returned the compliment.

Another sweat drop appeared over Kagome's head as she saw the interaction between the two. Despite being mad at each other, she was amazed they were still on the same page. Chuckling, Kagome's lips curved into a smile. _'But I guess that is what makes Seirin special.'_

* * *

Watching both teams score one after another, Himuro released a sigh. "They are strong. Kaijo's intensity is monstrous."

Turning away from the second-year, Murasakibara glided his eyes back onto the court, watching as Seirin made another three-pointer shot. "But Seirin is just as strong." With his attention down on Kaijo's bench, he noticed the restless blonde tapping his foot on the ground. Kaijo and Seirin were on the same level because one member was not present.

* * *

He could not take it. He could not just watch from the sidelines! Biting his lower lip, Kise stood from his seat and looked at his coach. "Coach, put me in!" Before he could push his argument further, Kise blinked as Takeuchi clenched his teeth. The whole team was holding back from putting him in. They knew they could not risk his injury nor for him to use his Perfect Copy so early before the game was over. Cursing under his breath, Kise sat back down as his fingers curled into his palm as soon as Kagami made the last dunk of the third quarter.

How much longer did he have to wait?

"Damn it…"

* * *

"Oh, oh, the Seirin-Kaijo game is already entering its fourth quarter. Our after-game meeting was long-"

"We couldn't help it," Mibuchi broke Nebuya's sentence. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed as he watched buff basketball player rub his shoulder. "We had a lot to reflect on."

As he heard his two teammates speak, Hayama could not help but grin at the thought of the finale. Making his way down the hall with the rest of the Rakuzan team, he placed his hands behind his head, "I wonder who is going to win. I would be excited to play either one!"

"How is the game going?"

Hearing the voice of the captain, the male Rakuzan manager looked over his shoulder from the balcony of the audience and gave a small bow with his head. "Since the start of the third quarter, Seirin has held a lead and maintained control of the game."

Akashi nodded back without a word and allowed his team to walk through the audience to get to their seats. As he made his way towards his own seat, Akashi's eyes narrowed as he rested his elbow on the arm rest and leaned his cheek over his knuckles. The movements Kagami made had definitely caught his interest, but that did not mean he was intimidated by any means.

"That impressive," Nebuya spoke, "he broke through that double-team."

Mibuchi chuckled as he saw the tiger make a pass towards their center. "Then he passed to finish the play. It's simple, but beautiful."

"I can tell from that one play!" Hayama exclaimed. "Seirin is amazing!" Turning towards their captain, he pushed Mibuchi to the side, "Akashi, what do you think?!"

"Well," he replied in a whisper, keeping his eyes on the court, "I can see how they made it to the semi-finals. They play well. They don't look like a team in its second year. Kaijo is a good team, but they can't handle them without Ryouta. Accoding to our scouts, Ryouta was subbed out for an injury." He had heard from the scouts Kaijo was not the only thing that pushed Kise to sit out, but Seirin's manager herself. He narrowed his eyes on the miko, watching as her own attention followed the quick movements of both teams. He was definitely intrigued by her.

* * *

With Kiyoshi making another dunk from Kagami's pass, Seirin's bench shouted in victory as they saw their score ten points ahead from Kaijo's. "Yosh! We are in control of the fourth quarter, now!" Koganei shouted.

"If we can pull fifteen points ahead, we will win," Riko spoke, catching the attention of her team.

"Is that possible?" Kagome questioned. Considering Kaijo's strength, it could be impossible to pull that far ahead.

"Naturally, it's not guaranteed. But with fifteen points, even with Kise-kun's unstoppable Perfect Copy, they can't make a comeback in two minutes. It will dramatically improve our chances of winning. With five more points, it's checkmate."

Taking a glance at the scoreboard, Kagome and Kuroko made eye contact before looking over at the blonde ace. With the fourth quarter already starting, it made the miko uneasy about those last two minutes Kise could use with his Perfect Copy. It all seemed too easy if that was possible. "The human soul is a funny thing," she whispered low enough for Kuroko to hear. "When humans are pushed to the extreme and to their limits, we push even harder without thinking of the consequences."

Kuroko blinked, listening to the words of the miko. What was she talking about?

"Kise-kun might have two minutes," she continued, "but it is possible he can go further…if he really wants the win." Narrowing her eyes at the court, she watched Seirin made yet another shot as Kaijo pushed through to stop them. "His Perfect Copy isn't entirely unstoppable."

"Is there a way to stop it?" he questioned.

"It takes time and…observation," Kagome replied. Turning to face the phantom player, she gave him a nod. "Can you help me?" It was risk, but she knew of Kuroko's keen observations on people. She had taken a small glance, but she was sure there was a pattern to Kise's Perfect Copy; she just needed to see it one more time.

With a nod, Kuroko turned towards the court. "Coach," he called out.

"Huh?" Riko blinked.

"I am afraid Kise-kun will be put in much earlier than we expected," the miko sighed as she gripped the clipboard over her lap. "We need to put Kuroko-kun back in."

* * *

"Be patient." Takeuchi could almost feel the heavy and impatient atmosphere from their ace. It annoyed him that he could not put him on the court, but he was taking his job as a coach. "Be patient!" he whispered once more.

Kise's hands gripped his knees, watching as Seirin continue to push forward. This was not how the semi-finals was supposed to look! He was supposed to be playing with his team! _'Please! Hang in there!' _His eyes slowly widened as Kagami made the last dunk before reaching the fifteen point mark. At this point he was desperate and his teammates needed him. He could not be patient! Standing up from his seat, he quickly began to take off his sweat pants.

"Kise, matte! It's too soon!" Takeuchi exclaimed, watching as his ace began to take off his sweatshirt and reveal his jersey.

"I don't care," he spoke. "I am going in."

Looking over at the scoreboard, Kaijo's coach sighed as he saw the time that remained for the fourth quarter. "We still have four minutes. If you push yourself for over two minutes on that leg, you could suffer long-term effects."

"Coach," Kise cut in, "the ace's job is to lead his team to victory. If I don't play now, I am not the ace! If I don't go, I will regret it. After all…," a small chuckled escaped his throat as his eyes softened, "I love this team."

As he stared at Kise's back, Takeuchi swallowed in his pride and exhaled. "Fine," he spoke out, "but if I think you're in danger, I am subbing you out."

"Roger that," he winked. He needed to get inside the court now before it was too late; his team needed him. Making his way to the referee table, he gave them a smile, "I'm subbing in-."

"I'm subbing in."

Kise blinked, raising his eyes to the other side of the table as he saw none other than his former teammate coming back onto the court as well. Narrowing his eyes at Kuroko's stare, they both gave each other a nod.

"Coach. Kagome-chan." Hearing Koganei's voice, both females looked over at their bench as the team gave them a questioning look. "Isn't it too soon to sub Kuroko in?" he questioned. "He still can't use his Phantom Shot."

"His Misdirection is pretty weak against Kaijo right now," Tsuchida added.

Releasing a sigh, Riko's eyes followed the movements of both Kuroko and Kise as they made their way onto the court after the referee's call. "I thought so, too," she whispered. "Although we have a fifteen point lead, Kagome-chan and Kuroko-kun said it was best to go with this."

"That is why we should push even harder at this stage," Kagome cut in, "to beat Kise-kun. Kuroko-kun knows Kise-kun well and after observing the Generation of Miracles, nothing is scarier than when they get cornered. Kise-kun has already been pushed and there is a high chance Kise-kun will use his Perfect Copy right away."

"H-How can you tell, Kagome-chan?" Koganei whispered.

Taking in a deep breath, the miko's fingers gripped the clipboard to her side. "His aura is rising…," she replied.

"Aura…?" Riko blinked. What aura was she talking about?

* * *

"Don't push me, Satsuki!"

"Hurry up! We are going to miss the game!" Momoi grumbled under her breath. Giving it all on her push, she glared at Aomine's back as she tried to push him further into the hallway and towards the entrance of the audience.

With a sigh, Aomine looked over his shoulder as Momoi continued her actions. He just could not understand women. "You said we didn't have to come."

"I changed my mind! I need to see with my own eyes how this games ends." As Aomine's steps stopped, Momoi bumped into his back. "I-Itai…," she whispered, rubbing the tip of her nose.

Having stopped at the sound of the buzzer, Aomine raised a brow as he saw both Kise and Kuroko walking into the court on the last four minutes of the game. "You got lucky, Satsuki," he spoke. "Looks like we made it in time to see all the players on the court. It's the climax."

* * *

"Kaijo was barely hanging on. If they had waited any longer, it may have broken their spirits," Koga whispered. It was a bit of a coincidence to have both Kuroko and Kise coming back in at the same time, but he knew each team were desperate at this point to get the spot in the finale. "For that reason alone, subbing in Kise was the right choice."

"But there are four minutes left in the game to his limited Perfect Copy," the kitsune sighed, his eyes observing the expression of relief wash over Kaijo's faces. Moving his focus onto the miko, Shippo scratched the back of his head. "Do you think okaa-san has a feeling Kise will be able to use his Perfect Copy for a longer period of time?"

Koga raised a brow at the thought. If Kagome had any part behind the decision to put Kuroko back in earlier than expected, then it was safe to say Kagome did sense something from Kaijo's ace. A flow of uneasiness blew over the court and he was sure it had to do with Kise's comeback. Even with Seirin ahead, it was possible for Kaijo to catch up…if Kise pushed through.

"Yo," Kagami called out, watching as Kise walked towards him, "you're finally here. I have been waiting for-," his eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the shadow and angered glow over Kise's eyes. Tightening his fist, Kagami allowed him to walk past him before hearing Kuroko's voice.

"Kagami-kun."

"Yeah," he nodded, turning back to face Kise's back, "we can't let our guard down."

"Hai," putting on his wrist bands, Kuroko narrowed his eyes at his opponents, "until we hear the end of the game buzzer, there is no telling what will happen." Turning towards their captain, both Kagami and Kuroko nodded as Hyuga turned his back to them.

"Yosh, don't relax until it's over! Let me hear you!" Hyuga shouted.

Shouting in unison to Hyuga's command, the five quickly went to defense mode as soon as they saw Kise on the run. Seeing Kasamatsu struggle against Shun, Kise quickly called for his attention. "Oi, senpai!" The ball was passed to him and stopped in his tracks the moment Kagami came forth. _'That's right. I'm the ace. The ace leads his team to victory. I don't want to lose again. I won't let them lose again. I will lead Kaijo to victory!'_

Kagome quickly stood from her seat as her eyes widened at the rise in Kise's aura. It was too soon even for her to sense Kise's Perfect Copy! There were still four minutes left in the game!

"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" Riko blinked, seeing the wide eyed expression on the miko's face.

"He is using his Perfect Copy…," she whispered.

"N-Nani?!" standing up on her feet, Riko's eyes immediately landed on the blonde ace as she saw him exhale. Eyes widened slowly as she watched Kise look into Kagami's eyes before the tiger was brought down with an ankle breaker. "He used Akashi-kun's move!?"

"No…," Kagome whispered, "he crossed over from Akashi-kun's Emperor Eye into Aomine-kun's drive!" Watching Kise charge forward, he easily dunk the ball in even with Kiyoshi having come to try to stop him. Seirin fell silent as the crowd and Kaijo cheered at the small victory from their score.

Kagami's eyes lowered to his feet as he heard Kise run past him and back to defense. He was at a loss for words at this point. _'He is unbelievable, but all of us has a feeling you would do this! This is not enough to make me back down!' _Standing back on his feet, Kagami charged forward as he heard Kuroko's voice.

"Kagami-kun!" Using his Ignite Pass, Kuroko quickly pushed the ball across the court before Kagami caught in his palm and went for a dunk.

To everyone's surprise, Kise appeared before the tiger as he smacked the ball away from Kagami's grip. Gravity took the miko down on her seat as she felt Kise pouring more than what she had guessed on his Perfect Copy. _'That was Murasakibara-kun's block with Aomine-kun's agility…he was able to stop Kuroko-kun's and Kagami-kun's counterattack?' _

"This isn't good!" Hyuga shouted. "Head back!"

Seirin froze as they watched Kasamatsu pass the ball over to his ace as all eyes recognized the stance. Riko shook her head in disbelief with Kise's palm slowly retreating back. "U-Uso…," the ball was pushed by the base of Kise's palm and between Hyuga and Kuroko before it landed in Kobori's grasp, "he copied Kuroko-kun's pass!?"

As Kobori made the simple lane-up, Kagome cursed under her breath as both Kagami and Kuroko faced Kise's glare. _'The final spurt of a cornered member of the Generation of Miracles…this is what I was afraid of!'_

"We will win!" Kise narrowed his eyes as he saw the shock in both Kuroko's and Kagami's faces. "I will put everything I have on the line!"

"Even I am shock," Shippo whispered, "I can't believe he copied Kuroko's pass. Kise is definitely evolving."

"But just how much can he is the real question," uncrossing his arms, Koga took a glance at the frozen miko. No doubt she and the rest of the people thought Kise could only use his Perfect Copy for two minutes, but he had immediately released it. "Using it with four minutes left, huh? Will he use it until it runs out?"

"No." Turning their heads to the inu, both Koga and Shippo blinked. "He will make it last until the end. This Perfect Copy of his consumes a tremendous amount of stamina, but…"

"….it is only consuming less compared to the first half," the miko whispered under her breath. Feeling the eyes of Seirin on her along with Riko's, she gripped her knees as she saw Kise's aura continue to rise. "At the rate he is going, it may last."

Riko cursed under her breath, punching her lap as her eyes landed back on the court. "It puts a comeback well within their reach! We were naïve to think we could stay ahead."

"Then that means…," Koganei trailed off, unsure what the miko or his coach were getting at.

"…we cannot win without stopping Kise-kun's Perfect Copy," Kagome finished.

"I will call a timeout," standing from her seat, Riko quickly made her towards the referee table as she left Kagome and the team in silence.

How could she have been so naïve as well? The miko sighed under her breath as the buzzer sounded off with Seirin's call of a timeout. With three minutes in the fourth quarter, Kagome raised her eyes to see her team walking towards the bench in silence. _'I know I told Kuroko-kun about the pattern in Kise-kun's Perfect Copy, but can I figure it out with only three minutes left?' _

Coming up to her feet, Kagome made sure to grab the water bottles from the crate behind her and began to distribute them between the members. As Riko made her way back to the team, she gave them a sigh as they obviously waited for an explanation.

"Guess Kise decided to use his Perfect Copy for half of the time remaining," Hyuga spoke before taking a sip from his water bottle.

"No," the female coach crossed her arms, catching the attention of her team, "Kise-kun will be using it until the end of the game."

"Kise is extending the limit of his Perfect Copy?" Shun blinked.

With a nod, Riko paused as she let the information sink into Seirin's heads. It was obvious their guard had to go higher with Kise on the court, but knowing he would purposely extend the limit to his ability would place heavy pressure on them. "That would mean our lead isn't safe anymore. If we don't do something, we are screwed."

Kuroko watched as the team showed signs of panic and tense expressions. Even he was becoming a bit worried, but after hearing Kagome's words of Kise having a pattern, it gave him hope.

"Very well," Hyuga spoke, placing his hands over his knees as he stood from his spot, "we can't afford any mistakes. Focus, guys. Even if our plans succeeds, Kaijo's team isn't just Kise. Don't stop until the final buzzer sounds. Be even more careful with passes and teamwork. Don't miss any easy shots. Do everything you can to keep our lead! Let's go, Seirin! Fight!"

As the males shouted together, Kagome and Riko shared a glance at each other as Hyuga's words replayed in their minds. Something did not fit well for the in Hyuga's speech. If anything, it sounded a bit harsh on his part to say no mistakes. Watching the team walk towards the court with the referee's whistle echoing throughout the stadium, both females sighed as they took their seats.

It was only a matter of seconds into the game that Kagami got the ball between his hands only for Kise to use the tip of his fingers to jab it away. _'Shit!' _Kagami clenched his teeth as he saw the quick reflex Kise had taken, _'he can use Akashi's Emperor Eye on defense, too?!'_

Capturing the ball before Hayakawa could, Kuroko pushed it to the opposite side as Hyuga caught it and prepared his shot. Hyuga cursed under his breath the moment Moriyama's fingertips brushed below the ball, making it bounce away from the hoop and lower down to the two centers of the teams. With Kobori grabbing the ball into his hands, he quickly threw it across the court towards Kasamatsu as Seirin ran back to get it back.

"Don't worry about it, Hyuga," Shun spoke, catching the captain's attention.

"Yeah…," he whispered back. _'Offensive mistakes are bad, but this is the bigger problem.' _

As Kasamatsu passed the ball over to their ace, Kise's eyes widened as he found himself facing Kuroko. What was going on? Was Kuroko marking him this time? _'Kurokocchi, what do you think you're doing? It's obvious. Kagamicchi is waiting behind you. You're trying to do what you did before in the practice match. Let me pass you and steal the ball when Kagamicchi stops me. But I have beaten it once already.'_

"Kuroko is on Kise?" Kasamatsu blinked.

Making a step to the right, Kise quickly passed the phantom player and came to face the tiger. He scoffed under his breath as he had the memory replayed in his mind from their practice game. "You're not trying to use the same move, are you!?"

"No, it's different this time," Kuroko replied.

Kagome blinked as she saw not only Kuroko coming to tip the ball from behind the blonde, but Shun coming forth as well. _'Three people on Kise-kun?' _She was amazed by how quick Kuroko was to make up the plan to stop Kise's advances, but something did not suit her right.

* * *

"A triple-team, huh?" Aomine sighed, watching as the three went towards the ball under Kise's grip. "The left side is open, but Tetsu let him pass on the right, leaving Kise's center of gravity on the right." It was a well thought out plan, he would give Seirin that much. "It's too late to cross over now."

* * *

All eyes widened, watching the Kaijo ace spin twice with the ball on his palm before passing the ball over his shoulder towards his captain. "Impossible…," Riko whispered, knowing the move all too well, "did he just use Kuroko-kun's passing skills?"

"Oh?" Koga raised a brow, "he used the centrifugal force of the spin to pass the ball from a standstill." Eyes followed the quick speed Kise used to get to their hoop as Kasamatsu passed the ball through the air. Hearing the tiger coming from behind to stop Kise's advances, Kise clenched his deep before dunking the ball in with all his strength, taking down the tiger from the force.

Kuroko ran to the tiger's side, making sure he was okay only to see Kaijo's ace stand before them. "It doesn't matter what you do," he spoke. "No one can stop me now."

* * *

"Wow, that didn't stop him, either~," Hayama blinked, taken back slightly by Kise's fast transitions in using the moves from the Generation of Miracles.

Keeping his eyes on the court, Akashi released a sigh, "if only that were their only problem. Seirin is falling into a pattern of failure."

"Huh?" the blonde second-year blinked. "What do you mean, Akashi?"

"At this rate, Kaijo will swallow them whole."

* * *

"Looking good, Kaijo!"

"They are catching up! They got this!"

"Go, Kaijo!"

Hearing the shouts of encouragement echo throughout the stadium from the audience, Kagome winced as she saw Kaijo intercepting more and more into their passes. Her eyes scrunched at the sight of Kise getting into Kuroko's form before the tiger as he prepared the Phantom Shot and easily made the ball go into the basket. The team was in disbelief as Kaijo made shot after shot; the gap closing in.

The fans increased in numbers with the cheers, making it feel like a heavy dark cloud loomed over the Seirin members. Kagome could feel the wavering auras of each, knowing the audience's voices were getting to them. This was not good to their morale and she knew it would only get worse if something was not done before hand.

"What is this?" Furihata whispered. "Most of the fans are cheering for Kaijo. It's like we are the bad guys."

The pressures got heavier and thickened as the game continued on. Looking around the audience, Shippo raised a brow as he heard the repeated team being cheered. "The fans are on Kaijo's side…"

"They subbed out their ace but desperately hung on. Their ace returned in their time of need, and now they are catching up." Sighing, Koga placed his hands inside his pockets, watching as Shun struggled to find an opening to escape Kasamatsu' defense. "Anyone would want to root for Kaijo. Seirin will suffer for it. The fans go wild each time the gap closes. They are delighted when they fail. No one cheers when they score. The pressure is rising, and they are out of their comfort zone. I am sure Kagome knows it too. It's incredible difficult to play normally under these circumstances."

The youkai followed the path of the ball as Hyuga tried to make a shot, only to go through air and miss the hoop entirely, much to everyone's surprise. The crowd whined and moaned discontent as soon as Kuroko captured the ball and commented on Kaijo not having the ball this time.

"Riko-senpai…," the miko whispered, curling her fingers over the clipboard on her lap.

"Yeah, time out."

"Time out?" Koganei blinked. "We just took one…"

'_Hyuga-senpai's words during the last time out…,' _the miko was sure Riko knew what she was talking about. _'An odd feeling loomed over them the moment he gave his small speech and we should have noticed it then. "No mistakes, no failures." That kind of thinking tenses you up, leading to more mistakes.' _Many times had she had thought the same during her feudal days when she would shoot arrows to the enemies. She could not afford to make mistakes and worrying over it made her mess up even more. _'Make one mistake, and it's a vicious cycle. Thinking about it leads to more mistakes, dragging down the quality of your play.' _

Kagome's eyes widened as she saw Kise go for a dunk with Kagami behind him in the air. With Kagami's chest colliding with Kise's back, players stopped in their steps as the referee's whistle was heard and made his call.

"Pushing, white number ten! Two free throws!"

Listening to the harsh comments being thrown to Kagami as he and the blonde remained on the floor, Kagome sighed. It was not on purpose; she knew that. She knew Kise knew that it was all about being desperate for the win. Coming to a standing position, Kagome took a step forward as she saw the heavy breaths the tiger took as he stood on his own and faced the blonde. Comment after comment on Kagami was heard throughout the stadium, making her bite her lower lip.

Blinking at the sight of the sweaty red head, Kise raised a brow as he heard Kagami speak as he delivered a glare. "I don't give a shit if we are villains," he spoke between heavy pants. "Villains only exist and lose in the world of fiction. This is our story!" he shouted, tightening his gaze. "We decide how it goes!" He had heard the comments, but he did not give a damn about it! This was their game to play!

"Kagami-kun…," the miko whispered, seeing the seriousness that over took Kagami's expression. She blinked at the sight of Hyuga making his way forward and placing his hand over the tiger's shoulder.

"Kagami…," he called out, making him turn his head over his shoulder, "that was lame." He shivered, wanting nothing more than to release the laughter held within his lungs.

"I am amazed you came up with such a lame line," Kuroko cut in. "How could you even say that?"

"Oi! You told Kagome and me, 'I'm your shadow!' remember!?"

"It's our story! Our story!" Shun grinned, sparkles surrounding him as he found his own way to embarrass the tiger.

Turning red with the comments, Kagami turned to the Eagle Eye user and let his eyebrows furrow. "Stop saying that!"

"Kagami, you're a script writer?" Kiyoshi blinked, placing his fingers under his chin. "Sugoi…," he continued, tilting his head to the side. Who knew one of his teammates had such a hobby.

"Please…shut up…," the tiger groaned, hiding his face into his palm.

A smile formed over the miko lips as she saw their distressed auras die down. Leave it to the tiger to get everyone on track with his awkwardness. Chuckling under her breath, Kagome turned her head to the coach, seeing her own smile already glued on her expression.

"D-Don't worry about the fans!" Kagami sighed, seeing he had his teammates' attention. "We will definitely win!"

Hyuga sighed under his breath, scratching the back of his head with a smirk. He hated to admit it, but Kagami's words had actually brought back some sense into them. "We know," he chuckled. "You don't have to tell us now. Now I'm relaxed. Let's enjoy the last two minutes and have fun."

"H-Hyuga, that's my line," Kiyoshi blinked, pointing at himself.

"But the situation hasn't changed," Shun cut in, "we need to do something."

Taking a step forward, Kuroko cleared his throat. "Ano…Kagami-kun's lame line made me think of something."

"Haven't you said enough!?"

"What is it, Kuroko?" Hyuga asked, becoming curious on Kuroko's idea.

"Kagome-chan was unsure about it, but I am now sure what she was talking about. This time I know how we can stop his Perfect Copy. We will need a time out."

* * *

"Kagome-chan gave me the idea."

The miko blinked as all of Seirin's eyes were on her person. Holding her clipboard to her chest, Kagome's eyebrow twitched. The moment Kuroko had called for a time-out, the phantom player had told Seirin of the so called 'pattern' she had seen in Kise's Perfect Copy.

"A pattern?" blinked Hyuga. "You noticed something, Kagami-chan?"

"Well…," she sighed, "it would take time to find the correct pattern Kise-kun is using, but we would need to keep a close eye on him." She looked away, feeling the corner of her lips twitch. _'Not to mention his aura rises differently depending on the move he is using.' _

"I can observe him on the court," Kuroko spoke, catching his teammates' attention.

"You can do that?" Hyuga questioned.

Looking at the miko, Kuroko gave her a nod. "I am not sure, but after seeing it myself, it is possible. Perfect Copy allows him to recreate the abilities of all the members of the Generation of Miracles. He can combine and use them in response to the situation.

"Since he is recreating them," Kagome cut in, "they are the same as the ones we have faced before. And we have a player who has faced them as more than an equal." Moving her eyes to the tiger, she noticed the other players blink as they began to connect the dots. "This is a game of prediction now."

* * *

"Predict?" Hayama tilted his head to the side, having heard the word from Akashi. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps _induce _would be more correct than _predict." _Lowering his knuckles from his cheek, Akashi raised a brow at the miko as she had the team engaged in her words. "It's the only way Seirin can stop Ryouta. Misdirection requires more than just technique. You must also interpret the actions and habits of your opponent. Since Tetsuya observes people on a daily basis, it's possible. From my first meeting with Higurashi Kagome, she had quickly reacted and read my movements when I tried to inflict damage on Kagami. Both can use the trends and habits of Kise's play to restrict his next play. But depending on the situation, he has countless options. It will be incredibly difficult for even Tetsuya or Kagome to manage that in two minutes."

* * *

"If you need to observe him, why don't you come out?" Koganei suggested, taking a step forward to catch the phantom player's attention.

"That isn't a good idea," the miko spoke out. Sighing under her breath, she crossed her arms. "On a battle field, you must have eyes from up close and from far away. If we want to read Kise-kun's movements, we will need to pairs of eyes to watch him." Taking a glance at the phantom player, she watched as Kuroko gave her nod.

Kuroko gave Kagome a smile before he spoke: "I won't be any help for a while, but may I be allowed to stay on the court?" he asked his coach.

Seeking for approval, both Kagome and Kuroko waited for Riko's response. They all knew it was risk with only two minutes left in the game, but it was the best chance they had. With Kuroko on the court as the inside eyes, she wondered how Kagome would be able to communicate with Kuroko as she did her own observing. "Fine," she nodded, "unfortunately, Kise-kun doesn't seem to be running out of steam."

"Don't worry, I will give signals to Kuroko-kun on that," the miko spoke out, catching Riko's attention.

"Signals?" she repeated.

Seeing Kagome nod, Hyuga turned his head to the coach and stood on his feet. "Well, we will leave it to them. We will do our best to stop the rest of the players. Either way, we can't win without stopping Kise." Getting his team up on their feet, the males huddled together in a circle. "Let's go! We haven't lost yet! Don't give up before it's over! Seirin, fight!"

As Seirin gave their yell, Kaijo turned their heads to the side and noticed the team walking onto the court as the miko stood at the edge with the coach. Kasamatsu raised a brow, noticing the change of expression on the miko's face. "Be careful," he whispered to his team. "Looks like Higurashi-san and Seirin are just getting started."

Kise chuckled under his breath, remembering the first time he had witnessed the miko's abilities to help the team during their practice match. He was skeptical at first, but he quickly came to respect the way she thought of plans. As the buzzer sounded off, Kise made his way towards the referee and grabbed the ball into his hands.

"Two free throws!" the referee called out.

Watching the Kaijo ace make both shots, the miko took in a deep breath before letting it out as she prepared herself to keep a close eye on him. It was a lot to ask of the team to keep Kise and the others occupied while she and Kuroko made their needed observations, but that was enough reason to push her to try harder.

"Okaa-san is at the front?" Shippo blinked, making both Koga and Sesshomaru take a glance at the miko. "I wonder if she noticed something?"

"That is a possibility," the wolf youkai chuckled under his breath. "Kagome has never failed to amaze us." Turning to see the tiger's expression as he stared at Kise, Koga could not help but chuckle again at the sight. Seirin definitely had something up their sleeves.

'_He is planning something,' _Kise's eyes narrowed, watching the intense concentration in the tiger's eyes.

Gripping the ball between his hands, Kagami's shoulders tensed as he thought of his next move. _'Little tricks won't work against his Emperor Eye. Full speed drive!' _Kagami charged forward, quickly passing both Kise and Moriyama before running towards the hoop.

Kagome's eyes narrowed, seeing Kise pass his own teammate and come beside the running red head in full speed. _'Aomine-kun's speed…' _

Watching Kagami make an abrupt stop with his heels digging onto the court, Kuroko kept his focus on Kise, seeing him block and push the ball away from Kagami's shot. _'Murasakibara-kun's block,' _he told himself, recognizing the move right away.

As the ball was given to the Kaijo ace once more, Kagami met him face-to-face. Catching his breath, Kagami kept a close eye on Kise's eyes. _'Will it be Aomine's drive, Akashi's Emperor Eye, or some combination? Damn it! There is no point in thinking!' _Watching the ball being dribbled between Kise's legs, Kagami's eyes widened as he felt his own feet react before he lost his balance. Kagami cursed under his breath, quickly catching his balance and standing still on his two feet.

"Why isn't Kise trying to pass him?" Kiyoshi blinked.

"Oi, don't tell me…," Hyuga's eyes widened, noticing the bent in Kise's knees as his hands rose in position.

"Midorima!?"' the tiger exclaimed. _'If he shoots a high trajectory three now, we will lose time while it's in the air! Kuroko and Kagome will have way less to observe!' _Jumping up to stop the shot, Kagami watched the pass in Kise's actions as the ball was thrown to the right and into Moriyama's hands. _'He made a fake with Midorima's shot!?'_

Kise landed back on his feet and ran forward with the ball being thrown back to him as he made it closer to their hoop. This was the time to defeat Seirin! He would close the gap and have Kaijo secure their spot to the finale!

* * *

"They have a lead," Aomine sighed, catching Momoi's attention, "but since Seirin needs time to stop Kise, that's the worst move he could use."

"You mean…"

"His fakes are working in Kaijo's favor. All his choices give Kaijo the strategic advantage." His eyes narrowed as he observed the mellowed out phantom player and the silent miko. Without being on the court, he could sense something was up between the two. Watching Kise make the dunk, he was not at all surprised to see the blonde back on his feet to steal the ball from Seirin's offensive acts. Slapping the ball away from Kagami's grip, he chuckled, seeing the ball slowly bounce towards the edge of the court. If Seirin did not save the ball now, it would be a huge loss for them.

* * *

Both Riko and Kagome watched the ball come close to the edge of the court as Hyuga dived in and reached for the ball. Hyuga slapped the ball back into the court before it was marked 'out' and crashed into Seirin's bench, surprising the rest of the members.

"Hyuga!" Shun shouted in concern.

"Hyuga-kun?" Riko quickly made her way to the captain and knelt down to his level. Stopping her hand from touching his shoulder, she blinked as Hyuga came onto his hands and knees.

"I-I'm okay," he whispered, knowing everyone's attention was on him. "Wari, miina."

Kagome blinked with a step back as the captain stood back on his feet and turned to them. Her eyes immediately noticed the trickle of blood coming down his lower lip. "H-Hyuga-senpai! You're bleeding…"

"Huh?" lowering his eyes, he used the back of his hand to swipe the red tint away from his lip and gave the two females a reassuring smile. "I cut my lip a little. Don't worry you two. Anyway," he changed his focus to his team standing at the edge of the court as their eyes showed concern, "you and Kuroko do what you have to do. We all believe in you."

Taking a glance over her shoulder, the miko noticed the look in Kuroko's eyes. He gave her a nod, sending her the message that he had caught exactly what she did on Kise's movements. As the game resumed, Kagome and Kuroko continued to make their observations. With Kaijo making shot after shot, they quickly closed the gap and went over one point compared to theirs; seventy-eight to seventy-seven with less than a minute in the game.

"Oi, did you see that?" the kitsune whispered, noticing the hand signs the miko made in front of her as the phantom player gave her a nod. "One. Two. Three. Four….what is okaa-san doing?"

"Hand signals?" Koga questioned with a raised brow. What were those hand signals? He never heard of them in basketball. With Riko calling for the last time-out, Koga blinked as he saw Kuroko stopping in front of the miko and talk amongst each other. _'Hmm, what does Kagome have in mind now?'_

* * *

"We are getting the gist of Kise-kun's play," Kuroko spoke out, feeling the ice pack being placed behind his beck with the help of the miko.

Eyes landed on the duo before Furihata took a step forward with a smile on his face. "Seriously?" he asked, "then if all goes well…"

"It is still incomplete," the miko sighed, making sure not to put too much pressure on the ice pack. "Although we have a basic idea on how it works, I am afraid we need to watch him more closely to beat his next play." Having placed numbers with her fingers according to the order Kise used the abilities of the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko had understood her, but the order of his next play was still a bit blurry for them to tell. "But," she whispered, "Kise-kun has two habits that we have been able to see. First, he tends to copy Aomine-kun when he doesn't have time to think. Second…"

"…he subconsciously avoids using the same copy twice in a row," Kuroko finished. "We don't have enough information to guarantee this, so we can't be sure. But we think we can use those habits to control his play."

Looking up from the ice pack, Kagome faced the team as she was able to form a plan. It was a risk with less than a minute left in the game, but any risk was worth taking at this point. "It would be wise to have him use Aomine-kun's copy. From there, once he enters the inside, he won't be able to copy Midorima-kun." Lifting four fingers up, Kagome narrowed her eyes, "that will lower our choices."

"Kagami-kun should go and stop him ahead once he passes, which he tends to copy Akashi-kun to evade him and reach the basket," the phantom player spoke. "It is obvious which strongest remaining copy from that position is, Murasakibara-kun's Thor's Hammer."

"Oi, oi!" Koganei exclaimed. "That is not incomplete at all, you two! That is amazing! If you two know how Kise moves, then we can use it against him."

Releasing a sigh, Kuroko's eyes lowered down to the ground, "that is only if he still plays solo, like he did in middle school. Kise-kun is different now. With passes added to his repertoire, I can't narrow down his plays enough. Sumimazen…I wanted him to become a team player, but I never thought he would become this strong."

"So you won't ask us to stop him there, correct?" the miko smiled. She knew Kuroko's reason as the Generation of Miracles had yet to learn the importance of his basketball. She would respect his decision. "Well then, once that is done, we need no more than four seconds to get the ball back."

"Huh?" Kagami blinked, seeing the miko's smile turn to his direction.

"Kagami-kun, there is something you must do the moment Kise is driven to the bottom of the net. No matter what happens, Kagami-kun, trust your teammates and your instinct, okay?" the miko widened her smile as the rest of the team blinked. "This is the plan after Kaijo scores…"

* * *

Watching Seirin walk onto the court, Kise raised a brow as the atmosphere had changed. The silence became suspicious even if the crowd continued with their cheers. Clearing the sweat from his chin, he prepared his stance along with his team the moment they heard the referee's whistle. Kaijo quickly noticed the full force in Seirin's charge as all five of them came towards them as Shun dribbled the ball.

"A run-and-gun!?" Kasamatsu exclaimed, watching as the players easily passed them with their speed. _'What are they thinking!? They should approach the point gap and time remaining with care! They don't need power now. They must be desperate!'_

Passing the ball towards Kiyoshi, Kobori watched from behind as the brunette Seirin member changed the direction of the ball and passed it over to Hyuga. _'A three?!' _Kobori exclaimed inside his head.

Hyuga bent his knees, watching as Moriyama came his way and jumped up to stop the ball. _'Crap!' _Hyuga winced, feeling the pulse in his knees, _'because of my injury from the fall, I didn't hold the ball long enough in my hands!'_

Kagome watched the changed course in Hyuga's thinking and noticed him run around Moriyama's person. The miko took a glance at the phantom player and gave him a nod as she gave him the signal with her index finger. In a matter of seconds, Kise used Aomine's speed to appear before Hyuga in an attempt to stop his advances.

'_Aomine's high-speed assistance…,' _Hyuga cursed under his breath, realizing both Kagome and Kuroko were right in their observations. _'Crap! I can't avoid him! He will steal the ball!' _Both Kise and Hyuga went wide eyed as they saw the phantom player sneak his hand between the two of them and tip the ball away. "K-Kuroko!?"

Catching the ball in his hands, Kagami aimed for his shot and released the ball. Eyes followed the arc of the ball before it was pushed down into the basket. With two points added to their score, Seirin and the rest of the crowd cheered.

"Calm down!" Kasamatsu shouted, catching the attention of his restless team. "We still got time! Use it all! Make one shot, and we will win!"

Taking one last look at Kise, Kuroko took one step back and caught the tiger's attention. "Kagome-chan and I have our answer. We can put the plan into action now. It is up to you now."

Kagami gave him a nod before turning his head forward, "leave it to me."

Seeing Kaijo come forth, Kagome took in a deep breath as she saw the shocked expressions on their faces the moment they noticed Kuroko standing in front of Kise. "This is the end, Kise-kun," Kuroko whispered. "Come!"

'_They are defending man-to-man now?' _Kise's eyebrows furrowed, unsure of the plan Seirin had. _'I can't believe they are using this worn-out strategy. I know you will switch to a coordinated attack. But...Kagomecchi must have had a word in this. That is fine, but Seirin better not disappoint me.' _Taking a glance from the corner of his eyes, Kise noticed the serious expression on the miko's face. '_No, of course not. Kurokocchi and Kagomecchi have shown to play all out to win. They were pathetic when I first met them; did not think of them as strong, but I came to respect them.'_

Eyes going wide, Kise watched as Kuroko's arm extended forward in an attempt to steal the ball. Narrowing them back down, Kise dribbled the ball to the left before taking a step to the right and bringing the ball with him. The Kaijo ace blinked as soon as Kagami made his appearance before him after passing the phantom player, _'I knew it. I'll evade him and end the game!'_

Kagome gave the second signal with three fingers to Kuroko – Akashi's Emperor Eye. Seeing Kagami clench his teeth the moment Kise dribbled the ball between his legs, her eyes followed the movements of the tiger as he was taken down to the ground before Kise charged forward.

"This ends here!" Kise shouted, quickly planting his feet on the ground as both Hyuga and Kiyoshi appeared to stop him under the net.

Kiyoshi and Hyuga watched as Kise spun with strength up into the air as he used Murasakibara's move. _'The last move,' _Kagome blinked, seeing Kise preparing to leave the ground. Everything was going according to the plan, but the last second would depend on Kise's choice.

'_That's odd…,' _Kise blinked, noticing his actions were too smooth at this point. Seirin was not putting much of a fight at this point. _'Things are going too well. If I make this, then putting Kurokocchi on me was pointless. Did they do it on purpose?' _His eyes immediately widened as he found Shun's arm coming towards the ball before tipping the ball away from his grasp. _'Eagle Spear!?' _Kise cursed to himself as he had let his guard down. Clenching his teeth, he turned towards the ball. _'No! It's not over! The ball is still alive! But even if I get it, I won't have a shot. Should I pass?'_

Memories flashed in his mind when he played against Aomine. His mistake of having relied on his teammates. _'No! I can't rely on my teammates now…no! There is no such thing as teammates you can't rely on! The ace's job is leading his team to victory!' _Jumping towards the ball, Kise quickly smacked the ball towards Kasamatsu's hands.

The Kaijo captain scoffed as the ball landed in his hands. He could not believe Kise had left it all to him. _'That's rough,' _preparing his aim, he eyed the hoop, _'if I can't make this, I'm not a real man!'_

With the ball released and made into the net, Kaijo shouted in victory as they pushed ahead of Seirin's score. The miko's eyes narrowed, waiting for Kuroko's and her plan to begin at the last four seconds of the game.

* * *

"It's over," Nebuya sighed, leaning forward to rest his arms on the back seats of Mibuchi and Hayama. "Looks like we are playing Kaijo in the finals."

The emperor's eyes narrowed, noticing the calm demeanor over Seirin's expression. This was not the look of loss.

* * *

"The game is…over?" Shippo blinked, seeing Kaijo's score ahead by one point. There was no time left for Seirin to pull a comeback. Was this the end of Seirin in the Winter Cup?

"It just doesn't make sense." Koga crossed his arms, trying to analyze the plan Seirin had performed. After watching it, he was sure the Eagle Spear would have made them win, but Kise's pass had caught everyone off guard. "Only four seconds left. How will they-?"

"They have four whole seconds." Both Shippo and Koga looked over at Sesshomaru, seeing his focus on the court. "To anyone, it would look like Seirin lost, but take a closer look at their expressions. The bench along with the miko look serious, but they are not upset over the results."

The kitsune raised a brow, turning his head towards the miko. "Did they do this on purpose, then?"

"It's not over yet!" Kasamatsu shouted, bringing in the attention of the youkai.

Both Koga and Shippo blinked, noticing Kiyoshi with the ball as Kagami had already made it past the half point on the court. "What the heck!?" Shippo exclaimed. "When did he get there!?"

Sesshomaru chuckled under his breath, noticing the small smirk on the miko's lips. _'Not bad, miko. Not bad.'_

"I told you!" Kagami shouted, "this is what we wanted!" As Kiyoshi threw the ball up in the air for him to catch, he heard his teammates shout for him to go.

"So this was Seirin's true aim?" Koga blinked, a bit taken back by the plan. "Leaving a few seconds for a counterattack, they drew Kise under the net, giving Kagami a head start. I see, starting with their run-and-gun, everything has been leading to this movement." The wolf could not help but laugh as he saw the same smirk on the miko. "I told you…Kagome never ceases to amaze!"

The Kaijo captain cursed under his breath as he and Moriyama tried their best to pick up speed to catch up to the running tiger. _'Crap! He's fast! Even if I catch up, I can't jump nearly high enough to stop him! What should I-!?' _he blinked the moment a blur of blue caught his attention and noticed his ace appear in front of the tiger.

"Kagami!" Kise shouted, tightening the glare in his eyes. He would not let them win! Not when they had come so close!

"Impossible!" Riko exclaimed, "he is way too fast!"

Kagami's eyes widened as uncertainty came into his mind. What could he do? This was not part of the plan! How on earth was Kise able to catch up that quick!? _'What should I do!? I don't have time to dribble around him! I will have to risk it!' _As he jumped up, Kagami shouted from the top of his lungs as he prepared his Meteor Jam. _'Shit! I didn't jump far enough! I am going to miss!'_ His pupils shook the moment Kise's hand came into view, seeing he was close to stopping the ball.

"Kagami-kun!" Kuroko shouted, running from behind.

Kagami looked over his shoulder, seeing the phantom player having arrived to assist him. But it was too late for a direct pass!

"_**Kagami-kun, there is something you must do the moment Kise is driven to the bottom of the net. No matter what happens, Kagami-kun, trust your teammates and your instinct, okay?"**_

The miko's words echoed inside his mind, remembering having been told to trust his team and his gut. With the ball leaving his hand, he knew what he needed to do. "Not yet!" he shouted. Throwing the ball between Kise's arms in the air, all members watched as the ball hit the back of the board of the hoop before it bounced back and was caught by Kuroko.

Kagome's eyes widened, watching the stance Kuroko took as he aimed for the hoop. With Kuroko performing his Phantom Shot and all eyes following the arc of the ball, the stadium went silent as the buzzer went off. In less than a second after the buzzer, the ball dropped inside the hoop.

The sound of the ball dropping onto the ground kept everyone frozen until the scoreboard changed, giving Seirin the two points. Seirin and the crowd shouted in victory as relief washed over them. "T-They did it…," the miko whispered, watching as the boys went over to Kuroko and ruffled his hair.

"We did it, Kagome-chan! We did it!" Riko grabbed the miko's wrist, pulling her towards the huddle on the court. It was not the finale, but Kagome felt a different wave of happiness inside her. Seirin has accomplished yet another win.

"You did it, Kuroko-kun!" the miko's tears clung at the edge of her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Kuroko's neck. "You really did it!"

"Oi!" Kagami shouted, seeing the faint blush appear over his cheeks. "Don't take advantage of this!"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Kagami-kun."

Watching the boys pull the girls inside the small circle, Kasamatsu sighed as he tried his best to push back the tears. He chuckled, taking another glance at the miko being pulled away from the phantom player as the two males argued. Hearing the faint steps behind him, he blinked as he saw Kise making his way towards the three first-years.

"You beat me."

Turning to the voice, the three Seirin members blinked as they saw the small smile on Kise's expression as he extended an offering handshake. "Kise-kun…," the miko whispered. Furrowing her eyebrows in concern, she took a step forward, "Kise-kun, I want to apologize for yelling at you at the beginning of the-"

"Don't worry about it, Kagomecchi," he chuckled, placing his hand over her head. "I am happy that you were looking after me, but now I am surprised that all of you were able to beat me twice. I can't even think of anything to say, but my head is clear." He sighed softly, giving the miko a genuine smile. "I gave everything I had. I have no regrets."

Smiling back, Kagome gave him a nod, "I have to admit…you are a strong opponent. We won the game, but we couldn't stop you."

"Oh well," Kise sighed, scratching the back of his head. "There is no point if only I win. Before I would have been flattered to hear you say that, Kagomecchi, but now it just feels like salt in the wounds."

"S-Sumimazen…," she whispered, knowing her words would not help Kaijo feel any better.

"Baka!"

Wincing at the hit behind his head, Kise quickly turned to his attacker. "K-Kasamatsu-senpai!? Hidoi!"

"Stop making her feel bad," the Kaijo captain spoke, coming to stand beside his ace. "We lost, don't rub your negativity on her." Kasamatsu sighed under his breath, turning his head to the miko as the other two males stood behind her. It was amazing to see the three grow to what he was seeing. In such a short period of time, they had become a strong trio. "I guess this goes back to you."

The three Seirin members blinked as they saw the keychain with the pink jewel at the end being brought over to the miko's palms. Raising her eyes to the Kaijo captain, Kagome's eyes softened as she saw a rare smile on Kasamatsu's lips. "We will beat you next time, Seirin. Let us play again next year."

"Hai!" Kuroko nodded.

"Of course," the tiger grinned, knowing the next year would only prove to be much more difficult. "The next game will be even harder."

"Tch, I am still annoyed I didn't get a keychain," Kise pouted, leaning over to get a closer look at the object on Kagome's palms. Feeling Kasamatsu's elbow jabbed into his ribs, Kise coughed out air from the hit.

"You would have to have given it back anyways, moron." The Kaijo captain exhaled once more and gave a bow to the three with his head. "Go become the champions. Win for us, too."

The three gave a nod back, knowing the responsibility they held to the finale. Every team they had beaten depended on them to win and that was exactly what they were going to do. Returning to their benches, the five members of each team lined up at the center of the court as the referee gave the final announcement on the score.

"With a score of eighty-one to eighty, Seirin wins! Bow!"

Waiting for her team to get to the bench, Kagome noticed Kise stop in his steps as he winced at the pain in his foot. Her eyebrows dropped in concern seeing him limp. Taking one last look at the keychain in her hand, she quickly made her way towards the Kaijo captain. "Kasamatsu-senpai!"

Kasamatsu looked over his shoulder, seeing the miko hold the keychain in her hand along with a towel on another. "Higurashi-san?" he blinked.

"Here…," she smiled, handing him back the keychain. "I think Kaijo deserves it. All of you did great."

"But-"

"Besides, you and Kise-kun pushed your limits to win. I admire that." With a low chuckle, Kagome handed him a towel. "Please take care of Kise-kun. Onegaishimazu." The miko gave Kasamatsu a bow before making her way back to her team.

Gripping the towel in his hands, Kasamatsu took one last glance at the miko before turning to the limping ace. He sighed and made his way back to his team. _'That onna definitely has affected the sport in many ways.' _He placed the towel over Kise head, surprising him in the process before grabbing his arm and putting it around his shoulders.

"Senpai?"

"At least fake it after Higurashi-san is unable to see you. Haven't you learned to not make a girl worry?" Kasamatsu huffed. "You may be a model, but you're not much of an actor. Seirin and Higurashi-san have won, but they definitely are feeling the loss with us."

Kise gripped the towel as it fell over his shoulders. Tears slowly were released from his eyes as he felt a grip on his heart. The loss was too painful; much more than the Inter-High. "I wanted to win…," he sniffled, feeling the rest of his teammates pat his back with smiles on their faces. "I wanted us to win together…"

"Yeah," Kasamatsu replied with sigh, "I know…I know."

* * *

"Let's go, Satsuki."

Looking over to her right, Momoi blinked as she saw Aomine already leaving her behind. "A-Ah, chotto matte, Dai-chan!"

Aomine placed his hands inside his pockets as he took one last glance at the miko disappearing with her team into the locker rooms. _'The next game is the last one. It's decided. It's finally time for them to face…him.'_

* * *

Standing from his seat, Akashi straightened his sports jackets as the rest of his teammates followed him. "Let's go," he ordered. Taking a look at the screen above, the name of his team appeared along with Seirin's for the next match. The final match he never thought he would play.

* * *

"Well, looks like Seirin will be going against the champions," Koga spoke as he watched the people begin to clear the area.

Stretching his arms up, Shippo gave out a yawn. "I am definitely tired, though. The next game is going to be exhausting for everyone." As the kitsune followed Koga towards the exit, both blinked as they saw Sesshomaru picking up a silver ring near the bench. "Sesshomaru? Are you coming?"

"Go on ahead," he spoke, "this Sesshomaru will wait here."

'_Wait?' _Shippo blinked. _'Wait for what?'_

Koga sighed as he placed his arm over the kitsune's shoulders and began to drag him with him. "Don't stay out too late, Sesshomaru! You are an important business man, remember!"

Eyeing the silver ring between his fingers, Sesshomaru raised a brow as got the familiar scent around it. No doubt the owner would come by soon.

* * *

"We won!" Koganei exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air as the rest of the team smiled in joy outside their locker room. "I can't believe it! We made it to the finals!"

Chuckling at the excitement in Seirin's expressions, Kagome blinked as she noticed the silent phantom player staring at his hand. "Are you okay, Kuroko-kun?" she questioned.

"Ah, well, I was so focused on passing," he spoke out, catching the team's attention, "I had not made a shot yet. That was my first buzzer beater and…I got a hug from Kagome-chan."

"Oh," Koganei nodded, "I guess you're right."

Kuroko lowered his hand as he faced his teammates, "I could…die happy now."

The males in the team went wide eyed at the rare expression of happiness Kuroko displayed. Coming to take a closer look, Kagami blinked in shock. "I have never seen you so happy! Oi! And don't die!"

"Well, anyone would be happy to get a hug from a cute girl like Kagome-chan," Kiyoshi laughed softly, placing his hand over the now blushing miko. "It was all thanks to you two having made such keen observations on Kise's Perfect Copy."

"Jeez," Hyuga sighed, catching his team's attention, "don't celebrate too hard. The war is not over yet."

Riko blinked with a dead-fish eyes as she saw Hyuga's expression melt to happiness over the win. "Oi, your face is melting like a small child receiving candy, Hyuga-kun. It's gross!" Smacking the back of his head with a paper fan, she gave out a loud sigh. "Pull yourselves together! One more game to the top. We are playing for Kaijo and every team we have beaten."

"Okay," Hyuga nodded, grabbing his bag from the floor, "let's go home!"

As the members grabbed their sports bags, the miko blinked as she heard the tiger behind her gasp. Kagome looked over her shoulder, watching Kagami pat his chest and checked his pockets. "Did you lose something, Kagami-kun?"

"M-My ring…," he whispered.

"Huh? What is it now?" Hyuga questioned wondering what was stalling the two.

"I will be right back!" Kagami quickly waved off to them as he ran towards the direction of the stadium's entrance. "I just need to find my ring!"

"O-Oi-!" Hyuga reached out and blinked with a sigh. "Seriously…Kagome-chan, do you mind?"

Knowing she would be in charge to take care of the tiger, Kagome gave them a nod before seeing Furihata offering to take care of her bag. "Arigatou. We will try to hurry!"

Watching the miko chase after the tiger, Riko sighed as she placed her hand over her hip. "We can't even celebrate due to Kagami-kun's clumsiness." She had to give props to Kagome as she knew she was giving her hard time by taking care of a tiger and practically a ghost child. Shaking her head, the female coach turned to the team only to blink at the missing sight of the phantom player. "Huh? Where did Kuroko-kun do?"

The team looked left and right for any sign of the ghostly haired male only to find his bag also on the floor. Riko released a groan as her hand came over her temple. "These three are glued together, I tell you."

"Well," Kiyoshi chuckled, "can you blame them?"

* * *

Looking below the bench, Kagami sighed as he found no sign of his ring. He was sure he had placed it over his jacket before the second half had started. After all the trouble Kuroko and Kagome had gone through to make sure to not throw it away and convince him to keep it, he could not lose it now.

"I know it was here somewhere…," he whispered to himself.

"Is this what you are looking for?"

Hearing the voice above, Kagami's head bounced against the bench. "Itai…," groaning in pain, Kagami took his head from below the bench and rubbed the back as his eyes rose to stare at the silver ring on someone's palms. "Ah!" Kagami stood on his feet before taking the ring back into his hand, "arigatou." He blinked the moment his eyes met a pair of gold and noticed the silver hair that was tied back into a low ponytail.

"Y-You're…"

"I was skeptical at first why the miko would choose to join such…a team."

'_Miko?' _Kagami raised a brow, remembering having seen the silver haired male when Seirin was being interviewed. This was the guy Kagome knew, right? "Aren't you the guy that is sponsoring the Winter Cup?" he questioned.

Chuckling under his breath, the inu youkai closed his eyes as he smelled his confusion. "Kagami Taiga, correct?"

"Uh…hai."

Sesshomaru was aware of the place Kagome was in. No doubt she was ready to tell her team about her past which would include telling about them, but he had to see these guys with his own eyes. The miko was intelligent, he would give her that, but her judgment could be wrong sometimes after countless times having misplaced her trust in many things during the feudal era. "The miko has been taking good care of you all. I am surprised she has not shown any sign of her true nature."

"Miko?" Kagami questioned out loud. "Who exactly are you talking about?"

Raising a brow, Sesshomaru was now aware the miko had not even told them of her identity. "Your manager has not told you about what she really is?"

* * *

"Kagami-kun? Kagami-!" the miko stopped in her steps as soon as she entered the court. Her eyes widened as she saw the red head facing the youkai she never thought she would see talking to her team. Taking a step forward, chills and nerves began to swirl within the pit of her stomach as she felt the air thicken. What were they talking about?

"Miko?" Kagami questioned out loud. "Who exactly are you talking about?"

Seeing the inu youkai raise a brow with a small smirk, Kagome felt her heart stop. He could not be thinking of telling Kagami now, would he? Why was he going to tell him? This was not the way she had planned to tell Seirin. Taking a few more steps forward, Kagome's lips parted in an attempt to stop Sesshomaru from saying anything further.

"Your manager has not told you about what she really is?"

She froze; words having gotten stuck in her throat.

"What…are you saying?" Kagami barely managed to voice out his question. Their manager? Kagome? What was he saying? Narrowing his eyes, Kagami gripped his ring into his palm. "I don't know exactly who you are, but-"

"Miko, you have healed Kiyoshi Teppei's injury, correct?"

Kagami blinked as he felt the question was not directed to him. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes widened the moment he came to see Kagome looking down at the ground. "Kago…me?"

"This Sesshomaru has spoken with Koga and Shippo, miko," Sesshomaru spoke, narrowing his eyes at the girl. "This Sesshomaru is aware that you have made your decision. You have already give enough clues to who you really are. Miko, if you decide to tell Seirin about your past, this Sesshomaru and the rest of us will have to be present." The inu's eyes glided to the back of the miko, noticing the phantom player standing behind her. "If they are to know, this Sesshomaru is to keep an eye on those that will know the secret of our identities."

Curling her fingers into her palm, Kagome hated to admit that he was right. She had used her abilities too much already and Seirin was already on her tail to know she was hiding something. Hearing the inu walk past the tiger and stand beside her, she gave him a nod.

"Very well," he replied, "this Sesshomaru will contact Koga and Shippo. We will meet at your shrine, miko."

Sesshomaru's steps fainted, leaving Kagome with Kagami and the phantom player behind her. What could she say now? She wanted to tell them, but how exactly? It frightened her to not know how they would take the information.

"Kagome-chan?"

Jumping at the sound of Kuroko's voice, Kagome slowly turned to see the concern in his face. She dropped her view once again while hearing Kagami's steps coming towards her.

"What was he talking about, Kagome?" Kagami questioned.

Sighing under her breath, Kagome's lips curved into a small smile as she continued to stare at the floor. "I have…a lot to tell all of you." Facing the two males, she furrowed her eyebrows in worry.

Kuroko and Kagami shared a glance before coming back to turn to face the miko. Her whole demeanor had changed and for one, they did not like it.

"But first, I have to get the team together? I am afraid we will need to go to my home to tell my story." She knew they would not take it well, especially since Kiyoshi already knew. Taking out her cell phone, she began to dial call Koga's number. In order for this explanation to go well, she would need them and a few people to also learn about her.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well, that is the end of the chapter. Next chapter the whole drama begins. I hope you all enjoyed! This chapter took a long time to finish, but it got done! Also for those who do not know, I have a Tumblr scenario blog where every other Friday you are able to send in a request. Check out my Tumblr if you would like to know the rules and such.

Well, thank you for reading! Please do review? It helps a lot!

(Now to catch up with homework...)

Ja~ne!


	31. All Revealed

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Okay, first I want to apologize for the long aggravating wait for this chapter! I read every single review, message, and message on Tumblr about wanting the next chapter, and trust me, I want to type it, but with finals having hit around that time, I did not have the time to write fanfiction. But I want to thank you all for the support and love you have sent!

Second, I am sorry for the short chapter. This is the shortest chapter, but that is because I have been focusing on other projects as well. I am bringing so many things for people.

Third, I for sure will get comments about the interactions and the chapter you are about read. I want to let all of you know...I tried my best. Please, if you do not like something, all I can say is sorry, but I cannot please everyone. This is was the best way to do things...again I am sorry.

But enough about this, enjoy! You have all waited long enough!

**Chapter 31: **All Revealed

* * *

Riko blinked at the sight of the ceramic cup being handed to her. Looking to her left, the female coach sent a smile to the miko's mother before taking the warm cup. "Arigatou, Higurashi-san," she spoke softly as the smile was returned.

"It is my pleasure," Kagome's mother chuckled as she saw the rest of Kagome's team seated around the living room, "it has been awhile since I last seen my house this lively. You are always welcome to come here." How long had it been to see life being brought back into her daughter's life? This team had pushed Kagome to live her life. Kagome did not need to forget her past, but she needed to move forward. As she took a glance at her daughter, she noticed the small frown decorating her lips. She had heard of Kagome's idea of telling her friends of her _complicated _past. Kagome sought for advice from her and all she could tell her: only she knew the answer to that.

"Well, I am surprised Kagome-chan decided to invite us here herself," Hyuga spoke out as he lowered the cup of tea from his lips. The moment Kagami, Kuroko, and the miko returned to them, the atmosphere had gotten heavier. No one had said a word until Kagome politely asked them to come to her house as she had something important to say. Of course they were curious and worried. Now here they were. "So?" he questioned, "what was it that you wanted to tell us, Kagome-chan?"

Looking at the clock on the wall, Kagome released a low sigh. The nervous were definitely getting to her and she could feel her palms begin to sweat at the thought of telling Seirin _her _story. How much longer did she have to wait for Koga and Shippo to arrive?

"Seirin has really become amazing and strong!"

The male voice caught the team's attention over to Kagome's younger brother as he held Buyo by the arms on the floor. Souta chuckled as he saw Nigou coming over and sniff the neko's fur before giving him a friendly bark. "I did not think Seirin would be able to beat so many of the Generation of Miracles! I saw it on TV and it was awesome!"

"Well, the team has put a lot of effort," Kiyoshi chuckled, "but I believe your sister has given a lot for the team."

All eyes glided over to the blinking miko, seeing her a little taken back by the center's compliment. Kagome's view slowly dropped down to her lap once she felt her stomach flip due to the nerves. Worried filled her being on the possible outcomes of telling her absurd story.

Noticing the worry in her daughter's eyes, Kagome's mother gave out a small smile before tapping Souta's shoulder. "Sweetie, let us give the team some time to talk. I am sure they have some things to discuss."

"But okaa-san~ they rarely come over…"

"Don't worry," Koganei winked as he gave Souta a thumbs up, "we will definitely come more now that we got your Higurashi-san's approval!"

"Of course," Kagome's mother softly laughed, "you are always welcome here. Now come, Souta. Let's go to the kitchen."

Waiting for the Higurashi family to leave the room, Kagami turned his head to the miko as the rest of the team members fell silent. "So? What did you want to tell us?" After what Sesshomaru had told him and Kuroko, he felt like he really did not know their manager. Just who exactly was she?

Kiyoshi immediately noticed the silent demeanor of the miko. No doubt her nerves were stopping her from even saying one word. Although he knew the gist of her story, he was still curious over the details. It still had him a bit shocked over the whole thing since she had healed his knee for that one match. "Kagome-chan…," he whispered, catching the attention of the miko, "it's okay. Everything will be alright."

"Kiyoshi-senpai…"

The team was left in blinks as they saw the brunette give the miko a smile before he reached out from his seat on the corner of the couch. Placing his hand over her head, he gave her a gentle ruffle. Only fate could tell if the team would take the story well and they would remain by her side; she hoped they would.

Parting her lips to speak, Kagome's throat released nothing as the doorbell to her home echoed throughout the house. Seirin turned their heads back and blinked as they saw Kagome's mother make her way towards the entrance. Waiting for any voice to be heard, they were taken back by Kagome's mother's gasp.

"Ah! You must be Kagome's mother? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. My, I can see where she got her beauty."

Kagome's head dropped at the familiar voice as the rest of the team shared glances at each other. "Is that…?" Furihata whispered, knowing he had not misheard the voice.

"Oi! Koga! Don't be hogging all the attention," Shippo pushed the wolf to the side before giving Kagome's mother a respectful bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Higurashi-san. May I call you obaa-san?"

"Is that Shippo-san?" Kuroko blinked as he turned to look at Kagome.

The miko's hand slapped over her face as she heard the kitsune. Oh they were here alright. Kagome sighed before she slowly rose from her seat. Turning her body to walk towards the entrance, she blinked at the sight of her mother with a wide smile as Koga and Shippo made their way in with a few other guests behind.

"You should have let me know that you were going to invite more people over, Kagome," her mother chuckled, "especially all these cute boys."

Her own and Seirin's eyes widened as they saw the recognizable rainbow hair of the Generation of Miracles – minus a certain emperor – standing behind the youkai along with Kasamatsu, Momoi, Takao, and Himuro.

"W-What the hell are all of you doing here!?" Kagami exclaimed, having the guts to question out their curiosity with a shout.

"Tch, it wasn't like I wanted to come," Aomine glared, seeing the defensive tone Kagami had used. If anything, he would much rather be sleeping than having to take a long trip to the miko's shrine. "These two brought us against our will."

"Don't make it sound like we kidnapped you," Koga raised a brow. "You practically agreed when I mentioned Kagome's name."

The pink haired manager gave Kagome's mother a bow in respect, "sumimazen. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, Higurashi-san."

"Not at all," she replied back with a smile. "The more the merrier."

"This is too much," Hyuga whispered with a groan. He had a feeling Kagome was about to tell them something important, but he was not expecting this big visit. What did the other Generation of Miracles have to do with whatever Kagome was about to tell them?

Sighing in defeat, Kagome knew there was no other choice but to let them in the conversation. She was hoping for Koga and Shippo to only bring themselves, along with Sesshomaru, but she was not expecting this big "party". Sinking back into her seat, she watched her mother offer them tea and water while they took their seats on the floor.

"I was not expecting to see you so soon, Kagomecchi!" Kise smiled widely.

Kasamatsu crossed his arms as he gave his ace a mild-glare, "behave, Kise. This is not the place to be tackling her."

"Hai, hai," he chuckled back, "of course I wouldn't do that to her when her family is here. They would think badly of me!"

"They already do, Kise-kun," the phantom player spoke, making both Kaijo players jump as they saw him sitting behind them.

"K-Kurokocchi!?" the blonde male gulped as his hand came over his beating heart. How on earth did he not see him there? Wait? He mentioned Kagome's family not liking him?! "W-What did you say, Kurokocchi!? Is this true, Kagomecchi!?"

Hearing a whistle from the side, Kagome blinked as she saw Takao taking a look at the pictures hung on the walls. "You are still cute, Kagome-chan."

"Takao, this is not the time to be giving such compliments," Midorima cut in. He was not even sure why he had agreed to come – although Takao had dragged him – but something told him it was an important matter after noticing the serious expressions on both Koga's and Shippo's face when they "collected" them together. Questions were definitely ready to be asked in the vehicle, but Koga had beat them all to it; no one asked on behalf of Koga's words to wait until they arrived to their destination. "This better be good, Higurashi. I do not see the reason to gather everyone so late at night."

Murasakibara gave out a yawn after taking his seat next to his second-year partner. "Gome-chin~ do you have snacks?"

"Is that all you care about!?" Kagami exclaimed.

"Ma, ma," Koga interrupted, noticing the room was going a bit chaotic. Of course the atmosphere would be heavy and troublesome the moment these basketball players came together; he hoped it would at least be this way after Kagome's told her story. They were just as nervous as her. "Let us all calm down. I know all of you have questions, but there is an important reason why I have brought you here." Taking a glance to the miko next to him and noticing her eyes staring at her lap, he gave out a sigh, "this isn't easy to say and we would have kept it a secret, but Kagome has decided that all you deserve to know who she really is."

Eyes landed on the silent miko as silence dropped heavily in the room. This had to do with Kagome? Raising a brow, Aomine crossed his arms, "what? What do you mean who she really is?"

"Are you okay, Higurashi-san?" Kasamatsu asked in concern.

The kitsune dropped with crossed legs next to the miko, watching as everyone kept their eyes on the three of them. The air had turned heavy, making him unsure if these teens were not ready for such a story. Taking a glance of his mother from the corner of his eyes, he got a sniff of her uneasiness. "Okaa-san?" he spoke quietly, placing his hand over her shoulder.

"Right…," Kagome nodded, knowing she had kept them waiting for too long; it was now or never. She looked over at the entrance of her home, seeing no sign of a certain inu.

"He said he would come later," Koga whispered only for her to hear.

Meeting the eyes of those around her, Kagome took in the sight of the many teams that were not present in her small living room. She had thought of telling her past life to Seirin, but now to Tōō, Shutoku, Yosen, and Kaijo?

"I am not really sure how to start this…confession," she began to speak, "but I have been hiding a past from all of you. All of you have given me such kindness and care, and welcomed me into your world. After…_barely _passing the high school entrance exams I was certain I would lead a normal life of going just to school and back home. I was convinced that I would not leave the depression I was in."

"Depression?" Riko blinked in confusion. That was not the first thought she had when she had laid eyes on the miko.

"All of your auras are weighing me down," Kagome chuckled nervously, scratching her cheek with one finger, "it is making it harder to talk."

"Auras?" questioned Himuro. "You can read auras, Higurashi-san?"

"That is how she has been reading your moves in all your matches," Koga smirked, seeing the shock overtake them all after his words.

"Eh!?" they all exclaimed.

Kagome knew this was going to be a difficult thing to explain seeing their reactions. "Before I can continue on with that," she shot a glare to the wolf, "I have to start from the beginning. As you can all see, I live on a shrine. This shrine is more than five hundred years old and I am the reincarnation of a priestess named Kikyou."

"Reincarnation?" Koganei repeated. "How do you even know that you are the reincarnation of someone in the past? Is it written in paper or something?"

"More like I have seen it with my own eyes," she replied.

All eyes blinked in unison as they took in the exact choice of words Kagome had spoken. "E-Eh!?" exclaimed Hyuga, "you saw it with your own eyes? What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Exactly how it sounds," Koga shrugged with closed eyes, "Kagome has seen her incarnation face-to-face from five hundred years ago."

"Hold it!" Kise raised his palm up, not believing what he was hearing. Kagome had met someone from five hundred years ago? "How is this possible? Five hundred years ago? There is no way someone can meet their incarnation-"

"But I did," Kagome cut in.

Both Shippo and Koga sighed as their eyes dropped; both patient to hear the story they had come to know years ago that also had them in shock.

Kagome took in a deep breath, letting the nerves slowly be pressed down before they overtook her mind. The last thing she wanted was to end up regretting her choice and turn back without saying anything. "The day I turned fifteen, my brother was in search of our cat inside the shrine's well. I went to go check the bottom of the well and next thing I knew I was dragged down by…a centipede demon."

"Hold it…what?" Kagami blinked with wide pupils. "What do you mean you were dragged by a centipede demon?"

"Are you sure this was not a dream, Kagome-chan?" Takao blinked. "This sounds like some sort of fantasy anime or something…"

"It sounds absurd, I know," she softly laughed to herself, "I was in denial about it when I arrived exactly five hundred years into the past: Feudal Japan. I was not sure why was brought there until I met a few villagers. When the centipede demon attacked once more, I met…," the image of a silver haired hanyou flashed in her mind, "Inuyasha."

A pause circled around the room; lips pressed into a thin line. By the look of the miko's eyes they knew it was not the time to ask question just yet. If anything, there was an ounce of pain painted on her expression.

Letting the corners of her lips slowly curve into a smile, Kagome's eyes slowly glided down to the floor. "Inuyasha was…a hanyou: half human and half demon. He and Kikyou, my incarnation, were once lovers until another hanyou named Naraku came into the picture and ruined everything…for everyone in an attempt to steal the Shikon no Tama. When Inuyasha tried to steal the jewel, Kikyou had no choice but to pin him to the Sacred Tree with an arrow. It was no later that she died from a wound that Naraku had inflicted on her disguised as Inuyasha. When she died, she was cremated with the jewel and fast forward fifty years later…that is when I met him; there he was pinned to the tree in slumber."

"You are telling us you met the exact…hanyou that your incarnation met?" Midorima's eyes narrowed. "That is absurd."

"I know it is," she replied, "there are days where I still see it as a dream. In the end, I had freed him from his confinement to the tree after the centipede demon bit the side of my hip and out came the Shikon no Tama."

"You had the Shikon no Tama inside you?" Momoi blinked with a tilt of her head.

"The scar…," Kuroko whispered.

"You mean it wasn't done by a dog!?" the tiger exclaimed, remembering the miko having mentioned her scar being done by a dog.

A low chuckle was released by the miko, "well, due to my carelessness with a bow, I ended up shattering the Shikon no Tama into hundreds of pieces, all which scattered in different parts of Feudal Japan. Naraku was after them as well…while making other people's life miserable." The memories made her cringe; remembering the blood and deaths she had to witness due to Naraku's selfishness. "In my journey with Inuyasha to collect the shards of the jewel, I met a demon slayer named Sango, and a monk with a curse from Naraku named Miroku." Kagome looked to her side, seeing the grin on Shippo's lips, "along the way, I met with Shippo here."

As Shippo gave out his grin, it was put out as soon as he heard both Aomine and Kagami shout in unison. "You are five-hundred years old!?"

"And I look amazing don't I?" the kitsune chuckled.

"That means…you're an old man," Murasakibara blinked blankly.

"Oi! This guy over here is easily two hundred years older than me!" Shippo glared as he nudged the wolf by his shoulder.

"W-Wait a minute!" Hyuga interrupted, "Koga…Kagome-chan…you two met five hundred years ago."

Crossing his arms, Koga gave out a nod with a small smirk, "I told you we go way back."

"I have one question…what is this Shikon no Tama?" Kasamatsu asked. His memory set him back to the keychain he had received from Seirin's manager. Taking it out from his pocket, he blinked at the sight of the small pink sphere at the bottom. "Is this the Shikon no Tama?"

"A replica: the Shikon no Tama was a jewel made by Midoriko, another miko whose history is not so clear," she replied, "it is said the jewel could grant any wish of your desire, and so the battle for the jewel emerged with both humans and youkai. The real one was destroyed after I wished for its existence to be erased. The moment the last piece of the Shikon no Tama was retrieved, I made that wish in order to set peace, but I was brought back to my time with no way of getting back."

Placing his hand over his head, Takao gave out a few blinks: "so many mikos to keep track off…"

"How can we know if this story is true?" Midorima questioned with a raised brow. It was one hell of a story if it was written for a fantasy book, but this was reality. There was no way this story could be bought.

Kagome knew this was coming; her story could not be easily bought. With a soft exhale, Kagome scratched the back of her head before sneaking a glance over to the Seirin center.

"Because I have seen her abilities with my own eyes," Kiyoshi spoke with a wide smile.

"Y-You knew?" Hyuga blinked a few times. "You knew about this?"

"Well not this detailed, but yeah, Kagome-chan told me about herself."

"How on earth did you know!?" Riko exclaimed. "And why didn't you tell us!?"

Scratching the back of his head, Kiyoshi gave out a sheepish laugh. He knew this talk was coming towards him and his teammates would scold him for keeping it a secret. "During Yosen's match after my knee gave out Kagome-chan was able to repair some of the muscles inside. It isn't healed completely, but it was enough to help me get back in the game."

"You…healed him?" the Seirin coach whispered, changing her eye view to the silent miko. "How did you do that?"

"She just said it herself," Kiyoshi spoke out, "she is a miko. I know keeping this a secret was bad in our part, but we had no choice. I promised Kagome-chan I would wait until she was ready to tell all of you; I couldn't break her trust."

"Wait…that is still not proof that Kagome-chan is telling the truth," Takao cut in, taking a glance over at the miko. "I mean…there is no way Koga-san and Shippo-san are more than five-hundred years old-"

"It is possible if we are youkai," Koga smirked. Turning his head over to the side, he gave Shippo a nod before both slowly transformed to their rightful forms.

Eyes slowly widened at the sight of Shippo's hair growing slightly longer as his ears became pointed. Teeth sharpened as the green pupils of the kitsune glowed. Changing their views to the professional trainer, all present basketball players and females blinked at the sight of Koga's claws and pointed fangs and ears. The last feature appeared: their tail.

"W-What the-!?" Kagami exclaimed almost stumbling back into his seat.

The miko's sweat drop appeared over her head as she saw silent shock present in everyone's expressions. Of course watching demons appear before their eyes would take someone back; it was not every day you could see a human transforming into one. "Koga and Shippo are both youkai, wolf and kitsune respectively."

"This whole time you two have been demons…?" Shun blinked.

"Explains the bond with you three," Momoi whispered. "This whole time you were a time-traveling miko?"

"I suppose if you want to call it that," Kagome chuckled. "I know it is a lot to take in and something you definitely don't hear every day, but just know I am telling you the truth. I felt the need to tell you all because…after everything you have done for me to feel accepted, it was only right to tell you my side of the story." Standing from her seat, Kagome made her way around the table until she came to sit beside the Kaijo ace. "How is your foot?"

"My foot…?" Kise blinked.

The wolf scoffed under his breath as he allowed his lips to return to a smirk. "Let her heal your injury. You were stupid enough to play with it. You are lucky it didn't get worse." Lowering his eyes to his nails, he gave out a raised brow, "if you had played any longer, you would have made that injury permanent."

The players fell silent before moving their eyes over to the miko's glow slowly coming out of her hand and surrounding Kise's foot. Silence dropped once again as they saw the glow slowly pulsing while Kise's expression remained frozen.

"Chotto…since you are so close to Koga-san and Shippo-san," Riko spoke out, "and you are close to the CEO of Tashio Corporation…does that mean that man is-"

"A youkai," Shippo finished. "Sesshomaru is an inuyoukai to be exact; he can be a pain in the ass sometimes. After five hundred years, he has not changed one bit."

"He is going to chew your head off if he hears you," Koga shook his head.

Giving out a confident smirk with a raised brow, Shippo shrugged, "he isn't here, right?"

"There, that should do it," the miko spoke out as the pink glow slowly withdrew from Kise's foot.

Moving his foot side to side, Kise took a few blinks as he felt no pain. Had Kagome really healed his injury? He just could not believe what he was feeling, seeing, or hearing. Putting his eyes on the miko, Kise's lips formed a small smile, "I knew there was more to you."

Before Kagome could reply to his words, she blinked as she heard her mother scurry towards the door at the moment they all heard the doorbell ring.

"Did you invite someone else, Kagome-chan?" Hyuga questioned, seeing the miko blink in confusion.

Koga scoffed as a familiar scent hit his nostrils; the smell of a familiar youkai could not be ignored. "Looks like he made it here."

"Kagome, you have another visitor."

Hearing her mother's questionable voice, the miko rose an eyebrow as she slowly came to stand on her feet. It was not until Kagome's eyes met the familiar color of silver hair at the other end of the living room. The room fell silent at the sight of the CEO staring back at them with a mild-controlled glare.

"Well, well, the infamous Sesshomaru is late for the first time in his hundred years of life," Shippo chuckled with a grin. "Okaa-san already told them everything."

"Wait…," Takao cut in, "this is CEO is an inuyoukai!?"

"Do lower your voice, human. This Sesshomaru is aware of the miko's choice to tell all of you about _us._" Sesshomaru's eyebrows tightened in as he saw everyone press their lips together in fear of letting anything escape. "This secret is to remain amongst you all and that is all. One slip of it to anyone else and this Sesshomaru will not hesitate to ruin your lives."

Crossing his arms, the wolf closed his eyes, "they are only high school kids, Sesshomaru. No need to threaten them."

"Knowing secrets has consequences." Changing his orbs to stare at the silent miko, Sesshomaru straightened out his coat. "This Sesshomaru was held back by a few other men about another basketball game that will be held within a year. The miko has come to value you all from what this Sesshomaru has observed, and this Sesshomaru will keep an eye on you all. This is a warning."

"Um, would you like some tea, Sesshomaru-san?" Kagome's mother questioned. It was never in her life that she had seen someone as gorgeous as him, but she was surprised by the close resemblance to Inuyasha.

Giving the older woman a light bow with his head, the inu sighed, "the thought is appreciated, Higurashi-san, but this Sesshomaru has other business to attend to." He returned his attention back to the teens, "you have all heard this Sesshomaru's warning. Miko, a word outside."

Kagome sighed under her breath as she knew she was about to take more on her plate from Sesshomaru's incoming warning. Making her way towards the inu, she took a glance over at Koga and Shippo, "um, I will be back. It shouldn't take long."

Waiting for the sound of their freedom, the others finally sighed in unison the moment Sesshomaru had left the area. Having his presence was suffocating and with his terrorizing warning it almost felt like they had his claws on their necks.

Shun exhaled in relief, "I thought I had forgotten how to breathe."

"How can Kagomecchi deal with such a man?" Kise blinked, a bit of fear still lingering in his system.

"Why the hell does he talk in first person?" the tan male spoke. If anything, the way he addressed himself was the weirdest part of the whole threat.

Shippo scratched the back of his head as he saw the uneasiness in the players. "No need to worry. As long as you keep the secret to yourselves, you shouldn't be dealing with him. He just likes to establish some sort of rule to keep you in check, but we trust you."

"Why do you trust us?" Kuroko cut in, receiving blinks from the rest of the teens that had turned their heads towards the phantom player.

Koga and the kitsune shared a glance, unsure how to answer a question when it came to a feeling. How else were they supposed to explain the feeling of trust they held to them?

"Because Kagome trusts you all."

Heads turned to the direction of the voice and blinked at the sight of Kagome's mother smiling. Crossing her arms, Kagome's mother rested the side of her head on the frame of the living room entrance. "The return of my daughter was not all that happy. The happiness was one sided; I was happy to have her safe and sound in my arms, but the happiness was gone from her being. Any child could have fallen in depression from being taken away from her special friends and loved one, but Kagome is a strong girl. She distracted herself in her studies to make it into a decent high school and her plan was to continue to do that."

Kagome's mother sighed as she remembered the days of seeing her daughter stuck on the desk chair of her room completely buried in her notes. A side of her was thankful her daughter pushed herself to continue to live in the era she had been returned to, but another hoped the well would open once more to give Kagome her smile back. Closing her eyes to partner up with her smile, she continued to speak. "I was afraid she would close herself more the moment she entered high school, but she met you all."

The expressions on everyone's faces softened before they were taken back Kagome's mother giving them a respectful bow. "I want to give you all my sincere gratitude for bringing life back in my daughter's eyes. Arigatou gozaimasu."

"A-Ah, Higurashi-san, there is no need to thank us," Riko cut in, unsure how to take this gratitude from the miko's mother.

"If anything, Kagome-chan has changed us all," a chuckle came out Momoi before she gently elbowed Aomine on his arm, "right, Dai-chan?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Takao let out a snicker, "Kagome-chan is the only one who can get through this tsundere, so if anything, we should be thanking you, Higurashi-san for bringing such a strong girl into Shin-chan's life!"

"Takao, uruse!"

"Is there anymore cookies?" Murasakibara questioned as he showed the empty plate to a blinking mother.

"O-Oi! You ate all the cookies!?" Kagami exclaimed.

Watching the teens talk – or more like argue – amongst each other, both Shippo and Koga could not help but allow their lips to curve into a smile. It had been hard for them to wait five hundred years to see their dear miko. They had to wait many years, but in the end they knew they would arrive at her time; the one who did not know for certain to see them again was her. Of course Kagome would feel lonely, but they had no idea how much she would close herself off.

"Guess she is in good hands, huh?" the kitsune questioned.

Koga scoffed with a smile, "guess so."

* * *

Small cautious steps were taken behind the inu as she watched him make his way towards the Sacred Tree. No doubt in her mind this was the first time in years to see the tree where all their memories of the feudal era were held. A shiver ran through her body as the breeze of the night began to blow. Winter was definitely getting colder.

"This Sesshomaru assumes they took you story well?"

Bringing her eyes back to stare at the broad shoulders of the silver haired youkai, Kagome exhaled with a small smile. "Somewhat…," she nodded to herself at the memory of their expressions, "better than I thought. They were a bit in denial at the beginning, but Koga and Shippo were there for support."

"Those two just had to transform," Sesshomaru scoffed.

"It helped…"

Raising his golden orbs to the naked branched of the Sacred Tree, Sesshomaru's shoulder relaxed at the sight of a familiar memory. "This Sesshomaru is still untrusting of them to know of our identities. You will be taking responsibility, miko."

"Hai, hai," she nodded. She knew Sesshomaru was only saying the things out of concern not only for himself, but for Shippo, Koga, and even herself. They would all be in danger if anyone outside of the circle knew of their secret – an ancient secret. "Arigatou, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder to see the miko in a bow. The corner of his lips slowly curved into a smirk before he brought it back down. "This Sesshomaru will be keeping an eye on them, do make that clear to them once more. Now, this Sesshomaru has other business to attend to."

"More basketball business?" she raised a brow.

"This Sesshomaru cannot release the details."

"I see…," she nodded. Looking at the Sacred Tree, Kagome's shoulders relaxed down as she felt a sense of relief from having told the truth to her friends. She still had a jumble of nerves stacking inside her stomach, but she knew it was just fear of coming back inside the house. "I know you are worried about everyone knowing our…past, but I couldn't keep this secret forever-"

"This Sesshomaru is aware of that and eyes will be on them. All our lives will be jeopardize if one slip up happens."

Kagome nodded once more as she saw the inu fix his tie and make his way towards the stairs of her home. "Thank you for coming, Sesshomaru-sama." A small smile formed on her lips as she saw his own nod. She knew it was not easy for Sesshomaru to know others knew of his real identity, but there was no doubt in her mind that he had softened up over the years.

* * *

Slowly closing the door behind her, the miko made her way back to the living room only to halt in her steps as she saw everyone conversing with each other.

"Wait, did Kagome-chan fight against demons!?" Koganei exclaimed his question.

"Psh, she did more than just fight them!" Shippo laughed, "she either purified to save them or simply defeat them! Okaa-san is a strong woman! You should see her use her bow and arrow!"

Scoffing at the memory of almost being shot with an arrow, Aomine scratched the back of his head. "Don't remind me. I almost got killed because of that."

"Kagomecchi was going to shoot an arrow at you!?" Kise exclaimed before he held back his laugh. "Guess that goes to show she can actually beat you, Aominecchi."

"Uruse!"

Himuro turned his attention to the youkai, seeing them enjoy overhearing the miko having almost hit Aomine with one of her arrows. It was all too bizarre for him to understand, but the more he stared at the true forms of Koga and Shippo, he could not help but be awed. "So you two helped Kagome-san in her quest to collect the shards?"

"Yup," Shippo's smile widened. "It wasn't easy, but we managed somehow."

Koga chuckled at the memory when he had kidnapped the girl for the first time. She had been feisty since he had met her and he could see that fire that she had before was still on inside. "It was fate to meet her." His nose twitched, bringing his attention over to the entrance of the living room, "Kagome, how did it go with the inu?"

"He didn't hurt or threaten you, right?" the kitsune raised a brow.

"Uh…no," she chuckled as she made her way over to her seat, "just said he had things to do." Turning her attention to the others, she released a heavy sigh. "I know you are all worried over Sesshomaru-sama's threat, but I assure you he means well. He doesn't like to admit or show it, but he is just worried that our lives would become exposed and complicated if someone were to find out about our secret."

Kasamatsu sighed as he stood on his feet, "your secret is safe with us, Higurashi-san. There is nothing to worry about." Taking a look at Seirin, he gave them a small bow with his head, "if you excuse us all, we know you have an important game against the champions and a certain emperor tomorrow at night. We will be taking our leave so that all of you can rest."

"I will escort you out," Kagome offered as she stood again from her seat only to see Midorima stopping by placing his hand over her shoulder.

"There is no need, Higurashi," he spoke, "you may stay here. Seirin will need their energy if they have any thoughts on defeating Rakuzan."

"Oi, what is that supposed to mean?" Kagami's eyebrows furrowed.

"Rakuzan will not be easy to deal with," Midorima continued, "Kuroko."

Hearing his name fall from Midorima's lips, Kuroko blinked as he saw the mild-glare that was sent to him. "You should know, Kuroko, who you will be dealing with."

"Well, they right to say you guys need to save your energy. Don't worry, Kagome, we will take them home." Koga's human form slowly took place before he took out his cell to make a phone call for their cab. "After all, we were the ones that brought them here by force."

Groaning onto his feet, Aomine scratched the back of his head as he made his way over to the miko. "You know, I am still surprised about this whole thing, but I have to admit that I have never been more attracted to a girl who can kick ass."

"Right~," the miko blinked, leaning back as she saw the smirk on the tan male.

"Oi! Kagomecchi is off limits!" Kise shouted.

"Yeah, Gome-chin belongs to me," Murasakibara cut in, snatching the last few cookies from the coffee table. "She is going to make me mochi."

"When did we establish that?" the miko raised a brow with crossed arms.

Clapping her hands together, Momoi called for their attention before grabbing the miko's hands into hers. "Well, just ignore these bakas for now, but thank you for telling us something so personal, Kagome-chan. I know it wasn't easy for you to do, but just know that we respect you even more."

The miko's lips formed a smile, "arigatou, Momoi-san."

"We should get going, then," Koga spoke, "I am sure Seirin has some talking and planning to do for tomorrow." Watching the basketball players and Momoi go towards the exit after giving their thanks and goodbyes to Kagome's mother, Koga and Shippo gave Kagome a smile of their own. The wolf youkai placed his hand over the miko's head, "take care, Kagome. We will see you tomorrow." He took a glance at her silent team, "all of you take care of her, alright?"

"Will do," Kiyoshi nodded with a grin.

"Thank you for coming tonight," Kagome whispered.

With one last smile and nod from the two youkai, Kagome watched as the two were the last to leave the house, leaving her with her team for further questioning.

* * *

As Koga closed the door behind him, he watched as the rest of the teams in front waited for the two. Of course the atmosphere around them felt a bit heavy now that they knew their true identities, but if anything, they felt relieved themselves.

With nothing to hide from them, Koga's toothy grin revealed itself. "So, all of you are still a bit in shock, huh?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Midorima's eyes narrowed.

"But I am not oblivious," he spoke back. Making the eye-to-eye motion with his fingers, he sent the Generation of Miracles a glare, "try to make a move on Kagome and play with her feelings I will not hesitate to use my claws on you."

Takao waved his hand up and down as he heard Koga's threat. Placing his hand over Midorima's shoulder, he gave them a snicker, "you shouldn't worry about Shin-chan. There is no way he would try to make a move on Kagome-chan! A tsundere is the last person that would make the first move!"

"Uruse, Takao!"

Shippo cut in with crossed arms: "getting the approval of her adoptive son is the most important."

"You aren't legally her son," Midorima pointed out. The whole idea of seeing Kagome as a mother just did not fit right them, especially when her so-called adopted son was a kitsune.

Shippo scoffed under his breath as he heard the megane shooting guard. "In the feudal era, it is done differently."

As the glares between Midorima and Shippo continue, Aomine raised a brow as the miko's story continued inside his head. If anything, there was something that irked him about the whole thing; something Kagome that did mention in detail. "From what I heard, it sounded like Kagome…loves Inuyasha." The question brought the attention of the group in front of him. "Where is he?"

Glancing at each other, Koga and Shippo sighed as they knew the question would be brought sooner or later. Scratching the back of his head, Shippo turned to face the tan male. "Unfortunately, Inuyasha lived only half the life we youkai live due to his blood."

Momoi blinked with a tilt of her head: "you mean…," she gasped softly behind the meaning of Shippo's words, "does Kagome-chan know?"

The two youkai went silent before they turned their backs and headed down the shrine stairs.

"It's getting late. We will drive you home, come on," Koga whispered, placing his hands inside the pockets of his pants. Tilting his head up, his eyes caught the sky empty of a moon.

* * *

The miko returned back to the living room, watching as her teammates stared at her living room with blank stares. No doubt they were still processing the information and story she had given them; no normal human could believe such a story after all. _'They took it better than I thought, though,' _she sighed. Making her way around the couch, she cleared her throat to catch their attention. "Um, I want to apologize for…everything."

"Apologize?" Koganei blinked in confusion.

"I know it wasn't easy to listen to this story or to see Koga and Shippo in their true forms. I apologize for keeping this secret…" Her words drifted off softly as her eyes dropped to the floor. Telling her story was not the difficult part – it was the aftermath.

Sighing, the Seirin captain adjusted his lenses: "there is nothing to apologize for, Kagome-chan. You had your reasons for keeping it a secret. Those reasons are valid. Of course, I would be lying to say I am okay."

"We are just in shock," Furihata chuckled nervously.

"Watching Koga and Shippo transform where the last thing we expected in this whole meeting!" Fukuda scratched his cheek as a sweat drop appeared. "I mean, a kitsune and a wolf? It isn't every day you see that."

"We are just surprised about the whole demon thing, Kagome-chan," Kuroko cut in, catching the miko's attention. "We can see why you kept it a secret. I can't believe you dealt with such things in your life."

"I got used to it," she smiled gently.

Riko stood from her seat before she placed her arm around Kagome's shoulders. Seeing the startled look on the miko's face, she gave out a chuckle in response. "Look, I know you are worried about us, but we are worried about you. Kagome-chan, we know this was not easy for you, and I know it was probably hard to convince Sesshomaru-san and the others, so know we aren't judging you. We are all honored to know about your heroic story! It isn't every day you get to meet someone who traveled five-hundred years into the past!"

"That is true," Shun smiled.

"We are on your side," Riko reassured their manager. "You are now part of Seirin and always will be! You are one of us! We accept you no matter what your past is like or the friends you have come to make."

"You have put a lot into this team, Kagome-chan," Kiyoshi grinned, "it is only right that we support you. Besides, it is more important now that we our bond as a team is stronger than ever."

"That was so damn cheesy," Hyuuga gave out a dead-eye look as he heard the center's words. Leave it to Kiyoshi to give the cheesy-corny lines.

The team blinked in unison as they heard a mild-evil chuckle across. Turning to the owner of the laugh, they noticed the tiger giving a smirk with an accompanied glare. "Yeah! Tomorrow we are going head-to-head with Rakuzan. We are going to defeat them and become the best in Japan!"

"Actually," Kuroko spoke, "there is something you should all know."

"Huh?" the miko blinked. "What is it, Kuroko-kun?"

"At first, I didn't want to say anything, but I want the team to know everything before we play Akashi-kun." Kuroko's eyes dropped to his lap as the memory of his first day in Teiko flashed through his mind. "About our past." After hearing Kagome's past, he felt important that the miko had told them her deepest secret to them. He felt compelled it was only right that his team knew about him and the Generation of Miracles.

Kiyoshi hooked his fingers under his chin as he directed his eyes to the phantom player. "Kuroko, did you start playing basketball in middle school?"

"No," he shook his head, "I started my fifth year of grade school. I thought it seemed fun after watching a game on TV. I had a fairly ordinary reason for starting. There were no clubs in my area, so every day I played at a park that had a hoop. One day, a boy reached out to me. We…quickly became friends. He was better than me and taught me to play. But he moved away during my sixth year, and we made a promise." The memory of his brunette friend replayed in his head as he spoke, "we would join our middle school basketball teams and play against each other."

"That happened, huh?" Shun nodded, seeing Kuroko's demeanor drop.

The miko slowly went to sit on her seat as she listened to Kuroko's story. She would be lying if she said she was not interested on how the Generation of Miracles came to be and how Kuroko tied into everything. But Akashi was the biggest mystery of them all.

"He still plays, right?" Furihata questioned.

"No," Kuroko replied, eyebrows furrowing at the memory, "he quit because of me."

All eyes widened slightly as they heard Kuroko's words. His friend quit basketball because of him? How was the possible?

"He will likely never forgive me."

"What happened?" the miko asked with concern. This was the first time she ever witnessed such a down look on the phantom player's expression.

"Well," he whispered, "let me start from the beginning. The April after we made our promise, I joined Teiko Middle School. I remember the sky…was unbelievably clear for a spring day."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Now, I will leave this choice to you. Would you like to hear Kuroko's story in this fanfic? Or would you like me to cut it out and go into the championship? We are getting close to the end, people! I hope this turned out...decently.

Thank you for reading!

Please review?

Ja~ne!


	32. The First Steps to the End

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Well, I have updated. I actually had a week where I was not slumped with homework! Woo-hoo!

Okay a few things to say. First, Kuroko's story was shortened. I do hope this is okay, because his story is long~ and I am explaining through his own eyes. I cannot explain what happened to Akashi when Kuroko was not around of course. Now, there is a small surprise appearance in the middle and I hope this is okay. I had people say they wanted to see him so~ yeah~

Anyways, there is FLUFF. YES. FLUFF. Some people are going to get mad at me with who, but Kagome and this male had a special bond throughout the story and a lot of people saw it too. Now this is not the final pairing, but people needed to know that there was some feelings brewing within him. Trust me, more fluff moments will appear with the rest of the characters.

Please be patient because even I am overexcited about writing the upcoming chapters (which the story is ending soon!)

So thank you all who reviewed! So many reviews and messages and let me tell you...they motivated me to continue this story. This story would not be close to completion if it was not for these kinds words I have received. Thank you so much!

Well, enjoy!

**Chapter 32: The First Steps to the End **

* * *

With all eyes glued on his person, Kuroko sighed before placing the cup of tea in his hands on the coffee table. "When I had first entered Teiko, I had high hopes for entering the basketball team. Of course as you all first met me in the beginning, I had no presence. My friend and I had made a pact to join our basketball teams and one day go against each other. I trained really hard and when the first day of the club began, that is when the Generation of Miracles first meeting occurred."

The miko's eyes narrowed slightly, unsure how she was going to take this story. She knew she was not the only one curious about their first meeting. Clearly Kuroko had been friends with them somehow, but Kuroko had good judgment on making friends. The Generation of Miracles they knew now would not be the people Kuroko would have befriended.

'_Then there is the mystery of Akashi-kun…,' _she told herself. The feeling of the two auras still had her curious. Was it possible that someone could have two auras? _'Unless there are two different personalities.'_

A small smile formed over the phantom player's lips as he remember the first day of the basketball try outs. It was a day he would not forget of seeing so many first years getting into the first string. "When I tried out for the first string, I was a little disappointed that I was not able to even make it to the second string."

"You were put on third?" Koganei blinked.

Kuroko nodded: "but that was the first time ever that more than one first year student was being placed in the first string."

"The Generation of Miracles…," Shun whispered.

"Hai," the phantom player nodded, "although at this time Kise-kun had no joined just yet. Although I was placed in the third string, I practiced every day. Of course chances for me to get into the first string were very slim. That is when Aomine-kun came in. He practiced with me and said he saw potential in me. I was still confused what he meant, but I went with it."

"Aomine-kun, huh?" Riko nodded, placing her fingers under chin. "So you had yet to meet the rest of the Generation of Miracles."

Looking at the calm liquid sitting inside his ceramic cup, Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed at the memory when a certain emperor had appeared and _noticed _something in him. "One day, Midorima-kun, Murasakibara-kun, and Akashi-kun came over during one of our practices with Aomine-kun at night. It was then that Akashi-kun had gained an interest in me."

"Interest?" the miko's eyes narrowed at the word. Placing her cheek over her palm, she made sure to stare straight into Kuroko's own eyes. "Tell me, what was Akashi-kun like at first?"

"At first?" he questioned.

Kagami released a scoff as the image of the emperor appeared in his mind. "If you ask me, I believe he was narcissistic as he is now. No doubt he was still bossy."

"Quite the opposite, Kagami-kun." Kuroko nodded to himself, remembering the words Akashi had given him at their first meeting. "He was the first to notice my lack of presence. He said I could use it to form a powerful team."

"Did he train you to use your misdirection?" Kiyoshi asked.

"He left it up to me to form," he replied back.

"He placed a thread in front of you to pull," Kagome spoke, receiving a nod from the phantom player. "Was he still himself at that time?"

Placing his index finger and thumb on his chin, Kuroko was in deep thought. "Akashi-kun was respectful, and he still is. But he was definitely more of a teamwork kind of guy. He worried for everyone and made sure the team was okay. After three months of thinking over his words and reading books over misdirecting and other techniques I could do with my lack of presence, I finally met up with him. I proposed to show my skill during a game."

"That fast!?" Furihata exclaimed. "You weren't nervous!?"

"It wasn't an official game," Kuroko chuckled, "it was only a practice game within the first string. Akashi-kun introduced me to Nijimura-senpai."

"Nijimura?" Riko and Kagome blinked.

"Our captain at the time. It took a bit to convince the coaches and Nijimura-senpai himself, but Akashi-kun was persuasive enough. I was finally able to show my misdirection."

Koganei snapped his fingers and gave Kuroko a wink. "You gave them quite a shock, didn't you?" Everyone would be taken back by Kuroko's skill at first glance. Even Seirin had doubts of what he could do, but the moment Kuroko proved his worth and the rare skill he possessed, there was no way they nor could any team say no.

"I was moved to the first string."

Eyes widened at the sudden promotion Kuroko had been given. Leaning forward, Kagami chocked on the snacks that been placed on the table and gave the phantom player a wide eye look. "First string!? That fast!?"

"I was surprised myself," Kuroko nodded. "The moment I was brought into the first string that is when I officially met the Generation of Miracles. Of course my game didn't go so smoothly." He chuckled at the thought of his newborn deer legs he had gotten during the game along with the sudden trip he took down to meet the floor. "Getting along with the Generation of Miracles was hard at first. Aomine-kun had actually defended me from getting demoted and suggested to put me on a game once more. It was a risk he took as he was all for getting demoted himself."

"That definitely doesn't sound like Aomine-kun," the miko sighed, picturing Aomine's character in her head. "But then again, this was before all of you broke off."

"When I was placed for the second half of another game, my last chance, Akashi-kun gave me advice on how to fully polish my misdirection and my lack of presence. I had finally gotten the hang of it. Pass after pass was made and to be honest, the game had finished quicker than I thought."

"That's great!" Koganei smiled brightly. "You got to be in the first string that fast!"

"Yeah," he nodded before lowering his head, "but everything soon changed. The moment Kise-kun joined the team, the pace of the teamwork, the friendships we had created, and simply everyone's goal of winning had different meanings."

The room fell silent, knowing this was the one-eighty of the story they expected.

"Akashi-kun was made captain of the Teiko team. Nijimura-senpai's reasoning was still unknown. Akashi-kun was the one to make Haizaki-san quit. Everything was happening too quickly in my eyes."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly at the news. Haizaki? The one basketball player that had picked a fight with them? Eyes coming back to a mild-glare, Kagome kept her shock silent. To think the emperor had been the one to make Haizaki quit. For once she felt bad for the male.

"The Generation of Miracles began to fight more between each other every day although the irony made everyone silent. The more they argued, the better the teamwork," Kuroko sighed before coming to take a sip from his tea. "I am not sure what happened exactly, but Aomine-kun was the first to distant himself from everyone. He was improving…quickly. It was not just him. Winning was almost expected by them at this point that no excitement was shown through them."

"Well that sounds like the Generation of Miracles we know now," Hyuga scoffed. "What else had changed? I am sure that was not all to get them how they are now."

Waiting for Kuroko's continuation, eyes never left his person. They had to be patient and know the root of the problem. What separated this strong team? This friendship they once had?

"Akashi-kun placed a quota," Kuroko spoke.

Kagome tilted her head to the side: "quota? What do you mean by that?"

"He assigned every Generation of Miracle to make twenty points per game. At first I thought it was a good thing to make everyone excited, but Akashi-kun's motive was to motivate everyone in a way. He was starting to see everyone's lack of effort although their skill was improving with every game." Kuroko took a deep breath in, memories of Aomine's life expression and passion for basketball slowly drifting away. "Aomine-kun began to skip practices. His words exactly were: _the harder I try, the more boring basketball becomes_. I tried my best to convince him to stay and practice, but I knew there was only so much I can do."

Kuroko raised his eyes to the ceiling: "Nationals came and I was able to meet with Ogiwara-kun, the friend who taught me basketball when I first began to play as a kid."

"Were you able to go against him?" Kagami questioned.

Silence.

Lowering his head, Kuroko's lips slowly curved to a gentle smile. "Unfortunately Ogiwara-kun lost the first match of nationals."

"And…Teiko?" Shun blinked.

"We won, but…Aomine-kun had seemed more frustrated after players began to give up half-way through the game. The life he once had for the game in his eyes was…gone. Everyone else in the team began to feel the same way. Winning was almost for certain in their minds." Kuroko exhaled, amazed how everything had changed in a blink of an eye. "Our coach, Shirogane-sensei, fell ill and was unable to coach for our third year in Teiko. To be honest, Shirogane-sensei was the one that helped us keep our bond strong and our passion for basketball shine, but once he left everything else seemed to fall apart."

Riko raised a brow, confused over the coach detail. It was not like Teiko could have gone without a coach. "Did Teiko not have a coach for your third year?"

Shaking his head, Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed before he answered. "Sanada-sensei took over. He was the first string coach."

"Was there a problem with him?" Kagami questioned as he munched on the cookie in hand.

"Ever since he took over, the Generation of Miracles seemed to selfishly make shots and forget teamwork. They did thrive to get better, but not together. I know it was not Sanada-sensei's fault, but the growth of the Generation of Miracles was heard everywhere. Sanada-sensei was beginning to give them "special" treatment."

"What do you mean?" Kagome was sure this was where everything began; this was the reason why the Generation of Miracles fell apart after three years of being together.

"Sanada-sensei allowed Aomine-kun to stop coming to practice as long as he came to games…"

"What the hell!?" Kagami exclaimed. "Is that even allowed!?"

"Of course not!" Riko shouted back. "What kind of coach allows that!?"

"One that has his job on the line…"

Eyes landed on the miko, noticing her deep concentration on the coffee table. The miko hooked her fingers under her chin as she remembered reading Aomine's aura a couple of times. That boy had a pure heart, but it was conflicted with the want of finding an opponent at equal footing as him. "Aomine-kun was probably on the verge to quit the team, but Sanada-san had to make a tough decision."

"That is what I was thinking," the phantom player nodded. "I tried convincing Aomine-kun to return, but after seeing his distraught and tears for his passion, I could not help but remain silent. I was not sure what to say to help…I couldn't rescue him. But when I came back, something else had changed. The Akashi-kun I had met was gone…"

The name made everyone freeze, waiting to hear what they have been wondering. The Akashi they knew that finally appeared in the story.

"Do you know what had happened?" Kagami questioned.

"Not sure. He made all of the Generation of Miracles quit coming to practice…as long as they won official games." Kuroko's fingers curled over his lap. The thought of his first team breaking apart had him cringe. "When I came back from talking to Aomine-kun, Akashi-kun was alone in the gym. The moment I looked at him…there was definitely something different. A different feeling; a different Akashi-kun."

"Two auras."

Everyone quickly turned to look at the miko. The serious expression on her face was one they were not familiar with. Watching Kagome twine her fingers with each other and place them under chin, they waited for her to clarify her words.

"I did not mention it before, but I have sensed two auras within Akashi-kun." Kagome exhaled as she closed her eyes. "Akashi-kun does have a different side of him and I have been a witness to both. In fact, this is no mistake of his, but I caught the way he calls me."

"Calls you?" Kagami raised a brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Meeting her team's gazes, Kagome parted her lips to speak. "I am not sure which is which, but a side of him will call me formally – 'Higurashi-san'. The other…"

"Kagome," Kuroko finished for her. "Hai, Akashi-kun used to address us by our surnames and the moment I returned that day, everything seemed to have changed."

"Two auras, huh?" Kiyoshi whispered, eyes lowering to the ground. "Does that mean something within him snapped? Perhaps something triggered it."

"Whatever it was, Akashi-kun did mention he had two personalities; one personality in Akashi-kun had taken over." The phantom player's memories flashed back to seeing the dark and empty expression in the emperor. The empty expression starving for perfection and victory. "It was too late to bring everyone together. It was too late to…smile together."

Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Kuroko's broken expression. Something within him had also been torn due to Akashi's words and the rest of the Generation of Miracles. The Generation of Miracles were getting stronger, a thing anyone would be happy to see and feel, but the growth was nothing but sadness. The bond between them all had been broken due to their overwhelming skill.

"They were beginning to compete against each other during games, seeing who can score the most points. It felt disrespectful to the other team. During the Winter Cup tournament, the high school tournament was being held at the same place for the high schools." Kuroko turned his head towards Hyuga. "Actually, I found your student id, Hyuga-senpai."

"Huh?" the captain blinked. "What do you mean-?"

"After Teiko had finished one of our games, I found your id outside the stadium. I went with Momoi-san to return it, but I was there too late." A small chuckle escaped the phantom player's lips. "I was able to watch your game against Kirisaki Daiichi."

The Uncrowned King blinked before a huge smile broke on his lips. "Seriously? You went to go see our game? Ha-ha! What a coincidence!"

"Eh~ that is amazing," Koganei cut in, "to think Kuroko was able to watch us play during all of this."

"That was you!? You returned my id to one of the staff members!?" the captain exclaimed.

"Perhaps it was fate," Kagome smile, gaining everyone's attention. "Something called you out to Seirin, didn't it?"

Looking over at the miko, Kuroko's lips curved into a small smile before giving her a nod. "You are right; it was fate. Although I enjoyed watching Seirin's game, that happy filling was soon gone when the finals came for us."

"Who did you play against?" the tiger questioned.

Kuroko sighed: "Meiko."

"Meiko?" Shun repeated.

"Before our game with Meiko, I was hit during our semi-finals. I woke up in the infirmary, but I knew something was off." The expression on the phantom player hardened. He hated not knowing what was happening during his black out. "All I remember was waking up to Akashi-kun and Momoi-san being in the room with me. I tried my best to convince him to let me play against Meiko as…Ogiwara-kun would be there."

Seirin fell silent upon witnessing the pain in Kuroko's eyes. A pain they had never seen before on him.

"I made Akashi-kun promise me to take the finals seriously; made him promise to take Ogiwara-kun seriously. I couldn't bear the thought of knowing they ridiculed Meiko like they did on other teams." Curling his fingers into his palm, firmly keeping the grip, Kuroko slowly closed his eyes. "Momoi-san returned when the game entered the fourth quarter and…I was not expecting what I saw."

"What did you see?" Kagami asked, placing his elbow over his knee. "You saw the game, right?"

"When I saw the game through the screen I quickly felt something was not right. The team and the scoreboard were being ridiculed." Kuroko raised his eyes to meet the team's: "Ogiwara-kun was definitely putting his all against Teiko, but the final shot of the game was made by Meiko."

The team blinked in unison: "huh?"

"But it was not Meiko themselves who made the shot. Our own team placed the point for them."

"What the heck!?" Hyuga exclaimed. "Why would they do that?!"

Kuroko allowed a pause to breeze by until he was ready to continue. Giving out a deep exhale, the phantom player's lips formed a sad smile. "To make the score all ones; the score ended at one hundred and eleven to eleven points."

Eyes slowly widened at the cruelty the Generation of Miracles had done to Meiko, the cruelty they had done against one of Kuroko's dear friends. How could they be so heartless? Did they lose sight of what was truly important at that point? Akashi had broken Kuroko's promise and mocked the team in the end.

"Did you confront Akashi-kun?" Kagome asked, feeling her heart twist upon hearing the story that Kuroko had held for so long. "Did you talk to any of them?"

"How could they be so cruel?" Shun whispered, lowering his head with a shake.

Riko punched her own palm as her vein throbbed on her forehead. "I would have scolded them!"

"I did speak to them, but in the end…I quit the basketball team."

A sad quiet peace blanketed over them.

"I visited Meiko; I was worried about Ogiwara-kun." Kuroko closed his eyes one last time as he remember the final step he had taken to visit his friend. "I found out Ogiwara-kun had transferred schools; Ogiwara-kun was also quitting basketball. The game had obliterated his and his team's spirits. Ogiwara-kun loved basketball more than anyone; the game was hard on him. Ogiwara-kun passed the message to one of his former team members, telling me to not quit basketball and to become strong to face the Generation of Miracles one day." Bringing out the black sweatband from his pocket, Kuroko smiled down on the token. "Ogiwara-kun left his hope on me; there was still hope to melt the ice around their hearts."

"Eh~," Kagami spoke, resting his cheek of his palm, "so it sounds like you're the bad guy. I shouldn't have worried."

Kuroko blinked back; confusion swirled within the phantom player over the tiger's sudden choice of words.

"The only surprise was Akashi's dual personality. If you thought he was wrong, you should have hit him. Act first and worry about logic later. But you sat there and waffled."

"You're…right," Kuroko lowered his eyes to the almost empty tea cup. "I couldn't do anything. It's my fault Ogiwara-kun quit basketball."

With a low sigh, the miko's eyebrows dropped worryingly as she made her way over to the phantom player. Placing her hand over his shoulder, she spoke, "it isn't your fault, Kuroko-kun. It was something you couldn't control."

"I told you to stop waffling!" Raising his palm and pressing his fingers tightly against he each other, he lowered it over Kuroko's head as his eyebrow twitched with annoyance. "And you!" he glared at the miko, "stop it! He needs to realize that the past is the past!"

"Don't hit him-!" the miko's head met Kagami's karate chop, making her wince from the pain. "I-Itai...oi!"

"Look, no one is going to judge you because of your past. It happened and it can't be changed. You are here for a reason, Kagome, and Shige gave you his wristband as a keepsake. These are not coincidences!" Kagami sighed, noticing the pout the miko gave him as Kuroko rubbed his pained spot.

"I shouldn't have accepted it…," the phantom player whispered.

"There is no way Shige thinks that," the tiger scoffed. "You are just determined to reject his forgiveness. Anyway, what are you two going to do?" he questioned with a raised brow.

Raising their attentions to the red head, both Kuroko and Kagome blinked in unison. Was he giving the question out to both of them?

"_This is who I am, but please accept me anyway? _Is that where this is going?" Kagami continued. Standing up from his seat, all eyes landed on him. "If that is what you two are asking for, I will beat the crap out of you. You two were afraid to tell us your story because of rejection? Bakas! We are already friends. Isn't that what you two thought before telling us this?"

The miko blinked silently as the rest of the room was pulled into staring at the overly talkative tiger. Since when had Kagami learned to be a motivational talker? Narrowing her eyes into a glare, she caught his attention. "Beat me up, huh? I would like to see you try."

The tiger quickly flinched upon hearing the threat. Gulping down his regret, he kept his glare strong. "You were scared about telling us who you were! Just how much do you trust us, Kagome? That is all I am saying!"

Pushing in his glasses, Hyuga sighed, "you're right. Well said, Kagami, but…," he stood up from his spot and made his way over to the standing tiger before karate chopping Kagami's head like he had done on the two, "you are dominating the conversation! We have a lot to say, too! And to hit Kagome? You have a lot of guts!" Once the tiger was defeated on to the floor, Hyuga sent his glare over to the phantom player. "Kuroko, get over here. You need to be toughened up, too!"

Kagome was pulled to the side by their coach as Koganei held Kuroko from behind as Hyuga quickly nudged his head with a scolding. The miko blinked, unsure what to say or make of the scene. All the Seirin members seemed back to their normal selves with laughs going around with others trying to stop Hyuga from giving any more hits to the two first years.

"You were just as afraid as Kuroko-kun," Riko spoke in a low whisper.

Turning her head to the coach, Kagome gave her a blink.

"Kuroko-kun was hiding a part of himself…just like you, but trust me when I say this, Kagome-chan," Riko looked at the miko from the corner of her eyes as a smile appeared, "we do not judge you nor Kuroko-kun. Telling us about your past only brought us closer."

"Riko-senpai…" Kagome's eyes landed on the phantom player, noticing the real and genuine smile of fun on his face. This was the team Kuroko had hoped for all along; this was the family of friends she needed to bring life back into her existence.

With a huff escaping his lungs, Hyuga grabbed his sports bag from the corner of the living room as the rest of the team did so as well. "Alright, well, we have a long day tomorrow. We should get going. Let's go, guys." The captain gave the miko a bow before he spoke: "tell your mother thank you for allowing us to speak in her home. We truly appreciate it."

"Not at all," Kagome replied, "my mother loves the company." Watching everyone grab their bags and head for the door, she was quickly brought into a hug by the coach. "R-Riko-senpai?"

With no reply, Riko only sent the miko a wink before pushing the rest of her team out the door and leaving the tiger and phantom player inside as they tied their shoes. "Come on, let's go! Let's go! We don't want to be late for the bus! Ja-ne, Kagome-chan! Don't be late to the stadium tomorrow!"

Kagome's chest heaved down as the door closed on them. Lowering her eyes to the two on the floor, she could not help but let the corner of her lips curve. "Are you guys ready for tomorrow?"

"You are asking the obvious," Kagami scoffed, being the first to stand up and give her a raised brow. "I have been ready since the year started."

Watching Kuroko stand up afterwards, both of them blinked as their eyes met his. "Kuroko-kun?" Kagome questioned, noticing the silent demeanor that had taken over.

"There is something I still haven't told you both," he spoke.

"Huh? There's more?" Kagami blinked. What more could there be to this story?

"Let him talk," Kagome huffed before jabbing her hand into the tiger's side. Ignoring the grunt and glare being sent from him, she turned her attention to the phantom player. "What is it, Kuroko-kun?"

Letting out a soft breathe, Kuroko dropped his gaze to his feet. "The day I graduated…I told Akashi-kun I would not run away and find my answer to the meaning of basketball."

"Why didn't you tell everyone else?" the tiger questioned, placing his hand on his side.

"I guess I forgot to, but it doesn't matter now."

Giving out a chuckle, Kagome sighed, "what happened in Teiko doesn't matter, Kuroko-kun. What happened in my past doesn't affect what will occur tomorrow. And I cross my fingers Bakagami's corny lines aren't said tomorrow-"

"Oi!"

"But I believe you have your answer, Kuroko-kun," she smiled, receiving a taken back reaction from the two. "The Generation of Miracles were not expecting a team like us. This is the year we show them our style of basketball." Extending her fist out for a fist-bump, the smile on her lips stretched. "Let's show them what we can do!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Kagami grinned as his fist met the miko's. "Let's win the tournament, together!"

With the smile glued on his own lips, Kuroko nodded and met their fists, "hai!"

* * *

Hearing the snips behind her head, the Seirin coach reflected a smile through the mirror as she saw a certain captain concentrate on his work. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah." A sigh passed Hyuga's lips, watching the small strands of Riko's hair fall to the floor before coming back to cut the last ends. "Surprisingly I felt calm after listening to Kuroko's and Kagome-chan's story yesterday. I fell asleep the second I got in bed."

"Really?" she asked, noticing the deep concentration he was in. She was surprised herself how well everyone had taken both their stories. Of course one was more out there than the other, but hearing what Kagome and Kuroko had to go through in their past actually made them relieved.

"I was watching a few of Rakuzan's videos when they went against Shutoku this morning. I realized just how ridiculously powerful they are. But strangely," he released a chuckle, "I didn't feel panicked."

"Oh?" Riko blinked. "Perhaps it is because a weight is off our shoulders. With Kuroko-kun and Kagome-chan keeping their secrets, it almost felt like a part of them was being held back."

Hyuga nodded as he placed the pair of scissors down on the cart beside him. "Perhaps, but I think the team has grown stronger not only physically, but mentally as well."

The Seirin coach only replied with a smile before the coat over her was taken off.

"Alright, it's done," Hyuga exhaled, hopeful that Riko would be pleased with the haircut he had given. "How is that, ma'am?"

Turning her head side-to-side, Riko gave him an approving nod. "Perfect! Arigatou! You really are a barber's son!"

"Don't call me a barber!"

"Ah! That reminds me!" Digging into the pocket of her shorts, Riko took out her cell phone. "I have to call Kagome-chan to tell her to meet me at the stadium before you guys arrive."

"Huh?" Hyuga blinked as he adjusted his glasses, "for what?"

Giving no reply, Riko speed dialed the miko's number before placing it to her ear. Hearing the rings, Riko waited patiently for the other line to pick up and looked at the captain behind her shake the cape free of her hairs. The corner of her lips curved as she turned her head over her shoulder, "let's win. Do your best, captain."

The words sprung a rose colored hue over the captain's cheeks as he saw the direct smile; Hyuga was at a loss for words.

"What's wrong?" Riko blinked.

Hyuga bit his lower lip as he placed the cape to the side of him. He knew the feeling would never get out if he kept silent about it. It was now or never. "Listen, Riko…if we win- I mean, if we win today's game, uh-"

"Achoo!"

The captain's eyes widened as he felt the coach's sneeze land on him. "Ah! That's disgusting!"

"_Moshi-moshi?"_

"Ah! Kagome-chan! Where are you?" Riko smiled, completely forgetting to apologize for the interruption.

Hyuga sighed while grabbing a tissue from the side and wiping the front of his shirt. Looking at the coach chatting away, he could not help but scratch the back of his head. _'Guess the time isn't right yet…'_

* * *

Ending the call, Kagome's eyes remained glued on her phone. The moment Riko had asked where she was and giving her orders to meet at the stadium thirty minutes earlier than usual, she had heard Hyuga's voice. Was she with him? The miko raised a brow at the curiosity before a smile suddenly broke into her lips. She was not oblivious to a certain captain's feelings, but she knew she could not meddle with that.

With a sigh escaping, Kagome placed her phone down on the table in front of her and returned to reading the material she had written over Rakuzan. "Rakuzan is definitely not an easy team to handle." Kagome shook her head while reaching for her cup of coffee.

A coffee shop was what she had decided to do her studying. There was no way her family was going to let her look over Rakuzan's information with each of her family members having questions about last night. Souta was too excited about going to the championship game in person. Her mother was curious over every single male that entered her home while her grandfather was annoyed she had not told him about the demons that had entered without his permission.

Kagome returned to watching the videos on her laptop. Eyes focused in on the emperor to see every movement he made on the court. Something was off…but what was it? The emperor and the uncrowned kings. It was the best combination, but why did she feel there was something she was not watching clearly?

"Ah, Rakuzan, huh?"

The miko blinked upon hearing the voice coming from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she fell silent at the sight of the unfamiliar black haired male.

"Oh? I have seen you somewhere before," the male spoke. Snapping his fingers, he took out one of the Monthly Basketball magazines and flipped through the pages before giving out a nod. "Right, you are Seirin's manager, correct? Higurashi, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded as she was shown the interview Sesshomaru had made for Seirin after one of their games. There she was on the picture with everyone else.

"I see Kuroko has continued with basketball after all that he gone through," the male could not help but smile as he stared at the phantom player. "His hard work has paid off, but I bet it was not easy dealing with the Generation of Miracles." Giving his attention to the female sitting on the table, he sighed, "but I hear Seirin will be going against Akashi and his team. Akashi is not an easy person to go against."

"Ano…who are you?" Kagome finally questioned. If anything it seemed like he knew the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko well.

The black haired male blinked before giving out a nervous chuckle. "Ah, sumimazen. I started speaking without introducing myself." He gave her a small bow with his head before coming back up. "Nijimura Shuuzou. Teiko's and the Generation of Miracle's former captain." He scoffed at the title, "or should I say the former captain to the pain of my asses."

"Nijimura…?" The name made the miko's eyes widened as she quickly recalled Kuroko's story. "Nijimura-san? As Teiko's former captain?"

"I…just said that," he raised a brow at her. Noticing the empty seat in front of her, he made his way over and observed all the papers and videos she had been reading and watching. "Analyzing Rakuzan? May I sit here?"

Giving him permission, Kagome moved all the papers into one stack to make room on the table. Her head nor throat could put words together. The sight of the former Teiko captain had her speechless. What were the chances to meet someone like him after hearing Kuroko's story? Lowering her eyes to her cup of coffee, she heard Nijimura order his own. This was the guy that dealt with the Generation of Miracles even before they were given that title.

"I should be sleeping after coming from the airport, but after hearing the news of Rakuzan going against Seirin, I was surprised to find out my former teammates where on opposite teams." Nijimura crossed his legs as he saw the timid look on the miko's face. "I was curious to know what the Generation of Miracles were up to, but I will admit I am shocked to hear they are still playing after what had happened in Teiko." Nijimura scratched the back of his head, unsure how to speak to someone he had just met or in this case, a girl.

"Are you going to go watch the game?" Kagome questioned, the only question she could come up with.

Exhaling at the thought, Nijimura was served his coffee and gave his thanks before turning to stare out the window. "I was thinking about it, but I think my influence is long gone. Besides, this game is to settle Akashi's and Kuroko's differences." He took a sip from his cup before he placed it back down. "How much do you know about them – the Generation of Miracles?"

"That they are truly childish and can be annoying at time," she lowered her eyes into a dead-fish eye look.

"Then, yes, you know them well," he chuckled, "but I am sure you have come to know their passion for basketball."

It was Kagome's turn to sigh before lowering her eyes back on the ripples of her coffee. "The Generation of Miracles mean well for victory, that much I know. They are just conflicted with their passion. I heard Kuroko-kun's story what had happened in Teiko. I don't blame them for turning out how they did, but they took it to a whole new level. They were growing at a fast pace with no formidable opponent to meet their skill."

Nijimura nodded at her words as his eyes were fixed on his hot drink. Those same thoughts had ran through his head multiple times during his Teiko days. His only regret was not being able to be their captain as long as he should have been. "I guess it was my fault for placing Akashi as captain too soon. I could not handle the pressure for being a captain and worrying over my father's health."

Kagome raised her eyes to meet the small smile of the former captain.

"I can tell from this picture that Kuroko has found his rightful team. It has been a long time since I last seen him smile like this," he chuckled under his breath as his eyes lowered to the magazine in his hand. "To come to the championship has taken a lot, has it not?"

Scoffing with a smile, Kagome grabbed her cup of coffee, "more or so. Going against the Generation of Miracles was not easy, I will tell you that much."

"But they lost."

Kagome's attention rose from her coffee.

"Aomine. Midorima. Kise. Murasakibara, and Akashi have never lost…once. This year they have experience loss and I think it has opened a new kind of passion for them." Nijimura closed the magazine before reaching for his own drink. "If Seirin is able to defeat Akashi and his team then I am sure he will be back to his normal self."

"You know?" Kagome blinked.

"About his other personality?" he raised a brow at the question. "Of course. I began to notice it when I left my title to him." Finishing the last sip of his coffee, Nijimura placed his money over the small tray that had been left. "I have to go with my father to visit a few family members."

Kagome blinked, noticing the amount he had placed on the tray was enough to pay for both of the drinks. Standing from her seat, she turned to the former captain, "c-chotto, you don't have to-"

"It is my way of saying thank you, Higurashi-san," he smiled. "I can tell it was more than just Kuroko's basketball that is thawing the hearts of those bakas."

The miko's shoulders slumped, knowing she had no chance to go against his words nor his kindness. Raising her eyes once more to meet his, she became hesitant to ask. "A-Are…you not going to the game, then?"

Looking at the magazine, Nijimura sighed with a shake of his head. "I think I will leave you and Kuroko's team to give Akashi a good view what it means to win as a team. Besides, my father only came from Japan to visit a few family members before he went back to America for his next treatment."

"I see…"

"Higurashi-san?"

Kagome gave her attention once more to the former captain.

"I wish you and Seirin luck." Watching him turn his back to her, she blinked as he turned his head over his shoulder to give her one last smile. "Do take care of those bakas for me." Kagome's body relaxed as she saw him head for the exit. Was it fate to have met Kuroko's former captain? The worries she had felt a few minutes ago to go against Rakuzan had subsided.

A small smile cracked on her expression; Nijimura still cared for his former teammates.

* * *

Adjusting her coat, the miko shivered upon entering the cold winter. The events inside the coffee shop had her still in a daze. If she told the Generation of Miracles she had met up with their former captain, she knew their faces would be priceless. _'Maybe someday,' _she chuckled to herself. Kagome took out her phone and checked the time. _'I still have an hour and half before meeting with Riko-senpai.'_

The miko turned the corner of the coffee shop only to bump her nose into a broad chest. Taking a few steps back, Kagome quickly covered the sore spot on her nose and sent a glare to her attacker. "O-Oi-!" Eyes slowly widened as she saw the worry look on a familiar brunette.

"Ah! Kagome-chan! Sumimazen! I didn't see you there!"

"K-Kiyoshi-senpai?" Kagome blinked, lowering her hand from her nose. Of all people? What was he doing here?

"Are you okay?" he questioned with a nervous chuckle. "I didn't hurt you that bad, did I?"

Kagome shook her head and was looked around her surroundings. "Are you alone, senpai?"

"Yup," he smiled brightly, "I was heading to Izuki's place to have breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

Kiyoshi sent the miko a wider smile and noticed the papers and laptop bag on her person. No doubt she was doing her best to observe their opponents for the day. "Working hard, huh?"

Looking at the things in her hands, Kagome could not help but chuckle back. "Well, you caught me."

The tall male grabbed the miko's laptop bag before ruffling her hair – much to her annoyance. "You haven't eaten have you? Come, I am sure Izuki would love to have you for breakfast."

"I can't just come in without a head's up-Ah!" Pulled by her wrist, Kagome's was left arguing with a deaf male as the only thing that was in Kiyoshi's head was the food that would be there for him. The miko sighed in defeat; there was no way to go against this gigantic airhead. She took a glance to the side and noticed the overly joyed expression on his face. The expression on him had a different meaning to the aura she currently read.

Kiyoshi was hiding something.

* * *

Bite after bite; blink after blink. Kagome's sweat drop appeared as she and the rest of Shun's family watched the Seirin center take a bite from his meal. No doubt he was enjoying the food. How she came to be here was beyond her.

"Well? Do you like it?" Shun's mother asked from behind as she passed the tea.

"Hai!" he replied. "It's delicious."

"Oh, my," she chuckled back, "would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Shun's sweat drop appeared next as he saw the scene unfold. "Why is Kiyoshi eating with us?"

"You mean you didn't invite him?" Kagome raised a brow as she whispered the question to the male next to her. Sighing, Kagome gave Shun a small bow with her head after placing her chopsticks down. "Sumimazen, Izuki-senpai. We did not mean to intrude."

Shun quickly shook his head with a chuckle as he heard Kiyoshi munch from the other side of the table. "No, no. It's no problem at all. I was just not expecting it."

With Shun's mother coming around the table, she caught the miko's attention. "is everything to your liking, my dear?"

"Ah, hai," Kagome nodded, giving her another bow, "thank you for having us."

"It is my pleasure," she chuckled back. "More tea?"

Giving her another nod, Kagome could not help but feel a warmth for being welcomed. Shun's face was nothing but pure shock the moment they appeared at his front door. Of course she felt bad afterwards for appearing out of nowhere. Leave it to Kiyoshi to make surprise appearances.

"We are all going to see the game today!" One of Shun's sisters spoke. "Since it's the finals, I will be putting the final touches on my makeup."

"Onee-san, okaa-san already made that joke," Shun sighed.

Kagome's sweat dropped appeared again; Shun's family was filled of puns in the end.

"This is really good," Kiyoshi laughed before taking a sip from his tea. "Thanks for the food."

Watching everyone finish their meal, Kagome gave her thanks to Shun's mother and him. Offering her assistance to clean up, she was quickly told there was no need as she and the players had to rest up their minds and energy for the upcoming finals. Kagome blinked as she saw Shun pick up her plate and walk over to the kitchen and leaving her with the brunette.

"You know," she spoke, turning her head to the tall male, "you should let them know when you are coming over-" the miko blinked. The source of her conversation had left. Kagome moved her head left and right for any sign of the brunette.

Nothing.

Kagome stood up from her seat and noticed the shoji doors leading to the backyard. With a bark grabbing her attention, Kagome slowly made her way out the outside hallway. How did Kiyoshi escape her vision in the first place? Finally turning the corner, Kagome stopped at the sight of Kiyoshi playing with Shun's dog. Crossing her arms, Kagome leaned against the wooden pole. "Kiyoshi-senpai?"

Turning his head to his name, Kiyoshi sent the miko a smile. "Ah, Kagome-chan. Come!"

With small steps, Kagome made her way over to the squatted basketball player as the dog licked his cheek.

"I wonder if Nigou will get this big." Kiyoshi questioned, seeing the Shiba Inu running towards the miko. Kiyoshi smiled as Kagome petted the dog's head and gave him a small smile. "I wonder how strong Seirin will grow."

Letting the dog run back to the brunette, Kagome was left to stare. Standing up straight, Kagome's chest heaved down. "Kiyoshi-senpai?"

"Hm?"

"Is something bothering you?"

"No," he smiled, "nothing is bothering me. I guess my nerves are kicking in for the game-"

"You can't fool me, senpai."

Having turned his head over his shoulder, Kiyoshi's smile slowly dropped before it came back and returned to pet the dog's head. "Right. I can't fool you, Kagome-chan. I can't fool a miko. I guess my aura is telling you, huh?"

"It is more than just your aura, Kiyoshi-senpai," she sighed, "it is written all over your face. What's going on?"

Silent for a few seconds, Kiyoshi's eyes relaxed as he knew this news was about to come sooner or later. Exhaling deeply, Kiyoshi's hands played with the dog's paws while making sure to hide the pain he held. "I will be going into rehab after the championship."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly. Rehab? Why had he not told anyone?

"Doctors told me I can play again, but I would need to start my rehab soon. The only ones who do this kind of rehab for my knee is in…America."

Silence.

"I was hesitant to tell the team knowing it would only worry all of you. We don't need that with the championship only a step away." Chuckling, he slowly rose to his feet, "I know this is for the best."

"Kiyoshi-senpai, I could have healed your injury-"

"I know," he stopped her, raising his palm up, "but I want to learn to do this on my own." He remembered Kagome's proposal to heal his knee. An injury that could be repaired, but it would take time. After all, he continued to play when he should have not. Giving the miko a smile, he made his way to her and ruffled her hair. "I know you mean well, Kagome-chan."

The miko's eyes lowered, unsure what to say to the news. One of their teammates were leaving - far away.

Kiyoshi quickly noticed her behavior and frowned. He was aware of the pain everyone would feel to see him go after this long journey together, but it had to be done. The smile returned on his expression before he placed his much larger hand behind the miko's head and bringing her close. Leaning his head down, he placed a small and soft peck on the top of her head.

Kagome's eyes immediately opened at the feel of his gentle gesture. Frozen in place, she felt his hand give her hair one last ruffle before hearing him leave to help Shun's family with the cleaning.

"Don't worry. I will be back before you know it. You have Kuroko, Kagami, Seirin, and the Generation of Miracles to take care of. You won't be alone…anymore, Kagome-chan."

Kagome's fingers slowly reached to touch the top of her head as she turned to look over her shoulder. What was going on today?

* * *

Furrowing his eyebrows with uncertainty, Kagami's fist clenched at his sides. After a long rivalry he hoped to settle, he was still unsure how to speak to his childhood friend. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he heard a few people around the park walk by as they were only ones standing in the middle of the public basketball court.

"Sorry, Tatsuya, for asking you to come here," he spoke, noticing Himuro's attention on him. Giving himself a nod, Kagami knew it was the right time to say what he needed to say. "I wanted to settle this before the finals."

"I know," Himuro sighed.

Gulping, Kagami's memories brought him back to his last days having played with Himuro. "I'm sorry about what happened in America. But I still wish we could be like-"

"That's enough."

Kagami blinked, taken back by the sudden interruption. He fell silent as soon as he saw Himuro give a small bow with his head with closed eyes.

"I should apologize to you," Himuro spoke. "I'm sorry for everything, Taiga. Let's play again, someday. Actually, I hope we do…as rivals and brothers."

Watching the Yosen player put on his chain with the ring attached, Kagami was left wordless. He never thought Himuro would apologize nor did he expect it.

Himuro took a step forward as a smile graced his lips. The rivalry he had placed between was his fault. The reason for his lack of skill was his thirst to be better. He knew he was wrong, but in the world of sports, thriving to be better blinds everyone. "I'm going to watch the game," he spoke before placing his hand on Kagami's shoulder, "do your best."

"Tatsuya…"

"Ah, one last thing," he chuckled, "don't go easy on any of them or they will steal more than just a trophy, Taiga."

"Huh?" the tiger blinked. "What are you talking about?"

The Yosen player chuckled as he patted the tiger's shoulder once more. **"Let me see you become the number one player, bro." **Himuro shook his head, knowing how dense his friend could be. There was only so much he could do to hold a certain purple haired male from getting what all the other Generation of Miracles wanted.

* * *

Petting Nigou's head as he ate his meal, a smile curved over Kuroko's lips. Having woken up early to drop off their mascot on the school, it also gave him time to think to himself. The game he never thought he would play with an actual smile on his face had come true.

"Alex-san is coming by later," he spoke, receiving a soft bark from Nigou. "Be a good boy, okay?"

Standing straight, Kuroko looked over his shoulder to see the gym doors open. A basketball in the middle of the sun's spotlight from the windows only made him feel warmth. The place he had come to make so many memories with. Kuroko took small steps inside before grabbing the ball into his hands.

The first time meeting Kagome and Kagami had all been just a coincidence to him at first, but looking back, he had to admit to the miko's words. Everything was fate.

His eyes rose to the basket over his head: _'I am glad I kept playing basketball. Tonight, I'm letting out all those feelings, Akashi-kun.'_

* * *

Checking her phone for the time, Kagome gave out a breathy sigh. The cold was definitely getting into her skin. _'Why didn't I bring a scarf?' _Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked left and right. Nothing but staff members and other people in business suits going into the stadium for the game. Why Riko had called her in early was still questionable. Although there was something she did want to bring out to the coach.

'_Something about Rakuzan isn't right,' _she told herself as she checked her surroundings once more. There was something about Rakuzan's game against Shutoku she had missed. Her inner thoughts were quickly interrupted as she felt a group of auras nearing her from behind.

"Kagome."

Looking over her shoulder, the miko's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of the familiar white and sky blue basketball uniforms. Now what?

"My, what are you doing here so early, Kagome?"

Looking over at the entire team, Kagome's eyes returned on the red head. "I could ask you the same question, Akashi-kun."

A smirk appeared over his expression along with a snicker. "Well, our team needs to go over a few game plans. As I excel, and it is my job as captain to look over the team, I must make sure everyone knows what their role is."

"Sounds more like a dictatorship," she scoffed back. Her blue eyes returned to scan the team. Before she could saying to the emperor, she blinked while taking a step back as her view was filled with a certain blonde.

"Wahh! Kagome-nee! This is a surprise!"

"N-Nice to see you too, um…"

"Oh," he slung his arm over the miko's shoulder – much to her surprise, "just call me Hayama. No need to be formal with me."

With a raised brow, the miko simply gave him a nod before her view came filled with a black haired male. "My, my. If it isn't our dear Kago-chan. I am glad we get to meet once more." He gave out a chuckle before grabbing Kagome's hand into his and kissing the top of her palm. "I hope your team can deliver a good game for us. This is the championship after all."

"Ha! They better!" Nebuya spoke as he stretched out his muscles from his biceps, "Kiyoshi better not let us down!"

Hayama blinked as he felt his arm being moved away from the miko's shoulder. Noticing the exhale she gave, the Uncrowned Kings were taken back from her sudden glare. "I wouldn't go underestimating Seirin's strength. They have made it this far for a reason."

The Rakuzan captain let out a chuckle with closed eyes. He was not going to admit it that Seirin's name to be in the finals had been a shock to him, but he looked forward to it. Kuroko had a purpose to prove him wrong, but losing was nothing but a fantasy for everyone. He was absolute after all. "We are not underestimating Seirin, Kagome. We were just not expecting it."

"It is still underestimating us," Kagome's glare tightened.

"Perhaps, but I never once underestimated you, Kagome."

Taking a glance at his aura surrounding his person, the miko allowed herself to relax. She had to remind herself this was not the Akashi Kuroko had met. This was the Akashi that had taken over. The sound of steps caught her attention, noticing Akashi giving his team a nod ahead to go inside.

"We will see you soon, Kagome-nee~!" Hayama waved as he and the other two Uncrowned Kings lead the team.

The miko shivered as she felt an almost an empty aura. Turning her head to the side, her eyes narrowed to find the source. This aura…it almost felt like-

"Well, we have a long day ahead of us. I will be happy to speak to you again, Kagome. I wish you luck." Giving the miko a small bow with his head, Akashi turned away from her eyes and walked forward.

"Akashi-kun."

Stopping in his steps, the emperor remained still with only his back directed to the Seirin manager.

"What happened in Teiko…I can understand why everyone drifted apart, but I cannot forgive that other side of you for having taken over and ruined a friendship Kuroko held close." Kagome's eyes narrowed as she saw Akashi slowly turn his head over his shoulder.

"Oh? My other side?" he questioned.

Holding her ground, the miko tightened her glare, "Seirin and I will bring back the old Akashi-kun. We will show you that Kuroko's basketball is far stronger than yours."

Chuckling at her threat, Akashi turned his body slightly to face the miko. He applauded her courage; the miko's courage was definitely one to look up to. "Akashi needs this side of me. You think someone like you can bring him back?"

Taking a step forward, she tilted her head up to meet Akashi's gaze. "You believe I won't?"

"No one has before," he smirked. Grabbing the miko's chin with his fingers, he tilted her head to get a close into her pupils. The grin on his lips only stretching as he saw the determination and courage in her eyes, "no one can defeat me for I am absolute, Kagome."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **We are close to the end! Everything will begin soon and trust me...it will be good. I am going to open a new poll regarding a certain detail I want to include in the future chapters, but if you want your guy to win...then vote!

Well, I know people are going to get mad about the Kiyoshi thing, but please! It had to be done! It did! Trust me! So sorry about it!

But I want to thank you for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review? I love hearing from all of you as it gives me that push to continue something even though I struggle with my everyday life...

Thank you again for reading!

Ja~ne!


	33. Visible Weakness

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **There was high demand for this story to get updated, so here it is. Now I want people to understand that the way I take certain details for the upcoming chapters is something that had to be done. Also...updates will become slower because I will be studying abroad in Japan. But these stories will continue (if people keep supporting them ha-ha).**  
**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! There is so much love for this story and I hope to bring more joy to you all! **

**Chapter 33: Visible Weakness**

* * *

Feeling the chill blow, shivers ran through his body as he watched other people from other schools and parents head towards the entrance of the stadium. The smirk on his lips stretched, itching for the game to begin: the finale. A finale he knew everyone was lost to pick a winner. Looking over his shoulder, he snickered at the sight of his Tōō teammates walking beside a grumpy ace.

"It's so cold, huh?" Imayoshi chuckled. "I can't believe Aomine actually came to watch the finals with us. Oh, perhaps it will snow later."

"Shut up," Aomine scoffed, digging his hands into his pockets. The last thing he wanted was to hear something about his abnormal appearance with his teammates. Even without Momoi dragging him to come with the rest of the team, he would be lying to himself if he said he was not curious how this game would conclude. "You weren't really studying for exams, anyways."

"Nonsense," Imayoshi shook his head.

Turning his attention to the tan male, Susa raised a brow, watching as Hojo and Sakurai spoke to each other and Wakamatsu remained in the back to make sure Aomine would not escape. "We are a hundred times smarter than you."

"Man! I can't believe you're watching the finals with us, Murasakibara! It is going to snow later!?"

Hearing the familiar heavy tone, the Tōō members blinked ahead before their focus landed on the familiar tall defensive members.

"Shut up already, butt chin." Yawning to mute out his captain's laugh, the purple haired male scratched the back of his head. How much he wished he had brought a bag of snacks with him.

"Only butt chin would say that," another voice added in.

"Are cleft chins that bad!?"

Tōō blinked in unison as their paths crossed with Yosen's coach leading her tall members. Raising a brow to match his smirk, Imayoshi saluted them with a wave. "Well, well. If it isn't Yosen! Domo!"

Okamura turned his attention slightly to face the smirking captain, a little taken back to find one of Seirin's rivals to be here to see the finals. "Imayoshi?" he whispered. "Haven't seen you since summer. It's been a while. I guess we're both out, huh?"

"Well, we certainly failed," he chuckled back, as their teams began to walk side-to-side.

Taking a glance from the corner of his eyes, Aomine's eyes relaxed before returning to face the front as he caught sight of the purple haired male walking beside him. "Yo," he greeted in mid-whisper, "we just met at the opening ceremony, but it seems like so long ago, Murasakibara."

"Yeah…"

Aomine took another glance into the Yosen team, noting that there was one person missing. "Isn't the guy with his bangs in his eyes missing?"

"Muro-chin?" Murasakibara questioned. "He said he would be late. Apparently he had something to do before the game." Letting the silence kick back in, the tall Yosen member slowly lowered his gaze to the floor, feeling his curiosities slowly seeping back into his head. "Hey, Mine-chin."

"What?"

"Who do you think will win?"

Giving an unenthusiastic sigh, Aomine slowly closed his eyes. "You mean the third place match or finals?" Watching both Yosen and Tōō make their way into the doors, Aomine gave out his ticket in the front with Murasakibara following behind. Although he held the same question as him, he just did not have the guts to ask it out loud, mainly because he was unsure himself. "Third place," he continued, "is already decided. Kaijo can't manage without _him. _About finals…I don't know. That's why we showed up, right?"

Murasakibara nodded, knowing that was the best answer to take. Letting his eyes droop tiredly, Murasakibara ducked down from the entrance and blinked at the sight of the Rakuzan and Seirin banners in the front. "You think Gome-chin can go against Aka-chin?"

"You mean Kagome?" he raised a brow. "Kagome won't be going head on with that guy. If anything Akashi has his eyes set on destroying Seirin."

Murasakibara took a glance from the corner of his eyes noticing the cringe in Aomine's expression made by his eyebrows. "You sure? Aka-chin will go as far as destroying those outside the players you know."

Although he hated to admit that he was right, Aomine's fingers curled inside his pockets. They would just have to wait and see what both Seirin and Rakuzan would demonstrate for their win.

* * *

"Mah! The nerves are finally anchoring me!" Koganei began to laugh before turning around to see the rest of his team members exit their locker room with both Riko and Kagome following behind. "Although, I am quite curious to see who is going to win third place."

"Well, seeing that Kise hurt his foot against us, I am sure they would sit him back down," Kiyoshi smiled, knowing well enough that it had been fully healed by the miko's abilities. "Although Kagome-chan did heal him, they do have to pretend it is still affected after his whole team saw the damage."

Clasping his hands behind his head, Koganei nodded as he turned his head to face the front. So even with Kagome's abilities assisting to help others, they still had to pretend some things could not be fixed. After all, her identity along with the demons they met had to be kept a secret. The last thing Seirin wanted was for that inu youkai to go after them. "So I guess third place will be going to Shutoku, huh?"

"It seems like it," Hyuga spoke, keeping his eyes ahead.

With silence blanketing their walk towards the entrance of the court, they were sure their levels of nervousness were sky rocketing. They were about to go head-to-head with a man who has never lost in his life. A man who was indeed absolute to everyone else – he had proven that. Turning his head over his shoulder, Koganei parted his lips to speak: "Nee, Kagome-chan, can you sense-?" He blinked, feeling his own blood turn cold at the sight of her anger demeanor. He did not need to read auras to know the miko was not in the mood. Gulping down the rest of his question, Koganei scooted over to the team, making sure to keep his voice as low as possible. "Oi…is Kagome-chan okay? Or does she seem a little too angry to you?"

Having heard Koganei's concern, eyes landed on the silent miko. Her eyes remained low on the floor as she carried her clipboard and bag. Her eyebrows were knitted together as her lips moved up and down with mumbles escaping every now and then.

"What is wrong with her?" Kagami whispered, watching her steps begin to lag.

Beginning to feel concern for their manager, Riko made her way to the back of the group after giving telling the team to go on ahead. "Kagome-chan?" No reply. Her eyebrows dropped as she placed her hand over the miko's shoulder. "Kagome-chan?"

Reality snapped back in her head, making the miko look up from her half-dazed rage. Blinking at the sight of Riko looking at her with worry, Kagome's lips trembled as they formed a smile. "Oh, sumimazen, Riko-senpai. I guess I am starting to feel the nerves."

"Are you okay?" she questioned. That was definitely not nerves. Nerves did not warp your face into an angry expression.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, taking in a deep breath after feeling her lungs heavy from her thoughts on Akashi's threat. "Just thinking about Rakuzan…"

Having met Kagome at the front of the stadium as planned, Riko did not expect to find her mind out of place. The miko had been found staring at the entrance doors with knuckles turning white as she gripped the strap to her bag. Riko had become worried since then, but with Kagome's sudden smile, her questions had seemed to blow away. Had she met with someone? Before she could question, the sound of loud cheering rung in their ears, making the two girls and the rest of the team blink the bright lights out of their sight to focus on the scene before them.

All eyes landed on the Shutoku shooting guard taking his aim before releasing the ball into its high arc. "Sugoi…," Furihata whispered, "I am always awed by his precise shots."

Watching Shutoku and Kaijo fight for third place, the miko turned her head to the benches. Her shoulders slumped down at the sight of a pouting blonde. It was no surprise to see him there despite having healed his foot. Reality still had to be taken in with many ears and eyes having been on the Kaijo ace during his game with Haizaki. The swoosh sound of the net having been moved by Midorima's shot caught the miko's attention back on the court before the buzzer sounded off for half-time.

"There will be a ten minute break before the second game," the announcer's voice was heard. "Rakuzan and Seirin, please begin warming up."

Each team made their way to opposite ends of the court. Walking towards their own baskets of basketballs, Seirin's eyes remained on the emperor as his own stare seemed to dig into their souls. As Rakuzan began their warm-up shots, Seirin blinked noticing their captain having turned his head over his shoulder to observe his opponents. Hyuga's eyebrows furrowed, watching layup after layup being made into the basket without missing a step. Watching them made goosebumps crawl over his skin.

"Hyuga-senpai?" Fukuda called out, "is something wrong?"

"Look," he whispered, turning his body slightly towards Rakuzan's half of the court for everyone to see what had caught his attention. "This isn't good."

Silently, Seirin watched the three Uncrowned Kings perform a layup one after another. Although they were not fully educated on what their specialties were, they knew underestimating would be a big mistake. After all, they were on the same level as Kiyoshi. "They're just passing into layups," Fukuda blinked again.

"Right," Hyuga nodded, "they follow precisely the same rhythm and never miss. The layup is the most accurate basic shot. But no matter how good they are, I've never seen anyone make one-hundred percent of their shots. They got more than the basics down. They've absorbed them on a frighteningly deep level through repetition. A layup has never sent chills up my spine before…"

Standing beside the phantom player, the miko's eyebrows came together in worry after having heard their captain's words. Every Seirin member did feel an ounce of fright going up against these champions, but if they wanted to win, they had to give it their all. Her focus glided to a certain emperor, watching as he spun the ball between his hands before making a regular two-point shot with ease.

A double light pulsed over his person, making Kagome's focus narrow. _'Just who is Akashi…?'_

* * *

Letting out an elongated burp into court, the Rakuzan center bumped his chest as soon as burp has its end. "Woah," he cleared his throat, "did not see that one coming."

"Chotto! That was too long! Was that your longest one yet, Nebu-chan!?" shouted Reo, turning to the culprit of the disgusting manner. Did his team ever learn about manners? It sometimes surprised by how well his tolerance was when it came to the other Uncrowned Kings.

"Yeah," Nebuya patted his stomach, "I filled my stomach to capacity today. I am facing Kiyoshi, right? We go way back. I can feel strength welling up inside me."

Sighing, knowing it was futile to go teach him some etiquette, Reo bounced the ball twice before catching it between his hands.

"What about you, Reo?" Rakuzan's small forward came behind the shooting guard, curious to hear the thoughts his teammates had on their upcoming opponents. "Who are you marking?"

"Hyuga Junpei. Country boys aren't my type, but," the corner of his lips curved upwards as he took a small glance from the corner of his eyes and noticed the Seirin captain shiver, "I'll take good care of him." Turning back to Hayama, Reo could not help but exhale at the confident smirk he held. "Anyway, I am worried about you. You're on Kagami, aren't you?"

Hayama nodded back, "yeah, he is a tough one; it'll work out. Right, Mayuzumi-san?" Looking at the grey haired male over his shoulder, a pout formed having been ignored by his teammate. "Mah~ you never take anything seriously."

"Do you understand our situation, though?" Reo questioned, gaining Hayama's attention once again.

Lightly throwing the ball over his head, a smirk covered the pout in an instant. "Sure do. We just have to crush Seirin, right?"

Although Hayama had a carefree nature, he was worried Hayama's cool would blow off. If anything, Akashi hated if any of them underestimated their opponents' skills, and this was the finals after all. "Fine, as long as you understand."

"Akashi," Nebuya called, "you're starting today, right?"

The Uncrowned Kings looked behind them as their captain shot another ball into the hoop. "Of course," he replied with a light chuckle. "They are strong. We mustn't let our guard down, but I am absolute. Rakuzan always wins. Our basketball is absolute." Akashi nodded as he noticed the game-ready faces on his teammates. If he wanted to defeat Kuroko's team he was going to crush them with the first point. The small thump on his shoe made him look down to see a basketball having rolled his way from the other side. Picking it up, Akashi scoffed with a smirk as he came face-to-face with his former phantom.

"The day has finally come," he spoke, throwing the ball towards the owner, "Tetsuya."

Kuroko caught the ball between his hands, watching as his former captain came to stand a few feet in front of him.

"Honestly, I am surprised," Akashi's eyes dropped into suspicious slits. "I thought it unlikely that you would make it this far. Do you have your answer now?"

"Hai."

"Then…," he snickered back, watching as the rest of the Seirin members came behind the phantom player, "show me your basketball."

"No," Kuroko cut in. "I won't be showing you my basketball. It's our basketball."

A light snicker escaped the emperor as he watched the whole Seirin team including the two females standing behind the phantom player. The flame of their determination to win the title of champion had finally ignited and he was more than ready to put it out. Akashi gave them a nod as he spoke, "very well. Kagome has high hopes for all of you; I do hope you can meet," his eyes landed on the miko, "her expectations."

Meeting his gaze before the teams made their way to the sidelines of the court, the miko lowered her brows to meet her narrowed glare. This was not going to be an easy match, that was for certain, but they would have to fight with everything they had to prove Akashi that his way was not absolute.

* * *

Eyes followed the teams clad in orange and blue as they fought for the last minutes of the game. Separating herself away from her team as they watched Kaijo's and Shutoku's game from the sidelines, Kagome sighed with crossed arms. Her vision went over to the sitting blonde, watching as he bit on the tip of thumb. His anxiety for the win but unable to do anything were wearing him out. Shifting her gaze onto the court, Kagome watched as Midorima made another arched shot.

"Guess you could say he is a little mad at himself for not being able to take third place."

Kagome jumped at the voice beside her, making her blink away the sudden whirl of thoughts that had been interrupted. "K-Koga…," she whispered, noticing the wolf youkai having joined her on the sidelines to watch the game. Giving him a small glare, she turned her head back ahead. "Don't appear out of nowhere like that."

"Oi, oi," he chuckled, "just because we live in a more civilized era doesn't mean you should let your guard down." Slightly baffled at her cold shoulder treatment, he raised a brow after getting a faint whiff of her nerves. His eyes landed on her shoulders, noticing them stiffer than usual. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Is it noticeable?" she questioned back, keeping her eyes ahead.

The wolf exhaled as he mimicked her stance and watched Shutoku make another shot. The pressure of the game was more than just on the players – it was a heavy weight on everyone who knew the Generation of Miracles. If Seirin were to sweep the win from Rakuzan, it would change everything, but – "Akashi won't be an easy opponent, Kagome."

"I am aware…"

"Even Sesshomaru acknowledges him," he whispered with a mild scoff, "and that is saying something. Akashi uses psychological tricks. Like I said before, don't let your guard down." Given a nod as a mere reply, Koga noticed her eyes having now zoned across the other side of the sidelines to see Akashi's team preparing for their entrance. Even he would admit Akashi was a person to be frightened about, but only those who knew what they wanted could go against his beliefs. As strong as the woman beside him was…she was still human. Sometimes he and Shippo would forget that she was indeed a human after having fought demons in the feudal era, but she had proven herself to handle almost anything.

But it seemed she was still afraid of accepting others into her heart after having lost Inuyasha and her other friends. Perhaps Akashi and the other Miracles were not the only ones having ice blocking their true feelings.

"Where is Shippo?" Kagome asked, looking over to her wolf companion. "Isn't he always with you these days?"

He directed her view by looking up towards the suits of the stadium: "over there. He's in Sesshomaru's suite. I'm going there afterwards."

"I see…," a small smile finally curved over her gloom.

Noticing her eyes once again shifting over to Rakuzan, Koga's eyebrow lifted in confusion. Something else was up. "Is something bothering you? Seems like something else besides Akashi is worrying you."

A heavy sigh blew between the miko's lips as her eyes focused in on a certain grey haired male across the court. His aura was faint; he seemed invisible to his own team. Standing behind the team in the shadows of the court, Kagome could not help but feel a certain nostalgia when she had met another certain shadow.

The nostalgia only made her stomach churn as she felt no other aura around the mysterious male. "Do you see him?" she whispered.

Muddled over her direction of sight, he followed until he saw the grey haired male standing behind the rest of the Rakuzan team. "Is he a player?"

"He is wearing the jersey…"

"Hmm," Koga's fingers massaged his chin as he tried digging into his memory, "I don't remember seeing him."

"Neither do I…," she commented back, "and that is what scares me."

The ending buzzer brought their attentions back in the game. Cheers were released as the final score revealed Shutoku taking third place from Kaijo. Kagome's shoulders heaved before they dropped back down. Watching Midorima make his way to Kise's bench, she knew both of them were not fully satisfied with how things ended this year. After all, many things occurred in their simple world of basketball.

"So Shutoku won," Koga spoke, bringing the miko's attention back. "Guess that just leaves Seirin and Rakuzan."

* * *

Meeting the Kaijo's ace's eyes, Midorima kept his serious composure. The game had not been fair; the win was one-sided, at least to him. Standing before him as Kise sat on the bench, Midorima pushed in his glasses. "Kise…we will settle this later. Next time we will both play at full strength."

Kise only blinked in return. Never did he think Midorima would come to his opponent promising for a fair match. Playing the part of being hurt was tough and the game had been a bit unfair for his team, but the simple promise for another game only made the blonde nod. Quickly standing up, Kise's eyebrow furrowed in.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "We would have won if I had been playing!"

"Why, you…! I'll beat you again, nanodayo!"

Chuckling at his determination, Kise took a step back as he realized their final game had come to a close. The Winter Cup only had the attention on the finals. "Well, it couldn't be helped," he scoffed half-heartedly. "I hate to say it, but we're just the opening act today. But let me make one thing clear, Midorimacchi, I will in getting _her _first."

Midorima's eyes narrowed tightly as he watched the Kaijo ace follow his team towards the exit of the court. No one needed to clear the meaning behind Kise's words knowing perfectly who he had referred to. Exhaling out his tiny annoyance, Midorima turned around to see his celebrating team. He might have won this match, but when it came to other unsettled silent dispute between the other Generation of Miracles and a certain tiger, he knew it would be problematic.

* * *

An immediate twitch on the wolf's ear was seen through the corner of the miko's eyes. Lifting a brow, she watched as Koga's demeanor hardened with a glare as he observed the Shutoku and Kaijo aces engaging in a conversation. "What's wrong?" she questioned.

"Nothing," he huffed. "I just think I have too much competition."

"Competition…?"

Before Kagome could push on the question, the announcer's voice interrupted all conversations inside the stadium and making their focus land at the middle of the court.

"Before Rakuzan and Seirin make their entrances, our lead sponsor of the Winter Cup will give a few words to the two finalists: Tashio Sesshomaru, CEO of the Tashio Corporation."

Sweat drops loomed over Koga's and Kagome's heads as they heard Sesshomaru's introduction. The thought of the inu youkai giving a speech about high school was something they never thought would happen in five hundred years, but it was not a surprise neither.

"A speech, huh?" Kagome whispered.

"He didn't want to," Koga scoffed. "Trust me. Sesshomaru thinks highly of himself, but as the sponsor he has no choice but give a few words to "wisdom"."

'_Wisdom, huh?' _Kagome eyes returned back on the court as they follow the powerful walk Sesshomaru made as he was given the microphone. With most of her friends knowing about his true identity, they were going to pay attention. Although she was used to the youkai's presence, she had to admit his existence alone was intimidating.

The court curtained in silence as Sesshomaru stood alone with only his assistant standing behind him. Standing proud, Sesshomaru slowly brought the microphone to his lips. "Fighting for victory comes with a price, sacrifices, and hard work. Only the strong win, but those with true physical and mental strength gain the victory. Every player that has played on this court had set their minds on winning, but the true fighter has their mind set on not wanting to lose. Fear will only set you back; struggle with move you forward." His gold gaze hardened as his eyes were set on the two teams waiting to enter the court – their expression set on the goal they sought for. "Rakuzan. Seirin. I wish you two the best of luck."

Claps echoed through the stadium; everyone remained awed by the fueling speech of the CEO. Kagome had to admit Sesshomaru, despite being a youkai, had changed a bit at heart after mingling with a few humans. He had come a long way to stand where he was, and he had every right to hold the pride he did.

"Talk about moving…," Kagome whispered.

"Right?" Koga snorted with a smirk as he heard the small intimidations of the Seirin team in front of them. Clearing his throat, the wolf youkai placed his hands inside his pockets but not before ruffling the miko's hair (much to her annoyance). "Well, looks like Seirin and Rakuzan are up. Good luck."

The toothy grin she was given made the miko remember the times he would present that smirk when he was confident a certain outcome would come. A smile that brought the feudal era memories rush back. As Sesshomaru and Koga made their ways towards the exit and others prepared the court, Seirin and Rakuzan walked towards their benches. Flashes from reporters made the reality much more real that this was the end of a journey.

A journey she had been given a chance to take.

"You alright, Kagome-chan?"

The captain's voice brought the miko's attention out of her own worry. Giving him a reassuring smile, Kagome set her bag down on the bench. "Yeah, just thinking too much," she replied before noticing Kuroko's bag being placed beside hers. "Ready, Kuroko-kun?"

"Hai," he nodded.

"Kuroko."

The phantom's name caught everyone's attention to see the other three first-years coming together with Furihata at the front. Confident smiles decorated their features as they watched Kuroko's confused look. Gulping, Furihata took a step forward. "Kuroko, could you use this during today's game?"

Kuroko's eyes landed on the object resting on Furihata's palm. He blinked a couple of times before realizing the black and white wrist band was being given to him. "This is…"

"All our spirits are in there," Kawahara chuckled with a huge grin. "We might not get to play, but we want to fight with you."

A warm smile curved over Kuroko's lips as he heard his teammates' words. The encouragement to fight with his best fueled his determination to help his own team. Taking the wrist band from Furihata's hand, Kuroko gave them a nod in appreciation. "Arigatou gozaimasu; I will wear both. Ogiwara-kun's and Seirin's."

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, the miko looked over her only to come face-to-face with Mitobe as he held a folded jacket on his hands. "Mitobe-senpai…?" Blinking at the Seirin colors on the jacket, she noticed the small nudge Mitobe gave towards her. "Is this for me?"

He nodded silently as the rest of the team members gathered behind him. Taking the jacket into her hands, Kagome turned speechless as she saw her surname on the back. She never saw paperwork ordering this. Raising her eyes to meet those of her teams, she held back the tears wanting to show her gratitude but decided against it to wait for the outcome of the game. This team had given her a new chance of living a normal life and accepted her difficult past and her feudal friends.

"Arigatou, miina," she gave them a bright smile, slightly surprising the team from the rare smile they were given.

Seeing his team prepared for the challenge, Hyuga took off his white long sleeve shirt before facing his teammates. "Yosh! It's time. Let's go! Let's win! Seirin…fight!" Hearing them cheer with him, Hyuga and the rest of the starters came to face the court while waiting for the announcer to proceed with the game.

"Before the game begins, allow us to introduce the teams. In the black uniforms, Seirin High!" With the audience applauding, eyes landed on the Seirin bench. "Their faculty advisor is Takeda Kenji. Their manager is Higurashi Kagome. Their coach is Aida Riko." The three took their respective bows as they their stood from their seat. "Next," the announcer continued, "is their starting lineup. Number eleven, Kuroko Tetsuya."

"There he is! The Phantom Sixth Man!" shouted the crowd. "He is starting again today!"

"Number ten, Kagami Taiga."

"All right," he whispered to himself, rolling his muscles back. This is what he had waited for and although deep inside he was shaken up not knowing what Akashi's full potential was, he was not backing out.

* * *

"Oh, looks like I made it."

Looking to their side, the Yosen team blinked in unison upon placing their sights on the familiar exchange student.

"Muro-chin," Murasakibara spoke out. "Where were you?"

Himuro gave out a nervous laugh as he made his way to his seat. "I panicked when I got a little lost." The thought of his team knowing he want to speak to his childhood friend was something he would keep to himself, but he was truly glad to have made it before the game started. Looking over to the court, Himuro's eyes softened as he saw the tiger enter the stage. _'You can do it, Taiga.'_

* * *

"Number seven, Kiyoshi Teppei."

Fingers curling into his palm, Kiyoshi took a step forward. The memories of his days in the hospital becoming nothing but a blur at the moment. Thinking about the past and the future would not help him help the team towards their goal. Presently he had a job; he had to support the team no matter what level of pain he would get. _'All right,' _he sighed, '_let's do this. No regrets.'_

"You can do it, Kiyoshi!" Koganei shouted.

"Number five, Izuki Shun."

Shoulders slumping down with her exhale, Kagome watched their Eagle Eye user make his way to the line. Out of everyone in the team, Izuki had the toughest job, yet. _'Marking Akashi-kun won't be easy,' _her eyes narrowed with concern. _'It may eat him alive if this proves to be too much for him…'_

"Number four, Captain Hyuga Junpei."

"Yeah!" Hyuga shouted an encouraging cheer for himself. The thoughts of his team ridding on his shoulders was a heavy one, but he had to carry them forward. Win or lose, he would continue to carry that victory or loss for them.

With the crowd giving their applause to the Seirin team, the sound slowly died down as the Rakuzan team slowly stood from their seats. "In the white uniforms," the announcer spoke out, "Rakuzan High. Their coach is Shirogane Eiji." With a simple bow of his head, the announcement continued on. "Next is their starting lineup. Number eight, Nebuya Eikichi."

Seirin's eyebrows furrowed.

"Number seven, Hayama Kotaro."

Their blood slowly pumped with each introduction.

"Number six, Mibuchi Leo."

* * *

"Hmm…"

Hearing the low hum, Koga looked to his side to see the kitsune having leaned away from his seat to focus his attention on the three that were introduced. "What is it?" he questioned.

"I have seen them somewhere," Shippo blinked. "I think in a magazine or something…"

Sighing, Koga leaned back in his seat watching as the three Rakuzan members made their way forward. "The Uncrowned Kings."

"Huh?"

"Rakuzan got their hands on three out of the five Uncrowned Kings. That alone is a big threat on Seirin," the wolf youkai explained. The fact that Seirin was aware of it only made it real that they knew this would no easy game. Sure it was just a high school match, but the match meant much more to those involved.

Nodding to Koga's words, Shippo rested his arms over the balcony railing. "So they are all as good as Kiyoshi and that Hanamiya guy? They are the other two Uncrowned Kings, right?"

Koga sighed once again: "we will see."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Koga crossed his arms, leaning back into his seat, "now that they are on Rakuzan, it wouldn't surprise me if they have surpassed that title."

His eyes landed on the miko; he just never thought he would be emotionally involved.

* * *

"Number five, Mayuzumi Chihiro."

"Their only third year…," Fukuda whispered, finally noticing the grey haired male entering the court. "He seemed pretty strong during warm ups."

Hearing the low whispers of her teammates, the miko's eyes narrowed as she kept her sights on the mysterious player. Simply reading his aura was something she frightened. With a name now put on the face, Kagome made a mental note to keep her guard up. If Akashi had him on the team, he had to be something. _'His aura is almost invisible like-'_

"Number four…"

The miko tensed upon changing her focus to the red haired captain.

"Captain Akashi Seijuro."

With both teams lined up at the center line facing each other, the announcer went forward with the opening. "The Winter Cup final between Seirin High and Rakuzan High will now begin."

"Bow!" the referee shouted.

Giving their respects, both physically and orally, the teams bowed their thank you.

The teams went their separate ways to their assigned positions. With the tension heavy on the court and the excitement light in the audience, there was no doubt this would bring pressure. Kagami looked over his shoulder to locate the Seirin center. Following him behind, the tiger called him out. "Senpai…"

"Hmm?" Kiyoshi turned around.

"Could you let me get the jump ball?" Kagami requested.

Kiyoshi blinked with confusion at the sudden request. "What's gotten into you?" It was unlike Kagami to ask for the tip-off, especially last minute knowing they already had a plan. "You certainly jump higher than me, but your timing…" Kiyoshi's words muted out upon seeing Kagami's calm determination.

"Please."

A simple smile adorned Kiyoshi's lips having a gut feeling Kagami had something else in mind. Nodding to his wish, Kiyoshi replied, "fine. I'm counting on you."

* * *

"Huh?" Koganei blinked, noticing their tiger having made his way to the center line for the tip-off. With a raised brow, Koganei looked over to his coach and manager noticing the questionable expressions on their faces. "Wasn't Kiyoshi supposed to jump so Kuroko and Kagami could score?"

With a sigh, Riko rested her fingers under her chin. "I'll let them decide. If Teppei switched, he probably felt it was for the best." It was risk, but it was a rare sight to see Kagami in deep concentration. From here on out, all she and the rest of the team could do was trust one another. Her eyes landed to the side, noticing the miko having her own gaze glued elsewhere. A crooked eyebrow made its move wondering her line of sight; she followed her gaze coming to stop at the mysterious Mayuzumi. "Kagome-chan?"

"Ah, gomen," she shook her head, gaining back her reality. "Huh? Kagami-kun is jumping for the ball?"

"Apparently…"

She focused her attention on Kagami, noticing his aura slowly rising from his person, but remaining stable unlike other times. He was calm, but he was ready to fight. Although it was a good thing, something deep in her stomach only continued to churn. _'I just hope he can keep that mental condition for the game…'_

The whistle was blown with the ball soon joining the air. In a split second, Kagami reached forward while sending Nebuya a winning smirk. His fingers tipped it towards Izuki; Izuki cursed under his breath the moment his hands obtained the ball upon seeing Reo blocking his path. With the plan to take the first points, he pushed the ball away to his left.

Reo's eyes widened at the sight of the phantom player making its move early in the game. "Nani? Ignite Pass Kai!?" He followed the path of the ball, noticing the intended target to be Seirin's captain.

'_Kai?!' _Hyuga exclaimed inside his head. _'I can't catch that!' _

"Kuroko'se overexcited!" Koganei's brows furrowed.

Kagome and Riko gasped, blaming having their attention focused on a certain controlled tiger and never realizing Kuroko being affected early in the game. The miko's fingers scrunched over her skirt the moment Hyuga missed the catch and fumbled with his feet to retrieve it. _'Kuroko-kun's aura is overflowing…this is bad.'_

Ball in hand, Hyuga made his way to the basket only to meet with Reo's interception of his arm to block his path and fumble the ball.

"Hmm," Reo smirked, "you would've made it if you hadn't fumbled."

With the comment in mind, Hyuga could only 'tch'. The ball traveled from Akashi's hand over to Nebuya as they made their way towards their side of the basket. Nebuya groaned with excitement before taking his jump for a dunk.

"The first basket is ours!" he shouted. His eyes widened at the feel of Kagami's forceful push on the ball, completely having made him mess his rhythm. "You again!?"

"Nice, Kagami!" yelled Furihata.

Kiyoshi quickly caught the ball in his hand before making a straight throw towards Kagami who had taken off into a sprint. Kagami's focus tightened as he dribbled the ball to their hoop. To get the first points meant having control, but he never thought the pressure and stress would be heavy with only a minute in. Eyes widened slightly at the sight of Akashi crossing his path with the intention of stopping him. He quickly regained his calm, looking at Akashi with a returned glare.

'_Last night…after hearing Kagome's and Kuroko's stories, I did some thinking. If I had been in their shoes, what would I have done? I said it was not Kagome's fault for keeping her secret nor was it Kuroko's fault for what Akashi had become. I couldn't find an answer to what I would have done; I just wanted to clear my head!' _Planting his foot on the ground, Kagami gripped the ball with his fingers. _'So I'll jump!' _

Everyone's eyes widened at Kagami's take-off into the air not even close to the hoop, even Rakuzan having been taken back from the sudden action. Kagome's pupils shook, watching the red aura surrounding Kagami evolving.

Akashi watched with wide eyes as Kagami had taken the jump in front of him. _'He's fast! When did he…?'_

'_I want to win with everyone!' _Gritting his teeth, Kagami's jump took him to the level of the backboard and without a second to lose, slammed the ball into the hoop from the air. Everyone froze as they watched the ball drop down the hoop and bouncing behind Akashi's still form.

'_Meteor Jam?' _Akashi questioned.

"Seriously!?" Fukuda exclaimed, having seen the dunk without blinking. "He dunked right over Akashi's head!"

Both teams on the court remained frozen and quiet; eyes remained on the back of the tiger the minute he landed back on the ground. The miko's eyes, having mimicked everyone else's, remained shaken from Kagami's burst in action. "Kagami-kun…," she whispered.

"I…I thought he could only do that when…," Koganei leaned forward, wanting to get a look at Kagami's face. Was it possible? At this time?

Riko quickly turned her head to their manager, taking in her own shocked expression. "K-Kagome-chan, is Kagmai-kun…?"

Having no need to listen to the rest of the question, Kagome simply nodded.

Kagami had entered.

* * *

Eyes narrowing at the sight of Kagami's expression taken over by the Zone, Aomine could not believe the decision Kagami had taken. _'I taught him the trigger to enter that domain.' _He could only release a scoff accompanied with a grin as he watched Kagami's eyes spark. "But what kind of moron would enter right away?"

Aomine watched Kagami slowly come to a straight position as Rakuzan's captain looked over his shoulder with amusement brimming in his eyes. _'His trigger for entering is…the will to fight for his friends.'_

The Tōō members quickly gasped as soon as the ball was back in Kagami's hands before taking a jump once again over Nebuya and dunking another Meteor Jam. The force of the dunk echoed in their ears and that only gave them chills thinking what the other Rakuzan and Seirin members were seeing in person on the court.

"Isn't this bad?" questioned Susa. "The Zone consumes a lot of stamina, right? Will he last until the end of the game?"

"Of course not," Aomine scoffed, catching the attention of his team. "Suppose you fill a bathtub with hot water."

Hojo blinked: "what? A tub?"

Aomine released a heavy sigh, seeing it a pain to explain to those who have never experienced the Zone. Especially since it was a hard concept even for him to word out. "Entering the Zone is like pulling the plug. The water disappears before your eyes."

"Well…," Susa blinked with a lip twitch, "that is a simple enough explanation. Does he think I am stupid?"

A chuckle from their captain made their heads turn before hearing his voice. "No," he shook his head, "maybe he is beginning to like you."

All Aomine could do as he watched Kagami go full-out in his Zone was scoff. "If they don't do something, he will be running on empty before halftime." If Kagami and Seirin wanted to be smart on this match, they needed Kagami's Zone to deal with Akashi alone.

* * *

Blue eyes remained glued on the tiger, watching as he pushed away one of Reo's threes. The fact that the Uncrowned Kings were on edge only made the miko feel worrisome. Something about the whole match had gone off pace to what Seirin had originally planned. She took a glance at the scoreboard from the corner of her eyes. _'Only two minutes have passed and although Rakuzan is at four points…I doubt Akashi-kun will allow that.'_

"Mitobe-kun, get ready to sub in."

Hearing Riko's order caught everyone on the bench off guard. Giving confused blinked to their coach, including the miko, they noticed her own gaze on the silent player. Blinking again, Kagome tilted her head to the side. "Mitobe-senpai...?"

Riko sighed, turning her focus back on the court. Like everyone else around, she felt the tension and change in pace with her players. The last thing she wanted was for the balance to break within their own team. "I would rather keep going than try to stop him," she whispered.

"Him?" Kagome repeated.

"Kagami-kun," Riko nodded, knowing it was a huge risk to keep Kagami in the Zone. "He needs to focus on offense so he doesn't run out of stamina." Coming to a stand, Riko made her way over to the referee table, leaving Kagome and the rest of the bench looking at Mitobe with worry. He gave them a wave with his hand up and down to reassure them his nerves were settled down.

Riko had a point, that much Kagome could understand, but they were not even close to the end of the first quarter. Akashi had not even shown his true potential in the game, much less been involved in anything with offense. Hearing the ball bounce out of the court, the referee blew on his whistle, calling for the change in members.

All Seirin members looked over to the referee, noticing Riko standing next to the now ready Mitobe. Questionable looks were given from her team, wondering what the sudden change was about. "Kuroko-kun," she spoke, catching his attention, "you're out."

"H-Huh?!" he blinked, shocked from the command.

"You're subbing Kuroko for Mitobe?" Izuki asked.

Kiyoshi rested his hands over his hips after swiping the sweat off his forehead. "I see. Overall, Mitobe is stronger on defense than Kuroko."

Sweat drops clung over Kagome's and the bench's heads after hearing Kiyoshi's semi-harsh words. Although not meant in that manner, they knew, including Kuroko, that his defense was not worth putting out. Unable to say anything back, they watched as their phantom player made his way to the bench with his fighting spirit almost blown away.

"I…was ready to give everything I had…," Kuroko whispered.

Kagome gave Kuroko a nervous smile, knowing Kuroko was not expecting to be put off in the first three minutes of the game. "Don't worry, Kuroko-kun. Don't let it get you down…"

As Kuroko came to sit beside her, she blinked upon hearing the crowd's shouts.

"They're subbing him out already?!"

"I wanted to see him play more!"

"See, Kuroko!" Koganei patted his back. "The fans want to see you, too! Kagome-chan is right! You will be out there in no time!"

Kuroko nodded: "Hai!"

'_Fans…want to see him?' _Kagome blinked at Koganei's words. Taking a look at the audience behind her, she felt unease at their eyes having come down to see Kuroko sitting on the bench. Since when did they ever comment on Kuroko's plays?

* * *

"Kagami," Izuki called out, as he bounced the ball to his side, "focus on offense."

"We will handle things back here while you charge ahead!" Hyuga added, watching as the tiger made his way forward. Although he hated to admit it, Seirin would be nothing at this point in the game if it were not for Kagami's Zone.

Giving his captain a nod, Kagami's focused returned ahead. "Got it!"

With the game continuing with the same pace, Kagome looked to the side, noticing the score board and time. Only less than six minutes left in the game and they had the lead with eleven points while Rakuzan remained at two. To anyone in the audience or unfamiliar with the teams would think Seirin had the upper hand and they did…but that could only last so long knowing Akashi would have his tricks up his sleeves. Her eyes focused back on court, watching Kagami make the shots as the rest of his team members supported him on the defense to clear his way.

"Damn," Nebuya scoffed. "Is Kagami stronger than Midorima when he is in the Zone?"

"I hate to admit it," Reo sighed with a nervous smile, "but we can't even come close to touching him."

"We will keep offense as is."

The Uncrowned Kings and Mayuzumi looked over their shoulders and blinked in unison at the sight of their captain making his way forward. Stopping a few feet in front of them, Akashi's eyes remained calm knowing his own team would expect him to snap at the sudden lead Seirin had obtained.

Akashi turned to Hayama: "on defense, Kotaro, we will switch marks." Chuckling under his breath, Akashi slowly turned around to face the waiting team.

With the ball going over to Izuki's hands, everyone's eyes widened at the sight of Izuki coming to face none other than Hayama. Izuki turned his head to the side, looking for his former mark. Both Kagome and Kuroko gasped at the sight of Akashi being face-to-face with Kagami.

Kagome's eyes narrowed upon noticing Akashi's smirk. _'What is he thinking?'_

"Akashi…?" Kagami whispered, uncertain himself what the emperor was thinking at this point.

"You're getting carried away, Kagami Taiga," Akashi raised a brow.

Cursing under her breath, Riko rested her chin over her palm as she watched the emperor go head-to-head with their ace. No doubt everyone saw this coming, but not this early in the game. "It's a clash of the aces. The results will affect the flow of the game."

With the game already on their hands, Kagome bit her bottom lip as she watched Izuki's hesitation to pass the ball. Despite not having Akashi any more as his mark, the situation had become even trickier to handle.

As Izuki bounced the ball in place, he read everyone's positions. Everyone frozen in their spots told him the tension had only become heavier. _'What should I do? Do we stick with Kagami or attack with just us? The latter option is lower risk, but…' _Feeling someone's eyes on his person, he took a glance to his left. The simple wide-eyed signal from Kagami was all Izuki needed to know what he wanted. Izuki sought for approval from his captain, turning to see Hyuga give him the permission to do so.

Throwing the ball to the side, Izuki watched as Kagami prepared for the catch. The silence in the court thickened as soon as the tiger captured the ball between his hands and came to face the waiting emperor.

Kagome's eyes narrowed: _'The Zone versus the Emperor Eye…'_

No movement came from either of the males. Only eye-to-eye contact was made and a contact that only meant they would push for the victory. Kagami's eyes narrowed as he bended his elbows down to bring the ball to his chest.

Akashi's eyes glowed at the sudden movement, making him bring his hand towards the ball to push from Kagami's grasp. An inch away from stealing the basketball, Akashi's pupils shook the moment he felt Kagami's person breeze by him.

"Kagami's speed beat Emperor Eye!?" Wakatoshi exclaimed from the audience, having the same wide eyed expression as his team members.

As Seirin cheered for Kagami, the tiger rushed forward with another shot in mind. _'I can do it! I'll finish this now!' _Watching Nebuya and Mayuzumi come towards him to block, he took his jump before aiming the ball for a Meteor Jam.

The ball slammed against the back board; all eyes widened as the ball bounced up and down on the court from Kagami's miss.

"Beat Emperor Eye?" Akashi spoke, chuckling under his breath as he saw everyone looking at him. "Don't underestimate me." Slowly coming to face the Seirin ace, his eyes narrowed into a threatening glare. "I let you pass me."

Riko cursed under her breath once more, having come to realize what Akashi had done. "Unbelievable…," she whispered, gritting her teeth from Akashi's smart move. If Akashi had figured out Meteor Jam's weakness that quickly, there was no saying the danger they were in now.

* * *

"Wait a minute…I was sure Kagami had broken from Akashi's Emperor Eye." Turning to the two males beside him, Shippo blinked upon noticing the seriousness on Sesshomaru's and Koga's faces. Had something caught their eye? "Am I wrong?" he questioned. "Or did I miss something?"

"I am surprised you didn't see it," Koga scoffed with a smirk.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, the inu youkai raised his head slightly as he observed the emperor kid. Despite the young male being human, he had to give him props for the quick thinking he had done. Sesshomaru sighed under his breath, feeling Shippo's eyes on him. "Seirin's ace made a mistake."

"Mistake?" Shippo repeated.

"He took a larger step forward to avoid Akashi," Sesshomaru continued. "His drive went wide, taking him slightly farther from the hoop."

Koga shrugged before lifting his feet to rest them over the balcony. The fact Akashi had purposely made Kagami move forward without feeling threaten meant Akashi had read the situation ahead of time. "And he can't use Meteor Jam when the defense is too close. Even with players five and eight from the Rakuzan team being late to help, it was the perfect chance for Kagami to take the jump, but even that had been planned out by Akashi." He scoffed, shaking his head at the shivering memory to see Akashi's Emperor Eye being used on Kagami's Zone. "I thought they would use a flashy trick to stop Kagami's Zone, but stopping him with their first move was superhuman."

"Would you even consider him human?" Shippo chuckled, returning his focus on the frozen court.

"It goes to show…," Sesshomaru spoke, bringing back Shippo's and Koga's attention, "_he _isn't unbeatable because he has Emperor Eye. _He _is unbeatable because of how he uses it. I will admit, Akashi Seijurou has proven to be a human to fear since I met."

Worriedly, Shippo exhaled, bringing his eyes back onto Seirin's bench and its members. Although it was still not fully noticeable, Akashi had taken control of everyone.

* * *

The game resumed; Seirin quickly got back into their run, but the heaviness of Akashi's threat weighted their conscious. As Hyuga looked over his shoulder, he noticed their ace beginning to grit their teeth. "Let's get one more point!" he shouted, hoping to gain Kagami's focus once again before he lost it in his own fury.

Keeping his eyes on the ball underneath Hayama's grip, Kagami's eyebrows knitted together. _'Dammit! It was my mistake! I know I had other options!'_

Kagome gently bit at the tip of her thumb as she felt Kagami's aura beginning to waver. The last thing she wanted was for him to lose sight of what Akashi wanted him to do. _'Bakagami! Focus!'_

As the ball was passed to Akashi, he quickly pivoted around Izuki as Hayama came over for a screen. Izuki cursed under his breath before calling for a switch noticing the emperor heading towards Kagami's path.

"Ah~," Murasakibara sighed, watching from the audience as his former captain had picked up his speed. "Aka-chin is rushing to end a game for once."

Aomine shook his head, catching Momoi's attention from the corner of her eyes. "Dai-chan?" she whispered.

"If they lose this," he exhaled, "he will leave the Zone, but let's hope that's all. If full power doesn't work against him, it could throw him off completely."

Keeping her focus tight on the aces about clash on the court, Riko leaned forward. "Kagami-kun beat Kise-kun's Emperor Eye once before," she whispered, bringing her team's eyes on her. "Now that he is in the Zone, maybe-"

"That might not be the case," Kagome cut in, earning her blinks. "I am sorry to have interrupted you, Riko-senpai, but Kise-kun's Emperor Eye was only but a copy." The miko's eyes narrowed at the emperor ahead. The sight of his aura slowly rising like that of a powerful leader who knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it only made her anxiety begin to tremble. "We are going against the original…"

"Don't make me so angry," Akashi spoke, keeping his eyes on the tiger ahead. Dribbling the ball from one hand to the other, his face remained stoic as he watched Kagami fall back from the ankle break. Passing by the falling tiger, Akashi took a glance of him from the corner of his eye. "All of you are getting confident thinking Ryouta's Emperor Eye is like mine. How dare you compare a fake to the original." His eyes slowly moved to face the front: "your head is too high."

The volume of the cheers increased as they watched Akashi penetrate through Kagami's defense. From the corner of Akashi's eye, he glared at Izuku's attempt to use his Eagle Spear. Before he could go with his plan, Akashi made a smooth pass to his right.

Izuki's eyes widened, taken back by Akashi's quick speed in reaction. _'Not even this timing worked!'_

"Crap!" Hyuga shouted, watching the ball being caught by Reo as he headed for their hoop.

"No, you don't!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, coming in front of Reo's path in hopes to stop the ball.

Kagome's breath hitched as she and the rest of the team on the bench leaned forward with tension. "If they don't stop him now, they are screwed," Riko cursed under her breath, watching the confidence written on Rakuzan's faces. "The points they will lose from the momentum lost in the ace showdown are bad enough."

Nodding to Riko's words, Kagome was beginning to see the crack in their team. Akashi had broken that confidence they started with and the game had barely started. _'It wasn't Kagami-kun's mistake alone. It will be engraved into all their heads. They will keep a mindset where they believe Akashi-kun is unbeatable!'_

Reo took his jump up at the same time as Kiyoshi. Chuckling under his breath, Reo turned around Kiyoshi's person in mid-air before letting the ball go. Reo's expression turned to shock the second the ball was smacked towards the backboard and bounced back. He quickly turned his head to the side, noticing the silent Seirin player having come to stop the score.

"Mitobe!" Kiyoshi blinked, shocked by his timing.

Catching the ball from its miss, Izuki smiled at his teammate. "Nice, Mitobe!"

"Tch, he got me!" Reo's brows furrowed as he began to run into his defense.

"No worries, Reo!" patting his back, Hayama focused his attention forward.

The emperor kept his eyes on the silent player, noticing him walking towards Kagami. _'Hm, I was naïve. It wasn't as though no one was on him. But more importantly…'_

Seirin's bench sighed out of relief, thanking Mitobe for having come in at that last second. Making a fist, Riko pulled it in, "Mitobe-kun is fired up, too! Everyone on our team is today!"

"Let's go!" Hyuga shouted. "Counterattack!"

The rage within Kagami began to boil to new levels. What kind of ace was he if he could not even do what he was supposed to? As he followed his teammates to their offense positions, Kagami tightened his fists as he ran. _'We need to go hard on offense…but how?! Can I even beat Akashi?!' _Feeling a hand land on his shoulder, the tiger looked over and blinked. An inaudible shock was given as his eyes met with Mitobe's reassuring smile before he was given a nod.

"Mitobe…senpai…," he whispered, watching him run past him.

"He says, 'Don't worry about it!'" Koganei shouted from the bench, making everyone jolt from his sudden voice.

"Even I understood that!" Kagami exclaimed. Huffing from the concern in his teammates eyes, he sighed before taking a glance at the miko. Although he could see her own worry for Akashi's influence on their mentality for the game, what surprised him the most was the smile she presented while lowering her hand. Kagami nodded to himself, breathing in and out; Kagome's advice to calm down was the smartest idea for now. He looked ahead to see the back of his teammates running in front of him. It dawned on him the reason why his teammates were able to remain calm even through this chaotic mental strain from the emperor. Taking in a deeper breath in, the corner of his lips curved upwards.

The aura bursting from the tiger slowly lowered to surround his person, surprising Kagome. Did he just-?

"Yosh!" Kagami whispered as he wiped the sweat from his neck with his jersey.

"Did he get out of the Zone?" Momoi asked, noticing Kagami's expression having softened from where she sat.

"Yeah," Aomine sighed, "he's back to normal."

The smile on Kagome's lips returned as she felt Kagami's aura slowly minimize in size. Although it was a risk to take Kagami out of the Zone, it was probably for the best. The last thing they wanted was to get their last ray of hope being shut away. But the results of Kagami's Zone having gone away was starting to show on the court. The momentum slowed and their only fighting chance against Rakuzan had to be saved.

"Coach."

Heads turned towards the voice between them; eyes blinked noticing Kuroko having turned his attention over to their coach with a serious expression.

"Please allow me to go back," he requested, dropping everyone in silence.

As heads turned her way, Riko gulped. As a coach, it was the right thing to do, but as a friend she was unsure if it was the right decision. Akashi had control over the whole court, who knew what would happen if Kuroko was placed within his grasp. Riko took a glance over at the miko, noticing her eyes glued on her. She exhaled as she closed her eyes, knowing there was only so much she could do for them.

In the end, it was up to them.

"Okay," Riko nodded, "Kuroko-kun, you're in."

Watching him stand up and remove his long white sleeve shirt, Kagome gently gripped Kuroko's jersey from the back. Feeling the nudge, the phantom player looked over his shoulder and let a small smile to appear on his lips. Kagome was a strong girl, but even she had her worries, especially when they revolved around those she cared about. Giving her a reassuring nod, Kuroko adjusted the sweat bands from his wrist as the whistle was blown to call in his entrance.

"There he is!" the audience shouted. "Seirin's super sixth man!"

Kagome lifted a brow as the crowd's voices were about Kuroko. Did she barely notice the audience talking? No, this was the first time she ever heard them speak of Kuroko, right? Focusing her attention over to Kuroko, she noticed Reo having taken a step back and quickly move away from Kuroko's path. Although Reo apologized and Kuroko replied, Kagome began to feel her heart sink. _'People are noticing Kuroko-kun…?'_

The moment the game resumed, her eyes followed his movements as they were followed by Mayuzumi blocking his intended path. The supportive shouts for Kuroko only fueled her curiosity. _'What's going on? Kuroko-kun has never been noticed, not even by the players on the court.' _Before she could question it out loud, her attention was immediately taken by Kagami's sudden stop upon meeting face-to-face with Hayama.

Hayama nodded - grin still glued on his face – as he saw the tiger's confused expression. "Great. Akashi got you, but you haven't given up."

"W-What!?" Kagami exclaimed. "Of course not!"

Taking cautious steps back and forth, Hayama mimicked Kagami's intended path in an attempt to stop him from going any further. "I mean, come on…it's no fun playing guys who have lost their will to fight. You passed us twice." The fire in his eyes slowly ignited it sparks; he began to feel the thrill of actually having a worthy team to go against. "I'll pass you five times."

'_Eh?' _Kagami blinked, a bit taken back by the sudden statement. _'Wouldn't people normally double it? How did he even get that number?'_

Shaking the thoughts away, Kagami returned the grin, matching the same competitiveness as the other. "Well, whatever. I'll pass you so many times, you won't be able to keep up!"

"Kagami!"

Hearing Izuki's shout, the Seirin ace reached for the incoming ball before placing it between his hands and coming face-to-face with Hayama. His eyes immediately widened at the sudden defensive pressure coming from Hayama's side and noticing his intense concentration.

Players on the court and those on the bench quickly felt the same vibe when they had seen Aomine go against Kagami during their match. It was as if predators had suddenly fallen into their instincts after being placed in 'wild' territory.

Kagami's eyes narrowed, feeling the challenge from Hayama's glare. Without a second thought, Kagami dashed to the side, hoping to loosen Hayama's defense.

Hayama followed his movements only to notice the ball having been bounced to the side. It finally hit him what the tiger's true intention had been. How could had he forgotten about the member switch? His eyes glided to see the shadow over Kagami's shoulder before getting a full view of the phantom player pushing the ball with the base of his palm.

"There it is!" the audience shouted. "Number eleven's miracle pass!"

Rakuzan followed the ball, shocked to have seen Kuroko's pass come from out of nowhere. As the ball was caught by Hyuga, he took his aim, despite Reo coming forth and reaching upwards to stop him. The ball was released and Hyuga was quick to click his tongue after feeling the low in accuracy. With the rebound caught by Nebuya and thrown towards their offensive players, Hyuga sent a glare to the shooting guard beside him. "You touched the ball with the tip of your finger, didn't you?"

"Well, sort of I guess," Reo chuckled, taking a glance of his opponent from the corner of his eyes, "but that's not the problem, Junpei-chan."

Hyuga's body chilled as he felt shivers run up and down his spine from the given nickname. _'J-Junpei-chan?!'_

With the ball in Akashi's hands, he made a quick pass to his right before giving a nod to Hayama as he caught the ball. Rakuzan's small forward snickered as he saw Kagami coming in front of him.

"No you don't!" Kagami shouted, extending his arms to the side to block Hayama's path.

"Here we go! Four!" Placing four of his fingers over the ball, he quickly dribbled the ball in a blink of an eye from one hand to the other while making a pass by Kagami's person.

'_Dammit!' _Kagami clenched his teeth. _'The ball disappears!?' _

In a flash, Hayama caught the ball between his hands and made the dunk, giving them another two points for the lead.

The crowd's cheering and the rest of the play was ignored by the miko. Her eyes remained glued on Kuroko, noticing his eyes staring at his own palm as if something had gone wrong with his pass. The look in his eyes was anything but confident, but with his team members pushing him to continue doing his best, he listened. The unique and invisible aura that surrounded the phantom player slowly diminished in size, and Kagome could see she was not the only one who was noticing the change. Her sights shifted to the emperor, noticing his own focus being his former Teiko teammate. The time Akashi was spending on his observations on Kuroko was unsettling, but sitting on the bench restricted from doing anything.

Her attention went back to Kuroko, watching as he struggled to break free from Mayuzumi's defense. His whole expression was uneasy and the way he clenched his teeth was proof that something was not right. _'I don't have a good feeling about this; Kuroko-kun is breaking his concentration, but others targeting him are making him feel even more nervous.' _Usually Kuroko would be able to break away and 'disappear' from his opponent's eyes.

His lack of presence was becoming known.

Standing up from her seat, the miko caught Riko's attention, knowing it was time to pull Kuroko away before-

The smack of a hand hitting the ball made everyone wide eyed as they saw Kuroko having directed the ball's direction for a pass only for it to be stopped by Reo's hand. As the ball bounced on the court, it became clear what Seirin had felt. Everyone remained frozen and the look in Kuroko's eyes was one of brokenness.

Riko abruptly stood on her feet, watching the ball slowly bounce. "The ball is free! Get it!" she shouted, hoping her voice was enough to break Seirin's downfall.

Mayuzumi grabbed the ball between his hands before making a quick pass towards their hoop. Hayama caught the basketball before making the dunk, giving them the next two points to further their lead.

* * *

"T-They intercepted Tetsu-kun's pass!?" Momoi exclaimed, knowing everyone in her team was shocked to have seen Kuroko's skill completely destroyed.

"No…," Aomine replied, grabbing his teammates' attention. Eyebrows knitted together as his memory of Kuroko and Kagome asking him to teach him how to shoot. _'So this is why I felt uneasy about teaching him…'_

* * *

"Damn it," Hyuga cursed under his breath, wiping the sweat dripping from his chin. "How did-?"

"I didn't do anything." The Seirin captain looked over his shoulder, noticing Reo smirking from behind. "I simply blocked what I saw," Reo continued, knowing the game was affecting Seirin psychologically at this point.

Watching him run to his offense, Hyuga could not help but let his expression fall into concern. _'What he saw?' _It was one thing for Rakuzan to stop them and overpower them, but being able to see Kuroko and his passes was another and a worry. Thinking back to when Kuroko had passed the ball before Reo touched his three, it finally hit him how Reo was able to do that. It was not a lucky touch; Reo had caught up on time because he saw the pass. Gritting his teeth, fingers curled into his palm. _'Could it be?'_

"I can't bear to watch this folly."

The emperor's voice grabbed everyone's attention, freezing them in their spots.

Akashi's eyes narrowed, watching Kuroko having slowly widened his eyes knowing his former captain figured out what was going wrong. "How could you abandon your greatest strength?" His tone laced with disappointment, he took small steps towards the phantom player. "Once you reached your current style in middle school, I helped you work on pass variations, but wouldn't let you shoot or dribble. Do you know why?"

He waited; he observed.

"Because I knew it would make you lose your lack of presence," he continued. "The Vanishing Drive, the Phantom Shot. How could a player who uses such flashy moves not stand out? The last nail in the coffin was your buzzer beater in the semifinals, Tetsuya. When you learned to shine dimly, you cease being a shadow. No longer the Phantom Sixth Man, you're worthless than the average player."

Everyone around remained still as a rock; Akashi words had rocked them, but they were sharp enough to make them stand where they were. They had submitted to listening knowing Akashi's task was completed: Kuroko became a light.

The air was heavy and Kagome could feel her own head swirl from feeling everyone's anguish and desperation. One look at Kuroko was all she needed to know he shattered under Akashi's speech. Fingers curled in, ignoring the pinch of her nails on her palm as she stared at the emperor taking a step forward. What would Akashi know? How would he know about the efforts Seirin had made to come this far?

How would he know about Kuroko's true goals?

Before Akashi could pass by Kuroko's person, Kagome beat him to it and stood right before the court line.

"That isn't true!"

The noises inside the stadium died down after hearing the unfamiliar and surprising shout. Eyes scanned for the source. From the bench, Riko and the rest of her team members slowly widened their eyes seeing their manager having been the one to take a stand and yell at the emperor.

"K-Kagome-chan?" Rikoe whispered, knowing people at the bench shouting into the court would create problems with the referee.

"What is she doing?" Hyuga whispered, never expecting Akashi and Kagome confronting, especially at this time and place. The rest of his team on the court could only stare back, noticing the miko holding back her chest heaves: she was angry.

Kuroko stared back, feeling his own person slowly shake from Akashi's words. "Kagome-chan…?"

The little seconds that ticked felt like long minutes and it was only due to Akashi having slowly turned to face the miko. Despite the two being apart, they immediately felt the heaviness of their 'relationship'.

"It isn't true?" Akashi repeated.

No reply.

Akashi's expression hardened. Was she actually challenging him? "You are a witness to it right now, Kagome. You have witnessed the weakening of the Generation of Miracles. I personally trained them to be who they were, but you arrived."

'_Me…?' _Kagome blinked. What was he talking about? What did the Generation of Miracles have to do with her-?

"All of them…," Akashi's eyes tightened their focus on the miko, "after meeting you lost their ambitions to win. The things that didn't matter began to have meaning."

Her blood began to boil; she took a step forward only to be stopped by Riko's hand holding her arm back. "Kagome-chan!" she shouted.

"I did not make them weak!" Kagome held back the tears clinging to her eyes. How dare he say something like that? "If anything, the Generation of Miracles became stronger! All on their own! The things that didn't matter to them before…they realized it was important! That is what Kuroko-kun is trying to tell them through basketball! I had nothing to do with the way your former teammates are now, baka!"

"Kagome-chan!" Riko repeated, pulling her back another step. "Please calm down!"

The Seirin members could not help but notice the breakdown Kagome wanted to give into. Besides having seen her down moods from their first loss and having said her history to them, Akashi's words had affected her in a different way.

Watching the referee walk over to the miko and carefully try to back them away from the court, Akashi noticed her eyes remaining glued on his. The girl was smart and brave, but oblivious to other things.

She had become the true threat in Seirin; he would show he was absolute in every way to his former teammates and the girl.

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **I hope everyone enjoyed and I want to thank you all for reading! Please review, it really keeps authors going (not just me!)

Thank you again!

Ja~ne!


	34. Hope and Fear Crumble

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** I am alive! I want to give a formal apology over my absence. There is no real excuse, except concentrating on my studies and studying abroad in Japan (soon going home though). Love Hoop has gained so much love and that really pushed me to continue. Trust me, the reviews, comments, and messages really helped to get this story get this far (and we are almost to the end!). Now I got a message about the romance of this story: there is one. But before that, we got to get through Akashi's character, which I am sure you all understand. People have been wanting to read this chapter, so I will post it, and edit it later ha-ha.

I am going re-open the poll in my profile here. It will have to do with Kagome's pairing for Love Hoop. So please vote if you haven't!

Thank you again for the reviews and support thus far!

**Chapter 34: Hope and Fear Crumble **

* * *

The tension became heavier with each passing second. Although cheers continued and the excitement soared through the audience, those standing on the court and by the side lines could feel this was no normal rivalry. Confusion and desperation blanketed the court after seeing Seirin's manager confront Rakuzan's captain.

Kuroko's image and pride was slowly cracking, and it was all due to Akashi's psychological battle: he was winning.

From the corner of her eyes, Riko could see the miko trying her best to contain her fuming anger. She tried in the best of the ability to pull Kagome away from crossing the court – they did not need a violation. Kagome had every right to be angry – they all were. With only glares being exchanged after their fueled debate, Riko knew it was time to pull Kagome back onto their bench before she said anything that might worsen the situation.

Sitting beside her, she could feel Kagome's heavy frustration to drag Akashi out of the court; she had not said a word since she pulled her to sit back down. It only made it worse – for all of them – seeing Kuroko struggling to get around Mayuzumi's mimicking. Riko sighed, trying to at least make a sound.

"Kuroku-kun is struggling."

The whisper pulled Riko' attention from the miko and then towards the court. As a coach, she felt troubled herself; she could only imagine what their players were thinking. Riko nodded, understanding the miko's concerns.

"May…I offer a plan?" Kagome whispered again.

Giving her a puzzled look, the Seirin coach began to wonder if Kagome's anger had suddenly vanished.

"Akashi believes he has on the palm of his hand." Kagome's eyes narrowed worriedly as she saw Kuroko's expression slowly lose control of its concentration with each interception. She could see Akashi himself making quick observations as he played: multitasker. "In a way he has, but we can't let him fully take control. Rakuzan may have the upper hand, but if we lose our focus, he has full control of us."

Having heard her words, the rest of the team members on the bench turned their heads to face their manager.

"It has become a psychological battle," Kagome finished.

Riko raised a brow, wondering if the miko had come up with an idea to get around the elite team. Even she, as the coach, had nothing in mind. Having nothing in mind was taking a toll inside her head. "What are you proposing?"

Turning her head to the brunette female, Kagome's expression hardened. "We have to let Kuroko-kun be destroyed."

'_Destroyed?' _Riko's eyes widened slowly. What was she talking about? Letting their trump card be crushed? It was bad enough Rakuzan could _see _Kuroko on the court. None of his skills were working; Mayuzumi had been molded by Akashi himself to become the new phantom. Her focus returned to the court seeing yet another interception by Mayuzumi. Letting Kuroko be destroyed by Rakuzan? That was suicide. With each interception and basket Rakuzan made, the more confident they got- _'Confident?' _her brows furrowed. Slowly, her head began to nod understanding Kagome's plan. Standing up from her seat, Riko turned to walk towards the referee table after giving Kagome approval of her plan. "Then I guess I have no choice."

As the ball was smacked away from Izuki's intended course, he cursed under his breath seeing the ball bouncing out of the court. Everyone's moves halted at the sound of the referee's whistle; eyes landed on Riko standing beside Tsuchida behind the court's line.

"Kuroko-kun," she called out.

Kagome's eyes lowered out of concern for the phantom player the moment she noticed his expression melting into shock; no doubt Kuroko still wanted to keep playing.

But at the moment there was nothing he could do.

* * *

"Eh~," Hanamiya chuckled, watching the court from the balcony, "they have to sub him out, huh?" Putting his hands inside his pockets, he could see Kuroko walking back to the bench with his head dipped down in shame. "I guess there is no point in keeping a useless trump card around. He might not even come back for the rest of the game."

* * *

Keeping his eyes glued on each step the phantom player took towards the bench, the inu youkai rested his cheek over his knuckles. Gold orbs narrowed on Kuroko's expression: disappointment. Aside from the young boy, Sesshomaru noticed the miko's inability to make eye contact with the phantom player. It was laughable to him to see the strong miko who endured many battles against demons, defeated the infamous Naraku of their time, and protector of the Shikon no Tama to become beneath of the Rakuzan captain.

"I hate to admit it," Koga spoke, sighing under his breath, "but some of what Akashi said was right. You can't be a shadow when you are slowly glowing in the eyes of the audience."

"Will she be alright?" Shippo questioned, seeing his adoptive mother having lowered her eyes to her feet.

Koga's eyebrows furrowed in; even he was unsure.

A low hum from Sesshomaru vibrated in his throat. It was too early to say if Seirin was safe, but by his observations, it was clear they were slowly losing hope.

* * *

Hearing steps in front of her, Kagome slowly lifted her head only to see Kuroko's wristband. His pulsing aura of regret is what stopped her from looking up at his face. She knew pulling him out of the game would only further hurt his pride, but this was the only way to 'save' the little hope they had left.

The slow and silent pass of Kuroko's walk in front of the miko caught Riko's attention from the corner of her eyes. Scooting to the right to make room between her and Kagome, Riko patted the empty space on the bench. "Kuroko-kun!" she called him, stopping him from walking to the end of the bench. "Not over there. Come here."

Giving her a confused look, Kuroko slowly made his way to sit down before feeling Riko's elbow nudging his arm. Her eyes directed him to look to the other side: Kagome's attention was back on the court. "Don't worry," she whispered for him to hear. "We will get them."

Kagome exhaled softly, trying her best to relax her shoulders and release the tension she had built up over the last few minutes. She whispered Kuroko's name, making his eyes cringe in shame for having letting his team down. "You have caught the attention of the audience; there is nothing we can do about that, but that doesn't mean you have become worthless."

The phantom player's eyes glided to stare at the miko. "But-"

"We can't let Akashi-kun get to us," she cut him off, knowing he would try to put himself down. That was the last thing she wanted seeing she and Riko dragged him back to the bench at such a critical moment.

"She's right," Riko cut in. "You'll be back out there soon."

His attention was back on his team seeing Tsuchida talking to the rest of the members. A simple nod was given in unison after listening to Tsuchida.

"We will give you everything we got," Riko continued.

"What do you mean, coach?" Kuroko questioned, seeing the rest of the team call out a cheer before moving to their new positions. Feeling a hand over his shoulder, Kuroko turned his head to the left seeing the miko's attention glued on Rakuzan's captain. "Akashi-kun has the upper hand now; this is difficult to ask, Kuroko-kun, but for now, we have to let Rakuzan destroy you." Eyes narrowing down on the play, Kagome tried her best to concentrate on plans to get around Rakuzan's strategy. _'We have our pride, but it's slowly being trampled on. There has to be a way to get around Mayuzumi-san…'_

* * *

Tsuchida sighed as he saw his team members come around him. It was difficult to send the message to his teammates, but they were currently in a difficult position where they could not afford to waste any seconds.

Hyuga rested his hands on his hips, seeing the seriousness on Tsuchida's face. "So Riko decided to take out Kuroko, huh?"

"Kuroko can't come back if we just take him off the court," Tsuchida replied. "As far as I know, this is a plan by the coach and Kagome-san."

"Kagome-chan?" Kiyoshi questioned, brow raised.

"We need him to keep playing so we can find a way to revive him together." Taking a look at Rakuzan, Tsuchida knew they were just as wary as they were with the sudden substitution. "We have to trust the coach and our manager on this. Kagome-san and the coach believe Kuroko's pride will be tarnished if he is taken out before this quarter ends. It is a gamble, and I am sure Kuroko will understand, but Rakuzan cannot have the win over our mentality."

* * *

The sound of the referee's whistle was heard, making everyone turn heads to see Riko standing behind Kuroko.

Exhaling as calmly as possible, Riko patted her team member on the back. "Sorry, Kuroko-kun, for sending you back like this."

Shaking his head slowly, Kuroko adjusted his wrist band before whispering his reply. "No, I'm the one who is sorry." A small flash in his head took him back to seeing the miko's apologetic expression. His role for now meant victory over pride.

Nebuya raised a brow seeing Kuroko make his way into the court and joining his teammates. "Huh?" he huffed. "What are they thinking?"

From behind, Akashi silently followed Kuroko's steps with his eyes before going back to see the black-haired manager keeping her observations on her own team. He was never one to underestimate, but he was beginning to think he may have waver a bit. A manager's position was to remain loyal and simply help with their given duties, but Seirin had allowed for Kagome to do more – much more. If she was going to step up her game, then he would too.

* * *

"What?!" Wakamatsu exclaimed. "They are sending him out again?"

Uncertain on Seirin's plan of attack, Aomine and the rest of the Tōō watched as Kuroko immediately got into his position before being given the ball. With Mayuzumi coming in front of him, it was slowly becoming clear this was a battle on who was the best phantom player.

Kuroko quickly disappeared from Mayuzumi's eyes, making Wakamatsu lean forward from his seat. "The Vanishing Drive!?" he shouted. "He passed him!?"

"No," Imayoshi sighed, expression hardening at the sight of Mayuzumi quickly intercepting Kuroko's path. "He sees him."

* * *

Gritting his teeth, Kuroko quickly spun in place to get around Mayuzumi's defense. Able to trick him, Kuroko got into his shooting position before aiming at the basket.

Akashi was quick to block the ball from its course before dribbling it back to their side. Passing it towards Hayama, the blonde Uncrowned King takes his aim for a basket only for Kagami to come behind and tip the ball off his hands.

"No you don't!" Kagami shouted.

As the ball slowly dropped down, Reo jumped up before catching the ball with one hand and dunking it in. Seirin cursed under their breath seeing the scoreboard change with a two point lead by Rakuzan and less than three minutes on the timer. The pressure on their side only seemed to get thicker, and it was obvious to them Rakuzan knew about it.

Looking over his shoulder, Reo gave Seirin a small smirk. "I don't know what you're thinking," his eyes landed on the blue haired teen, "but it's naïve to think you can beat us with him."

Seirin held back their curses against his words; the provoking was beginning to trigger them all. With time ticking, Seirin wasted no time to try to get a few more baskets in – if they could. With each rebound, Rakuzan doubled their jumps; with each reaction, their speed doubled to take control of the court. As soon as Hyuga got the ball in his hands, he sent a glare to Reo before taking a quick step back and shooting a three.

The buzzer signaled the end of the first quarter, making the referee call for a break before the next one. Catching his breath, Hyuga kept his eyes glued on Reo's back. "What you just said…," he spoke, catching his attention. "We are not naïve; you're underestimating us." He ignored Reo's brow twitching with his words; making his way back to the bench, he could see Riko already standing up ready to give a few words.

'_A tie,' _Kagome glanced at the scoreboard. Although they were not behind on points, they were not in the lead. A tie only meant they could barely keep up. So many things were happening at once on the court. _'Not only are we dealing with the Uncrowned Kings and Akashi-kun, but Mayuzumi is also a problem when he barely is making a debut. Nobody knows anything about him-!' _Her eyes widened as her head snapped up from her inner thoughts. Standing up from her seat, she caught the attention of Riko who stood in front of her.

"Kagome-chan?" she whispered, seeing her dig into her bag.

"Riko-senpai, I need to do some research."

Riko blinked – confused – as she saw the miko take out her phone. "Research?"

* * *

"Good job tying them after the first quarter," Riko spoke, crossing her arms as she saw her players wipe the sweat off their faces with the given towels. Taking a glance over her shoulder, she could see Kagome beginning to look through her phone. She had said research, and although she wondered herself what kind of research, she trusted Kagome. After all, Kagome was never one to be on the phone or use it like other teenaged girls. The Seirin coach, sighed, focusing back on the phantom player. "Kuroko-kun, I am sorry to say this, but you're out again."

"May I ask what Kagome-chan is doing?" Hyuga popped the question after taking a drink from his water bottle.

"Well," Riko's shoulders slumped, "we couldn't come up with a solution in three minutes, but at the moment, we are trying to gather information on Rakuzan. I hate to say it, but second quarter will mostly be for us to come up with a plan. So all I can ask of you is to give it your all."

Seeing Kuroko's head slowly dip down from the corner of his eyes and his fingers curling into the shorts of his uniform, Kagami lowered his water bottle from his lips. Eyes narrowing down worriedly, the tiger gave Kuroko a heavy pat on his back to snap him out of his sulk. "Cheer up, Kuroko. We'll need your passes again to win. We can't go down without a fight."

"Kagami-kun…," Kuroko whispered.

Having heard the supportive words from the red head, Kagome's eyes rose to see Kagami's smile. He could be an airhead at times, but he had a heart for his teammates.

"We scraped through the first quarter even while you were useless," his smile stretched with a glow in his eyes. "Don't worry about us!"

Kagome and the rest of the members felt a sweat drop loom over their heads seeing the special moment having blown away. Kuroko felt his shoulders shrink at the semi-pick-me-up. "I know," he blinked, "but couldn't you at least sugarcoat it?"

The miko's eyes narrowed into a blank look. "Bakagami…"

"Huh?" he turned to face her. "What did I do!?" Seeing her roll her eyes, Kagami's mouth dropped.

A small smile curved over Kuroko's lips seeing the interaction between the two. Although it was difficult to admit he felt guilty for not being able to help his team against Rakuzan, he was glad he could at least be of some least his teammates had not lost hope in him. "You're right, though," he whispered, bringing back the attention of his team. "I'll return to the court – to win!"

"Yeah!" Kiyoshi nodded.

"The only problem right now would be Mayuzumi," Izuki commented, catching a glance of the silver haired male sitting at the corner of Rakuzan's bench. "If Akashi says is right, he basically knows Kuroko's moves."

"That is what I need to know," Kagome exhaled.

Looking over her shoulder, Riko watched As Kagome continued to search through her phone. "Kagome-chan will be making a phone call during the second quarter to get information."

Hyuga nodded back, seeing the extent of their plans. They were not plans they could be fully positive about, but everyone was going to help in some way or another. "Then we will be counting on you, Kagome-chan."

Sending them a side smile back, Kagome nodded: if only she could find the number she never bothered to save.

* * *

Crossing his arms at his team, the Rakuzan coach, Shirogane, placed his attention on the emperor. "We know Seirin's strength. We will stick to the plan in the second quarter. Got it, Akashi?"

"Hai," he replied, keeping his concentration on the goal ahead. "All that is left is to destroy them. Kotaro, Eikichi, Reo. You'll score. I'll pass you the ball. We couldn't use it against Shutoku's Hawk Eye user, but there is something we can use against the limited range," his eyes glided to Mayuzumi, "of the Eagle Eye user."

* * *

The buzzer was set off to begin the second quarter; from the audience, Momoi's eyes followed the ball in Rakuzan hands as Seirin immediately set on their defense. Letting out a soft sigh, the pink haired manager blinked as she felt her cell phone go off inside her purse. "Huh?" she whispered, digging into her bag before pulling out her pink flip phone. Her eyes blinked confusedly at the name on the screen before trying to look over at Seirin's bench: no sign of Kagome.

"What is it?" Aomine questioned, seeing Momoi scan the court.

"Kagome-chan…," she replied before showing him the caller ID, "is calling me."

Hearing the name, the rest of the team looked towards Momoi's direction. Momoi flipped her phone open before placing it beside her ear. "Moshi moshi? Kagome-chan?"

"_Hey," _the miko's voice was heard, _"sorry for calling you out of the blue like this, but as you can probably see…we are in a bit of a dilemma." _

Momoi remained silent, looking around the court for any sign of the girl. "Where are you?" she whispered, trying her best not to disturb those around her.

"_The exit hall," _she replied. _"I am calling in for a favor." _

"A favor?" Momoi repeated.

With a brow rising up, Aomine's eyes kept their gaze on Momoi to hear the rest of the conversation.

"_Do you perhaps have any information on number 5?" _

"Number five?" Setting her eyes on the silver haired teen on the court, it finally dawned on her what the miko was requesting. Seirin as dealing with a person no one really paid attention to; he was another Kuroko. Nodding to herself, Momoi rested her phone between her ear and shoulders as she took out her notebook from her bag. "Just a minute," she spoke, "I'll look through my notes-ah! C-chotto! Aomine!"

Having slipped the phone from her ear, Aomine kept his gaze on the game while placing the device next to his ear. "I see Neko-chan has been driven to a corner by our former captain."

* * *

A glare lowered on the miko's expression after hearing the familiar voice. Staring down at the speaker in her hand, she rolled her eyes before bringing it back to her ear. _'He just had to be next to her…,' _she huffed. "Aomine-kun, I really don't have time to deal with you-"

"_You want the information or not?" _

Kagome's lips slowly closed, uncertain of his offer. It was not like Aomine to offer help just like that. "Is there a catch?" she asked with suspicion. "I was sure Momoi-san was going to give me the answers for free."

* * *

Exhaling at her guard, Aomine shook his head while flipping through Momoi's notebook – much to her dislike. Stopping at the player of their interest, he scanned through Momoi's handwriting. "It won't be easy to deal with Akashi; you be better be coming up with plans to go around his little 'game'."

Silence.

"_I am doing everything I can…" _

As Rakuzan made another shot, Aomine's eyes followed Mayuzumi's movements before looking back down at the notebook in his hand. "Mayuzumi Chihiro: third year and a power forward, huh. According to Satsuki, his speed, power, and technique are average. Tch, no strengths or weaknesses." Looking at the page next to the measurements, Aomine's brow lifted with suspicion. "Eh…he became a first string during his third year shortly after Akashi joined the team." A scoff escaped the Tōō ace after reading the information. "If this doesn't sound familiar, neko-chan, you are going to have-"

* * *

The miko's eyes widened: "Kuroko-kun…"

Cheers from the crowd made her head snap up. Her stomach dropped as the cheers continued. Something told her those were not cheers for them. Exiting the hall, Kagome was presented with the bright lights of the court shining on Mayuzumi leaving Mitobe's guard in a blink of an eye the moment Akashi's pass was sent to an empty space.

Kuroko immediately stood up from his seat having seen Mayuzumi's move and directing the pass to another path.

"W-What!?" Kiyoshi exclaimed, sure he had seen the ball coming his way. Where did Mayuzumi even come from?

With the ball landing in Reo's hands, he easily made the shot giving Rakuzan another three points.

"Was that…," Kiyoshi whispered, seeing Mayuzumi straighten up.

"Misdirection!?" Riko exclaimed, standing up herself from the disbelief.

"You gotta be kidding…," Kagami felt shivers run up and down his spine seeing Kuroko's exact moves being used on them.

Izuki gulped, shocked at the sight of Kuroko's moves being mimicked by another. Is this what other teams felt? "Is he just like…Kuroko?"

"He is a little different."

Eyes landed on the emperor, seeing his expression being unchanged.

"He is a like Tetsuya, but his fundamentals are all stronger. Tetsuya is the old model," he continued. "Mayuzumi Chihiro is the new Phantom Sixth Man."

The weight of his words made her slowly lower the phone from her ear before dropping her arm completely to her side. The pain in Kuroko's eyes and the declaration of war in Akashi's made her sweat go cold. Tightening her grip over her phone, she felt her chest heave slightly upon making eye contact with the emperor.

* * *

"This may be more serious than I thought," Aomine sighed, a little shocked himself to had seen Kuroko's moves being performed by another. "I wasn't expecting a player like him." Hearing the call end on the other side of the line, his eyes narrowed before bringing down the device to stare at it. A scoff escaped between his lips before catching the miko running back to the bench to join her team.

Seeing her phone being returned, the Tōō manager slowly brought her eyes up to stare at their ace. "Will…Seirin be okay?"

He shrugged: "who knows."

* * *

Smirking at the ball in his hands from Mayuzumi's pass, Nebuya effortlessly made another shot. With Mayuzumi's quick passes points were becoming easier to accumulate. Running back to defense, Nebuya have Mayuzumi a heavy pat on his back with a wide grin. "Nice pass!"

Mayuzumi's eyes narrowed discreetly as he watched Nebuya run past him. _'I'm not doing it for you. I feel good when my passes succeed. So long as you're open, I'll send the ball your way.'_

"One basket!" Hyuga shouted to his members. "Let's get them back!"

Slowly coming to sit on the bench beside Kuroko, Kagome's eyes followed Izuki's concern as he grabbed the ball between his hands. He quickly scanned the court and each other his players' positions, but even she could tell he was running out of ideas not knowing where Mayuzumi would come from.

"I know!" Koki cut in, "why not put Kuroko on him? He's familiar with Misdirection, so he won't lose track of him!"

Eyes coming to their coach, Riko shook her head in response. "No, that's impossible."

"Eh?" he blinked.

"Because…," tilting her head forward for her team to follow, eyes landed on Akashi's pass on Mayuzumi. With Mitobe coming in front of him to block any sudden passes, the girls' focus narrowed the moment Mayuzumi changed his position for a shot.

"Then I won't pass," Mayuzumi whispered before letting the ball go and making the basket.

Kagami's teeth clenched together as he took a glance of the silver haired male beside him. _'H-He can shoot, too?!'_

"Kuroko-kun may be able to prevent his Misdirection," Riko exhaled, "but in a one-on-one, he doesn't stand a chance."

Running back to defend their side, Mayuzumi made a quick pass in front of Seirin's bench before taking a glance of the phantom player from the corner of his eyes. _'See that? That's my style. I'm nothing like you-!' _Mayuzumi's speed slowed upon catching not only Kuroko, but Kagome as well staring back at him with high intensity. _'T-They are looking at me…no! They are observing me!' _

"Kuroko-kun…," the miko whispered, keeping her eyes on Mayuzumi even as he ran to his team.

"Hai," he nodded, understanding her words. All he could do was observe.

"A seven-point difference…," Koganei sighed, seeing the numbers increase on Rakuzan's side. "We need to do something." Nodding to his words, Riko placed her hands on her knees before she stood up, surprising the others. "Yosh, guess we will go with this."As Kagome and the others watched Riko head to the referee table, they could not help but go back and forth from the court to their coach. Was there a plan they had not heard about?

"Ano…Kagome-chan?" Furihata whispered. "Do you know what this is about?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on the referee before his whistle was blown."Black team player substitution!"

Substitution? Eyes immediately darted towards the female coach as she walked towards the back of their bench. Confused blinks were given simultaneously before those same eyes widen seeing Riko push Furihata from the bench.

"E-Eh…?" he blinked, slowly looking over his shoulder.

* * *

"A-Aomine-san…," Hojo whispered, seeing Furihata shiver while taking off his white shirt, "what are they…"

The said ace felt his brow twitch at the sudden substitution. Even he felt mocked seeing none other than the other first year who he had not even bothered to remember by name. There he was, standing with shivering legs to enter the court with everyone else just as confused. "It doesn't mean shit," he commented, scoffing right after the moment Furihata went to go stand in front of Akashi. "He's like a Chihuahua standing before a lion."

* * *

"What are they thinking!?" the Uncrowned Kings exclaimed in unison. Watching the trembling first year come face-to-face with their captain only made them feel sorry for the poor boy.

"B-Bring it on!" Furihata choked on his words. He felt like stone standing before the former captain of the Miraces. From a far, Akashi gave this impression no one could talk back to him, but up close, he was unable to think clearly.

Clearing his throat, Reo cupped his hand around his lips to speak. "Sei-chan, throw in!"

Unfazed by Furihata's – poor – attempt to frighten him, Akashi nodded and turned to continue the game. A sound tumble caught his attention down to the floor seeing Furihata having tripped on his own fears: face first on the court.

"He's so scared," Nebuya whispered, grabbing Kiyoshi's attention. "He can't even look at us. We wouldn't blame you for sending someone better instead."

"You're so kind," he smiled back. While laughing, and ignoring Nebuya's insult, Kiyoshi nodded to himself before coming back to observe the first year. "It's okay," he whispered seeing Furihata's defense quickly acting by blocking Akashi's path way as he dribbled the ball in place. "We are totally serious!"

Akashi kept his expression glued on his face, even with Furihata coming at him. It was unusual for players to go head-to-head with him without showing doubts, but by reading the brunette in front of him, Akashi knew Seirin was becoming desperate. _'I don't know what they are thinking,' _he quickly dribbled to the left and passed Furihata's defense, _'but there is nothing you guys can do!'_

A smile formed over the miko's lips as she saw Akashi being confronted by Kagami on the inside of the Seirin's defense. _'So this is what Riko-senpai was thinking,' _she nodded to herself.

* * *

"Oh…," Murasakibara spoke, lowering the chip from his lips, "right."

Himuro blinked, surprised to hear the tall center finally commenting.

"Aka-chin might not be able to use his ankle break from there."

Turning his head back to look at Akashi's position, it finally dawned on him what Seirin's objective had been with Furihata's entrance. _'That's it!'_

* * *

"Tch, now I get it." Crossing his arms, Koga rose his chin as he watched Furihata quickly coming to stand in front of Hayama to take Kagami's previous spot. "They want to get Akashi on the inside. You can't ankle break someone without crossover over to throw them off balance. In other words, it requires a certain amount of space. Once he enters the crowded key, there is no room to do that."

Shippo nodded, coming to fold his arms over the railing of their balcony before resting his chin over them. "So they want to cut Mayuzumi off first." His eyes came down to Seirin's tiger, seeing his expression hardening upon confronting the Rakuzan captain. "They sent Kagami against Akashi in a place where he can't use his ankle break."

"It's not enough; they are underestimating a captain."

Their eyes glided over to the seat in between them. Before they could question the inu youkai's words, the cheers from the crowded interrupted further thought. Focus returned on the court seeing Akashi easily dodging underneath Kagami's arm before making a shot with ease even with Kagami trying to block his path once more.

Akashi's glare on Seirin's bench was not ignored soon after.

* * *

"Ha-ha! That worked out surprisingly well," Imayoshi shook his head, surprised Seirin got close to stopping Akashi's plans.

"But…that means the first-year was just bait, right?" Sakurai cut in, brows furrowing. To think a player could be used in that manner was unthinkable, not impossible, but they never thought Seirin would go to such measures.

Wakamatsu scoffed, seeing Riko lacing her fingers together as she watched her players trying to catch their breaths. "Yeah, she may be trying to win, but it's still a terrible thing to do!"

* * *

The reasoning behind Furihata's insert in the game was a mystery, but not a clever one. Having observed his struggle through the first two minutes of his playing, Mayuzumi could not help but feel sorry for the poor boy. _'As far as I saw in the Kaijo game, all he can do is support his teammates.' _There he was next to him now: 'guarding him'. _'I don't need to guard him closely.' _As soon as he moved away from Furihata's person, his eyes widen at the sound of Hayama shouting his name after the ball had been sent Furihata's way.

"Crap!" he cursed under his breath, turning his head back over his shoulder. Furihata quickly got his aim and released the ball into the air before two points were given to Seirin's side.

Shoulders dropping from their worry, Kagome sighed after seeing Furihata's shot. "Many underestimate Furihata-kun," she whispered, receiving a nod from Riko right after. "But he has the ability to calm the other players and change the flow." After seeing his game play against Kaijo, she knew they had the ability to play and do something, whether it was big or small.

Resting her chin over her fingers, Riko smiled at the sight of Hyuga and Kiyoshi coming to ruffle Furihata's hair.

The happiness surrounding Seirin soon went away as soon as the game proceeded with Akasi dribbling towards the basket only to be confronted by Furihata once again. Without changing his expression, Akashi quickly dribbled the ball back and forth between his legs, tricking Furihata to fall back from having lost his footing. Akashi held back a scoff; aiming for the hoop, Akashi released the ball in his spot making a three-point shot.

* * *

Scratching the back of his head, annoyed with the cheers, Aomine sighed. "No matter how hard he tries, he's still a chihuahua; he can't beat a lion." Seirin had taken control for only five seconds, but it was obvious to those who knew what Akashi was capable of that he would regain control if taken away. Shaking his head, he blinked at the sound of the buzzer and the referee calling out a time out for Rakuzan.

"White team, time out."

"Time out?" Momoi tilted her head to the side, seeing Rakuzan making their way towards their bench.

* * *

Shirogane crossed his arms as he waited for his team to sit on the bench. Feeling Akasi following from behind, he sighed. "Perhaps we didn't need to call one when we had a lead." From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Akashi having stopped beside him. "It was unnecessary."

"No," Akashi replied blatantly. "We are switching between defense and offense more quickly. It's getting harder to issue detailed instructions. That was well timed."

With a slow nod, Shirogane focused on the rest of the team seeing them swiping the sweat off their foreheads and hydrating back. It was surprising to see Seirin having taken Rakuzan to such a state, but it was still not enough to push them to their limits. "They have given up on trying to stop Akashi," he spoke. "It doesn't affect us much, but we should narrow down our choices, as well. We will focus our attacks." His eyes landed on the vice-captain. "First around you."

* * *

Moving to the left to let her team members come and rest on the benches, Kagome's gaze remained glued on Rakuzan. The sudden time out was a mystery, and it alarmed them. Coaches usually called a time out in a time of need, but they had the lead. _'Why did they call a time out all of a sudden?' _

The sound of crash quickly caught their attention over to the second bench. Eyes widened at the sight of Furihata having fallen to his knees with his upper body coming to rest on the bench. Sweat, more than the others, trickled down Furihata's skin; his eyes shook in confusion at the sudden feel of his legs giving up on him.

"F-Furi!?" Fukuda exclaimed, taken back by his friend's collapse.

Not wasting another second, the miko knelt down to Furihata's side. Before she could call his name, Kagome was taken back by the cold sweat running over his skin and the fear in his eyes. His legs continued to tremble even as he tried to stand back up but only found himself falling back to the same position.

"W-What's going on…?" he whispered, voice fearing the worst.

Looking over her shoulder, Kagome's brows furrowed in worry as she sought for Riko's attention. "Riko-senpai…"

"You're kidding…," she whispered back.

Reading his weakening aura, Kagome tried to calm Furihata by placing her hand over his shoulder. She shook her head, giving Riko the signal he was no longer able to play the rest of the game.

"Furihata-kun," Riko spoke, "you're out."

Furihata quickly turned his head to face the coach. He shook his head, not wanting to hear he had become useless this soon in the game. "W-What?! I'm okay! I can still play!"

"Furihata-kun," the miko whispered, bringing his attention on her, "you can't; you've got no strength left."

"Eh!?" Koganei exclaimed. "You mean he is just exhausted?"

Having heard Furihata's condition, the rest of Seirin could not help but let shock overtake their features. It was unbelievable to hear Furihata's stamina having plummeted so low, but it was to be expected when they were dealing with Rakuzan. Although the others had not felt themselves collapsing due to lack of stamina, they did feel exhausted.

"What are we going to do, coach?" Koganei asked.

"Let me play!"

Heads turned towards the voice: Fukuda.

"Fukuda…," Koganei whispered, surprised to find him having taken the initiative.

"I just need to stay on Akashi like Furi, right?" Fukuda questioned, hoping he could do something for the team. Although he was frightful to go out on the court with opponents like Rakuzan, he had to do something, or at least he felt he should be doing something for the others. "Kawahara and I can do that!"

Speechless by his determination, the others could only stare back until Hyuga cut the silence by standing back up and patting his back. "Yosh! We are counting on you!"

Taken back by Hyuga's permission, Riko's lips parted to retort but fell silent at the sound of the buzzer. She groaned at the lack of time before turning to Fukuda. "Okay! Fine! We are counting on you, Fukuda-kun. Same thing on defense." He nodded in reply; Riko turned back to look at Hyuga's back as he walked towards the court. "One more thing! Close the gap on offense!"

"Yeah!" Hyuga nodded, rolling his shoulder. "Let's go!"

Helping Furihata to sit on the bench, Kagome felt his shoulder beginning to shake with shame. Of course he felt defeated after only a few minutes of game time, but she could not help but feel proud for what he had done. Placing a towel over his head, Kagome patted his back right after while giving him a genuine smile. "You did great," she whispered. "We are proud to have you on this team, Furihata-kun." She could tell by the grip over his shorts that the frustrations inside were welling up, and even with encouraging words, it would still make him feel like he had done nothing.

But Seirin would show him; they would fight for everyone's dream of victory.

Confused over Riko's orders, Fukuda hurried his way next to Izuki's side while staring at his captain's back. "Ano…what did she mean by close the gap?"

Izuki chuckled, knowing Riko and Hyuga were always unclear with their way of thinking. Signaling Fukuda to look at Hyuga again, he patted his shoulder. "Didn't you hear Hyuga? We will score three points."

* * *

"Eh~, they're pumped up," Imayoshi chuckled, surprised to see Seirin's captain rapidly changing courses despite Rakuzan's tight defense.

"Hyuga-san should start making threes once they're on offense," Sakurai commented.

Nodding to Sakurai's thoughts, Imayoshi felt himself scoffing at the sight of Rakuzan's intended plan. Not only was Hyuga being forward with his advances, but to him, Reo had also taken a more aggressive game play. "Rakuzan is going for threes, too. Which means both teams' attacks will be focused around the same position." With Reo capturing Mayuzumi's pass, Imayoshi's lips curved into a smirk. "It's a shooting guard showdown."

* * *

A grin crawled over Reo's lips seeing Hyuga's defensiveness. It was written on his expression he meant serious business confronting him, but it did nothing to waver him from his own goal. "The end of the first quarter pissed me off," he spoke. "I'll crush you this time."

Hyuga's brow twitched hearing Reo's words. If he spoke to belittle him, then so be it, but there was only so much he was going to take when he and his team were on the brink of losing members. _'He's a complicated character.' _Taking a step forward, Hyuga was taken back by Reo's whisper.

"You shouldn't do that."

In a blink of an eye Reo had taken a step back before jumping up and taking his aim. _'A-A fadeaway three?!' _Hyuga exclaimed in his head. Clenching his teeth, he jumped up, hoping to stop the ball from being released. The swoosh of the throw and the basket made Hyuga curse under his breath. _'Curse! His form is incredibly efficient. I'm falling in love again. In middle school, I thought Mibuchi's form was the best of our generation. So smooth and sharp; it's seriously cool.' _He shook his head, realizing his idolization. _'What the heck am I thinking!? I don't have time for that right now!'_

Running to his position, he signaled Izuki for the pass. Met with Reo once again, Hyuga took his stance. _'He's not my role model anymore. He's the enemy I must defeat!' _Wasting no time to slide back, he took his jump upwards before releasing the ball towards the hoop.

"Barrier Jumped!" Koganei shouted with excitement before seeing the ball being made into the basket. "Yes! Nice shot, Hyuga!"

"Huh, his form looks like yours," Nebuya commented as he ran behind Reo.

"Hmm," Reo replied, making his way to offense, "you think so, too?" He scoffed, replaying Hyuga's Barrier Jumper move in his head. _'But they just look similar. He's made it his own. It's still different. Not bad.'_

Keeping her eyes on the two shooting guards going back and forth after each shot, the miko felt surprised by the speed they kept. In most cases, shooting guards could not keep up, but each were answering with threes. Her brows narrowed, thinking it was only a matter of time before one of them cracked under the rapid pressure.

As soon as Reo got passed the ball by Akashi, he chuckled at the sight of Hyuga appearing before him. "No you don't!" he shouted, arms kept up defensively.

"Heh, I've changed my mind about you," Reo whispered, keeping the ball between his hands. "You're a far better shooter than I thought. So to thank you, I'll show you something special."

* * *

"Tch, he is seriously going for it?" Hanamiya scoffed, catching the attention of his teammates. "Mibuchi has two common shots. Evading his opponent while making the shot, or what they call 'Heaven'. Then there is making the shot while striking his opponent, or 'Earth'." He shook his head, seeing the smirk grow on Reo's lips. Reo rarely got serious, and he could tell Hyuga had received a free ticket to see his special shot. "But there is actually one more," he continued. "A shot his opponents can't respond to: 'Void'. Mibuchi 'The Demon' Reo has three kinds of shots."

* * *

Hyuga blinked, mesmerized by Reo's graceful yet simple vertical jump with the ball over his head. _'An ordinary shot?' _he questioned himself. Brows furrowing, he reached up, preparing his knees to follow suit only to feel his legs lock him in his spot. _'W-What?!' _His eyes followed Reo's form, seeing him jump further up. _'I can't jump! Why?!'_

With the ball dropping into the basket, Kagome's expression melted with shock. _'He stopped moving?' _For sure he was prepared to jump and block Reo' shot, but- _'How can he stop someone from moving? It was a regular jump…'_

A curse blew under Hyuga's breathe; eyes narrowed in confusion and frustration from having been paralyzed to do nothing. _'I was captivated…,' _he thought to himself, catching the passed ball between his hands. _'No, what am I thinking? I should be thinking about what we should do to win!' _Doubts began to fill his head; he bit his lower lip, feeling the hesitations pulling him back. _'Can we win…?' _

Reo immediately stepped in front of him, stopping him from taking an easy shot. Reacting to his defense, Hyuga took a step back to perform another Barrier Jump only to see Reo stepping towards him. Another curse passed between his lips as he saw Reo closing in on his space. _'H-He's completely adjusted to the Barrier Jumper's timing!' _With no way to escape it, Hyuga passed the ball towards Kagami, hoping he could at least make the shot for him.

"Oh my," Reo chuckled watching Kagami make the dunk.

Running back to their defense, Izuki gave Hyuga a thumbs up. "Nice, Hyuga! You were right to pass the ball in!"

'_Hmm,' _Reo swiped the sweat off his forehead, _'he was faster than I thought.' _He now understood Akashi's words not to underestimate Seirin. Although they had years to get to reach their level, he was convinced they had skill. Meeting with Akashi – who had the ball in his hands – Reo whispered his plan of attack. "Sei-chan, I'm good for just one more."

"Yeah," Akashi nodded, "it looks that way."

He chuckled back; eyes narrowed on his target. "I'm finished measuring him. I won this battle already."

With Akashi passing him the ball from the side, Reo felt his lips curling upwards at the sight of Hyuga meeting him again. Elongating his jump up, he watched as Hyuga followed suit before quickly coming down by bending his knees.

'_E-Eh!? He isn't going into Void?!' _Hyuga blinked, eyes slowly widening upon realizing Reo's true plan. _'A fake!? Damn it! It's Earth!'_

Reo sprung back up, colliding his front with Hyuga's chest. The referee's whistle immediately blew off before the ball fell straight into the basket with no problems.

"Defense, black number four! Basket counts; one free throw!"

* * *

"He made the shot and drew a foul!" Wakamatsu exclaimed, scoffing at Hyuga's stupid move. He should have known better than to recklessly jump when dealing with Reo.

Sakurai's shoulders dropped, seeing the score board having added three points on Rakuzan's side. "And it was a three. This is a four-point play!"

"Hyuga messed up," Imayoshi shook his head with a smirk. "He backed off. It wasn't wrong, though." Observing Reo preparing his free throw in front of the hoop, he gave a shrug, not blaming Hyuga's actions all together. "He passed, and they scored. For the team, it was the right choice. But it's now clear," eyes tightened following the ball up in the air before gracefully falling into the basket. "Mibuchi is the better shooter."

* * *

"No worries, Hyuga!" Izuki called out, having seen Hyuga's sudden desperation and fast breaths.

"I know!" he shouted back.

Dropping his guard slightly with the ball in hand, Izuki's expression softened. It was rare to see Hyuga being driven to the corner, but it was understandable.

"Izuki."

Turning his head towards their center, Izuki noticed Kiyoshi's focus on Hyuga.

"Pass me the ball," Kiyoshi whispered. He could feel the desperation on Hyuga, and he understood the heavy burden he carried. "I'm in an attacking mood, too." Position himself under the net, he grunted at the feel of Nebuya using his heavy self to push him back.

Nebuya chuckled at the sight of Kiyoshi's struggle against him. "What's wrong? You suddenly feel like playing?"

"Let's go, Nebuya!" With the ball coming towards him, Kiyoshi planted his feet on the court. He knew dealing with the Uncrowned Kings was taxing on their bodies, but he never thought it would affect them this much mentally. Catching the ball in his hands, he kept his guard despite Nebuya's advancements to throw him off balance. The sudden blockage from Nebuya's body made him hold back a grunt. _'H-He's so heavy! He won't budge!' _

"My muscles have finally warmed up!" Nebuya smirked. "Time for me to get my revenge!"

Kiyoshi pivoted around Nebuya's body before jumping up for a dunk. To his shock, Nebuya quickly caught up and met him in the air before smacking the ball away from his grip.

The referee blew his whistle the moment the ball bounced off the court. "Out of bounds!"

"Such strength…," Kagami whispered.

"Kiyoshi…"

The brunette turned his head over his shoulder to see Nebuya's shoulders heaving slowly.

"The way you reacted…," Nebuya pointed accusingly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our battle!"

He blinked back, confused on the matter. "I remember playing you," he replied, although the tone did give out his confusion.

"It's what you said after! Don't mess with me!" Nebuya's eyes narrowed dangerously, seeing there was no way to make the airhead remember. "At the end of my first year of middle school, I was matched up against you and experienced my first loss. It was frustrating. After the game, you told me basketball wasn't just about power. You'll get stronger if you hone your skills, too." He scoffed, fingers slowly curling into a fist. "I had a thought then. I'll just pack on more muscle!"

'_That's his answer?' _the rest of the Seirin members twitched.

"With enough muscle, I can do anything! Nebuya 'Herculean Strength' Eikichi!"

Another blink was given out by Kiyoshi after hearing the fiery introduction. "Sorry, I forgot about that. But I'm still ready to throw down." Cracking his fingers, he returned the glare. "I don't mind contests of strength."

"Kiyoshi 'Iron Heart' Teppei!"

The miko turned her head to the side, watching Koganei having cupped his hands around his mouth. "Did you just give him an introduction?"

Koganei's sweat dropped before chuckling nervously at the question. "It was not like he was going to do it…"

* * *

Nebuya's echoing shout accompanying his dunk made the Tōō captain cringe.

"Muscle Rebound!"

Using his pinky to cover his ear, he sighed before hearing Nebuya's victory cry. "What's up with centers? Do they all have to be loud?" he questioned.

"E-Eh?" Wakamatsu turned to face him questioningly.

* * *

Annoyed with Nebuya's continuous screams with each move, Reo turned to face the muscle man. "Oi, could you stop saying 'Muscle Whatever' every time?"

"Yeah," Mayuzumi added, feeling a headache coming in, "it's annoying."

The pressure began to build on him; the same feeling Hyuga had felt against Reo was becoming even more understandable. Pushing himself to continue with Nebuya's challenge, he stood behind him, blocking any move he planned to use.

Nebuya grunted at the sight of Kiyoshi's determination. Gripping the ball between his hands, he wasted no time pivoting around him. "Muscle Dunk!" The force of his dunk made Kiyoshi wince before falling back on his feet. The cheers from the crowd did nothing to help the situation, but it fueled Seirin to continue knowing Rakuzan was starting to look like the champions.

As Izuki got the ball on the offense, he dribbled his way back to their basket. Called by Kiyoshi to pass the ball, the center held back a curse feeling the heavy guard from Nebuya right behind him. _'You won't beat me!' _Circling him as fast as he could, Kiyoshi's eyes tightened upon meeting Nebuya in the air as he tried to go for a dunk. Eyes slowly widened, realizing Nebuya's jump had overshadowed his. Side-eyeing his surroundings, Kiyoshi lowered the ball from the above before passing it over to Fukuda's hands.

"Oi!" Nebuya shouted. "You're using your Right of Postponement now!?"

Praying to make the shot, Fukuda released his grip on the ball. The crowd cheered with hype with Fukuda's shot. Although the audience saw the game's intensity increasing, those on the court could see the desperation to overtake each other.

* * *

"Woah~," a whistle blew from the kitsune's lips. "Kiyoshi made the right choice to pass."

Koga exhaled, crossing his arms across his chest seeing the said center swiping the sweat from his chin. "No," he replied, "that was a bad move. Passing and being forced to pass mean different things. That was definitely a forced pass." Blinking at the wolf youkai beside him, Shippo straightened up from his seat before a brow rose in question. "But wasn't that…"

"Well, yes," he nodded, understanding his confusion on Kiyoshi's Right of Postponement. "You're not wrong. But the gap will slowly widen. In other words, this is the difference in their strength."

* * *

Trying her best to keep up with Rakuzan's speed, Kagome felt herself getting dizzy with the continuous staring. Back-to-back the team scored, whether they were on offense or defense: they had the upper hand. The gap between them only increased and that began to alarm her. Seeing Kagami struggle against Hayama, and Izuki beginning to waver and lose track of Mayuzumi's sudden passes, she felt her palms begin to sweat.

"Disappearing is my job," Mayuzumi spoke. "But don't forget I exist."

Reo's constant guard on Hyuga, and Kiyoshi's skirmish with Nebuya made her fingers intertwine and grip on each other tightly.

* * *

Koga shook his head, seeing the balance slowly tipping off. "Kagami and Kuroko are strong rookies, but they're not the only reason they made it this far." His shoulders slowly dropped from their tension after seeing the miko's concerned look. "It's because they had the second-years. Hyuga and Kiyoshi in particular are the pillars of their outside and inside. Breaking them is like breaking the team's legs: their support."

* * *

Kagome's mind slowly went blank; watching her members become trapped under Akashi's plans was becoming terrifying. She was paralyzed. They were in Akashi's hands, being played like a puppet. Her eyes landed on Izuki's pass towards Fukuda: he had become like Furihata. His aura was slowly diminishing in energy and it was already too late to call him in.

"Fukuda!" Izuki shouted, trying to catch his attention.

The moment Fukuda turned to the call of his name, his eyes widened at the sight of the ball coming his way. Attempting to catch it, his hand flicked the ball off the court.

"Out of bounds!" the referee called. "White ball!"

Kagome bit her lower lip, restraining her frustrations of not being able to help her team. _"It's just like Furihata-kun; he is exhausted.' _The sound of the buzzer snapped her back to reality. Looking to the referee table, she blinked at the sight of Riko standing behind Koki.

"Black team player substitution."

* * *

"Another substitution?" Wakamatsu questioned, seeing Fukuda coming back and sitting with his head low in shame. "A first-year?"

"They just switched him out since he was exhausted," the Tōō captain replied with a heavy sigh. "They are prolonging their strategy."

"Huh!?" his center shouted with a glare. "Why isn't Seirin doing anything!? They should be doing something! Anything!"

Unplugging his ears and lowering his fingers, Imayoshi shook his head. "Don't yell at me. Besides," he sighed again, eyes slightly opening to see the tremble on Riko's and Kagome's shoulders, "it's not that they're not. They can't."

Hearing his captain's words, Aomine's brows furrowed down while making his own observations on the miko. It was apparent Kagome was feeling trapped herself, and the rest of the team were left powerless. This was to be expected; it was their former captain, after all.

* * *

Watching Kagami make a shot – just barely – Shippo released his held breath. The determination in Seirin's eyes slowly cracked, and it was unusual to find his 'mother' in such a vulnerable position. "Have…they been cornered?" he whispered his question.

Eyes narrowed in reply from the two youkai; uncertainity began to blanket their thoughts.

* * *

Hanamiya snickered at Kagami's miracle shot, despite having had Nebuya on him. "Well, it's bound to happen," he scoffed, catching the attention of his team members. "Even against Rakuzan, they're sure to score some points, but," eyes narrowed to match his grin, "that's all." Eyes traveled and followed each shot Rakuzan made on the court. "The weaklings can make a last-ditch effort. But ultimately, they will be pushed out by a stronger power. It's over."

* * *

The miko's heart sunk the second she caught Akashi's side-eyed glare before he changed his position from Izuki's guard. Moving her focus on the ball, her own eyes widened seeing Mayuzumi preparing for a pass.

'_Eh? That's unusual,' _Mayuzumi chuckled, preparing his palm. _'Is he excited?' _Lips curving into a smirk, Mayuzumi shot his pass up into the air as Akashi jumped up. _'No, he's showing off.' _All eyes rose to Akashi's high jump towards the hoop; shock overtook the expressions from Seirin and the rest of the audience. In a blink of an eye, Akashi's wrist lowered the ball into the hoop: alley-oop.

Kagome's lips trembled; her fingers slowly released their grip on each other. That was a move Kagami and Kuroko had done multiple times. How was he able to do something like that?

"Did you think it was exclusively a larger player's skill?" Akashi spoke the moment he landed back on his feet. "I can do this anytime I feel like it."

Seirin's determination had officially been put out.

* * *

Raising his chin just slightly, Sesshomaru watched the miko's eyes cloud with loss. "Kuroko can't recover from the loss of his lack of presence. Even if he does, they're too far behind. Both in points and strength. Miracles don't happen that easily, but they need one if they want to win."

* * *

Auras on her side had shrunk: they lost hope. Her worst fears had become a reality. Akashi had taken full control of his team, the game, and Seirin. She wanted to support Kuroko's wish to show the Generation of Miracles his way of playing was the right one.

Did she let him down? Was this it?

Vision becoming blurry with tears threatening to fall, Kagome lowered her head with a curse blowing under her breath.

The buzzer sounded off: half-time.

* * *

"The first half has been taken by us; let us keep going at this pace for now." Shirogane looked over his team, seeing them nod in agreement. Although he had not seen Seirin as a threat at the beginning, he was surprised they could push Akashi and the others to show skills they usually would not demonstrate. "Akashi," he spoke, eyes lowering to the emperor who kept his gaze ahead. "What do you think?"

Resting his elbows over his knees, Akashi rose his hands up to his chin. "Seirin still has spirit, but we cannot let our guard down."

'_Especially when I cannot personally crush their ray of hope on the court. I will have to make her lose all despair and faith on her team by crushing them.' _As he stood up with his team, Akashi adjusted his jacket over his shoulders. _'Kagome, your potential was not used to the fullest, and this is the price one must pay when going up against me.' _

* * *

The silence in the room was dreading. Not even tired breaths were heard from the Seirin players. The ambiance in the small room suffocated her, not for the lack of voice, but not being able to say anything to lift their spirits. The miko's eyes rose, seeing Riko and the rest of the benched team in the same position.

They were cornered with no way of escaping Akashi's tactics.

Held kept low, Kagome sneaked a glance at the two across from her: Kuroko and Kagami. Their expression were being taken over by the feel of defeat. She could not even bare to see Hyuga's face knowing he felt the weight more than anyone.

"Riko-senpai," she whispered, trying her best to keep her voice low.

Looking towards the miko, Riko blinked at the look in Kagome's eyes.

"May I go get some fresh air?"

Not wanting to question it in front of the team, Riko gave her a simple and quiet nod. Riko followed the miko's slow turn before watching the door close on them.

Akashi was getting to her, too.

* * *

Each step felt heavier; her vision blurred beneath her lashes. _'Dammit!' _Kagome cursed, hating the feel of herself breaking down. _'I can't cry; I shouldn't be crying…' _

Stopping in front of the vending machine, she slowly looked up to see her reflection – or at least what she could see. What had she crumbled down to? How could she feel hopeless when her team needed those outside the court to support them? She shook her head, trying her best to throw away the thoughts clouding her mind.

Taking out a five-hundred-yen coin from her skirt pocket, she slowly brought it towards the coin slot of the machine only to stop the moment another hand beat her to it. Her eyes trailed the owner's arm only to let the shock sink in upon meeting the gold gaze of the inuyoukai.

"Sesshomaru-sama…," she whispered under her breath.

"Get your drink, miko," he spoke, keeping his focus forward.

The miko's gaze lowered back to the coin slot before bringing it back up to the demon beside her. Now that she thought about it, it was weird to find herself having a casual talk with the youkai she had only seen in battles against Inuyasha and Naraku.

It was still bizarre to see Sesshomaru having become accustomed to modern times.

"Arigatou…," her thanks were given under her breath. Pressing the button for a small cold green tea, she waited for the bottle to fall. Perhaps a cold drink would help her clear her mind.

"Never thought a basketball game would affect you so, miko."

Her eyes once more rose to see Sesshomaru's brows having furrowed annoyingly. "Huh?"

"I could smell it from my suite watching over the game," he spoke, putting money into the vending machine again. "Your scent is giving off waves of concern. The second that Akashi brat got the upper hand, Seirin cracked." His gaze lowered to meet those of the miko's. "You became unbalanced."

Even though Sesshomaru's tone was kept firm, it held truth. She did not want to believe it, but Akashi had slowly taken control of those outside the game.

"The miko I knew would have dealt with this head on," he continued, choosing a black coffee.

Looking down at her feet, Kagome's fingers slowly gripped the bottle in her hand. "Akashi-kun has done something horrible; Kuroko-kun has been emotionally and mentally damaged by his words. Mayuzumi-san being the new model?" She shook her head, sudden flashes of her incarnation coming in. "I," she cringed, and held back the tears, "more than anyone, know the feeling of being compared. Being compared to or even told someone is better than you at the only thing you have going for you is a painful thing to hear."

He stared at her for a couple more seconds before lowering himself to pick up his hot drink. Of course, she still held onto the idea of Kikyou being her competition. To him, five hundred years had passed since all their feudal chaos had ended, but it was just like yesterday for her. But he could not sympathize with the idea of her keeping Kikyou in her mind. Both were respected in their own way.

Both accomplished different goals.

"Move on."

Kagome's head snapped up to meet his eyes narrowing down at her.

"Kuroko is different from Mayuzumi; Mayuzumi is different from Kuroko." Putting one of his hands inside his pocket, he slowly turned around to leave the empty lobby. "What happened to the old miko that was able to confront the root of the problem?"

She blinked, "the root of the problem…?"

Without looking back at her, Sesshomaru gave her a question that would linger in her head. "Are you afraid of Akashi?"

Shaking her head without a second thought, Kagome replied. "N-No! Of course not-!"

"Then why are you acting like a princess that needs to be saved."

The tone delivered a statement, not a question.

"I…," she choked, "I am not-!"

"Why are you afraid of someone who is afraid of himself?"

Lips parting to defend herself, she felt her throat go dry. Had he hit the target? Had she become afraid of Akashi? Feeling shoulders untense from frustration and confusion, her eyes slowly dropped to stare at her feet.

Sesshomaru glanced at the miko over his shoulder before proceeding towards the exit leading back to his suite. "Half time is almost over; think about your next move – wisely."

Her back gave up on her; leaning on the front of the vending machine, Kagome was left to her mind wandering to a scatter of thoughts. No matter what Riko and her decided to do to help Kuroko and the rest of the team, Akashi had something up his sleeve to attack back and stomp on them. The little ray of hope they had left was slowly diminishing.

Exhaling, Kagome closed her eyes as she leaned her head back. _'Akashi-kun is being aggressive in his own way. He is using fear to immobilize us…,' _she came to stare at the ceiling, _'but why…?' _

Kuroko's story of their history in Teiko replayed in her head. Akashi had been a sweet and kind boy in the beginning, but suddenly something snapped. Whatever it was, it had triggered him to become what he was now. _'What happened? Why did he suddenly change? Why-?' _Eyes slowly widened thinking on Sesshomaru's words. _'Afraid of yourself? What did he mean by that?' _

People's own fears usually brewed when – _'change…'_

Gripping her bottle again, Kagome quickly straightened herself up before running towards the hall of the locker rooms.

She did not take a second glance at the door to her left: Seirin.

* * *

"Very well, let's head out."

As the Rakuzan coach opened the door before leading his team out the locker room, Akashi was the first out with the Uncrowned Kings behind him.

"Akashi-kun!"

The sudden shout of his name alarmed everyone, except for Akashi. His narrowed eyes reacted in response to the familiar female voice. On the opposite end of the hall, there stood Seirin's manager with an expression that although surprised him, he soon became cautious.

Kagome tried her best to ignore the stares – and Hayama's waving – and continued to look Akashi straight in his eyes. The same fear from before slowly traveled in her veins, but she gripped the bottle once again remembering Sesshomaru's words.

"Can we talk?" she requested.

Akashi's expression hardened; Rakuzan gave each other confused looks before seeing their coach shake his head.

"I apologize, but I will not permit the other team to be interacting with-"

"Coach," Akashi spoke, stopping his coach from going any further. He kept his gaze on the miko, trying to read whatever she had planned in her head to tell him. Whatever it was, it was a waste of time. "If you are here to give me some of your empathy talk, I do not need it-"

"Tell me," she cut in, "are you afraid of losing or are you afraid of change?" Kagome was unsure if her question had been the right one to bring out so suddenly upon seeing the twitch on Akashi's brow. _'Did I strike a nerve…?' _

Without looking back at his team, the emperor took a step forward. "Go on ahead; this will only take a minute."

Hesitant to leave the Rakuzan captain with Seirin's manager, they finally managed to agree to leave the two alone. Everyone in the team knew better than to go against Akashi's orders. With their steps echoing in the hall and soon muting out, Kagome could see Akashi's expression having darkened.

"You have a lot of nerve confronting me like this in front of the team," he spoke with a low aggravated tone.

"And you have some nerve using your fears to control others," Kagome barked back.

So she was not backing down, now was she? Taking a step forward, Akashi made sure to lower his tone: heavy and laced with anger. "You don't know anything; don't think you are above me just because you and your team have met us this far-"

Her eyes narrowed back, having caught on his threat. "I am going to stop you there, Akashi-kun. You think you can make us back down or make us feel like we are smaller than you, but as long as there is one person with hope and pulling the team together, Seirin won't fall under your pressure. We will win." She took a step to meet him half way. "Even if I am the last one standing, I won't back down."

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **Have to end it there...but we are definitely close to the end! I am going to work hard on the ending and what I have planned after wards, but for now, I am enjoying my last few days here in Japan before I go home.

Please review and thank you for reading! Really means a lot!

Ja~ne!


	35. Author's Note

Dear readers and followers,

I apologize for this to come out as an 'update' on your emails, but unfortunately it is not. It really saddens me that I have come to say this, but it needs to be said now. Fanfiction isn't what it used to be, and I miss it. Unfortunately, you can't make everyone happy: my fellow guests and anonymous reviewers/messengers have expressed that. There is no way for me to give answers to 'Guests' and 'Anonymous' reviewers when they can't even log in for me to reply. It would make the process easier. I know I can't make everyone happy or satisfy anyone with what I write. I can't cater to your needs and wants; I am human and not perfect. Sure the story to some may seem to repetitive. To some the story is dull. The story for others is annoying with Japanese words, characters, Kagome not being herself, pairings not happening, romance not occurring.

I can go on and on; it's exhausting.

And I am not only speaking for myself, I am speaking for other fanfic authors who try their best to update, write, and fill your fanfiction needs. But I don't think I have to repeat myself: we are human. We have lives outside of writing fanfiction – which we don't get paid for. We have jobs, school, family issues, etc. we have to attend to. So fanfiction is an escape, not a place where we seek how much a person is annoyed at the story, how much a person is mad at it, or how bored you have become.

A few words: don't like it, don't review it or read it. Simple as that. Now, usually I don't want to come off as rude. And I definitely don't want to give this image of myself, but enough is enough. All we ask is reviews. Criticism is fine, but there is a way to word it rather: "I'm annoyed", "There is no romance, so I can't read your stories", or "I'm bored of it already". Sorry I can't deliver what you hoped, but here is an idea, write what YOU want to read. That is all the advice I can give as a writer who has been on ffn for so long. Trust me, I improved over the years, but doesn't mean I am perfect. Writers want words of encouragement. I don't care about the number of reviews, nor do I care about the content of the review, but I do get tired of seeing anonymous reviews being too scared to come out.

I am going to receive hate for this, but I do this for you guys. I do it in my free time which I could use to do other things. For those not aware, I have been dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression, and now BDD, along with an eating disorder. I don't need the pity, but these are things I deal with it daily. You can hate me for saying this, but I don't think fanfic authors have been able to fully express how they feel. We thank those who have stuck by us for so long, encouraged us, etc. We truly appreciate each one of you. As simple as a one word review to a paragraph, we cherish it.

One review shouldn't get us down: continuous ones do.

I can't count the many times I received hate both here and on Tumblr. I am still writing. But after the latest Love Hoop update, I can't help but want to delete my whole ffn account and tumblr. Why put myself out there? Why come down with the hate? I will say this again, I cannot write to what everyone desires. I try and try to change outlines, change stories, AND trying to keep everyone in character. Romance? I am trying, but I can't write things like chemistry happening at first glance. It's called character development, which I rather write about. People hate a weak Kagome. Please, we all have our days where we can be tough, but break every once in a while, whether it's because of an event or person that triggers it.

I am not sure what I should do now, but it's apparent to me that this account will probably be deleted soon.

Sorry I had to come out to say this and sound passive aggressive, but some things need to be said. Nothing makes anyone happy anymore.

I do want to thank those who have reviews, sent me love, and support. Really, you are all the only reason I have continued thus far, but I can only take so much.

Sincerely,

Mizuki


	36. Rage Warmed

**Title:** Love Hoop

**Rating:** T (language warning)

**DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!**

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes:** This took so long to write, but this is the longest chapter I have ever written! The wait was long, but the support and love from everyone made me continue to remember why I wrote this in the first place. To say the least, this fic has a special place in my heart. And it is now ending. But it could have not gotten this far without all the love. So everything is because of YOU!

Now, people may think Kagome is cheesy here and such, but it's a fic that is difficult to incorporate Kagome into. It's fantasy meets sports. Very difficult. But nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

Without further ado, please do cry with me.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 35: **Rage Warmed

* * *

The nerves and desperation swelled within each player. With less than two minutes before the third quarter, Seirin stood in silence mentally preparing for the hardship against Rakuzan. Koganei broke away from the concentration, having felt the absence of a certain female in their group. His head turned left and right in search for the miko.

"Ano…," he whispered, catching the attention of his team, "where is Kagome-chan?"

Noticing themselves of her absence, Seirin began to search around them for any sign of the girl. Riko hummed to herself remembering Kagome having gone to collect her thoughts. Did she lose track of time?

"Akashi is missing, too," Furihata pointed out.

Eyes glided over to Rakuzan's bench; the captain was not present with his team. Just like them, Rakuzan was also in wait for the emperor.

* * *

Koga raised a brow, having noticed the missing miko and captain on the court from the suite. There was no coincidence the two seem to be away at the same time. Crossing his legs, the wolf youkai rested his chin over his palm.

"Where did okaa-san go?" Shippo questioned, shifting his focus from Seirin's bench to Rakuzan's.

Both their ears twitched at the sound of light steps coming from behind. The scent of lavender and oak heightened the youkai's senses upon recognizing it. Keeping his eyes on the court, Koga sighed under his breath. "Did you speak with her?"

The kitsune's eyes glided to the corner, catching a glimpse of the silver haired youkai sitting in his seat while the wolf remained stoic on the paused game. There was no hiding the miko's scent was on the inu, but it was questionable.

Hearing no reply from Sesshomaru, Koga's lips parted, readied with another question. The words froze in his throat the moment his eyes caught glimpse of the miko and emperor entering the court area from their respective hallways leading to the locker rooms. Eyes narrowed; questions rose. _'Both came in at the same time?' _

The corner of Sesshomaru's lips rose into a smirk; a new determined look flared in the miko's eyes.

* * *

Heads immediately turned to the exits of the court. Eyes widening with confusion, both Seirin and Rakuzan stood in silence seeing Kagome and Akashi walking back to their own teams. The look in their eyes meant war; their expressions had hardened with determination. Continuing her way towards Seirin's bench, the miko's lips pressed together feeling the gaze of a certain emperor on her. Aside from his gaze, she felt the questionable gazes of her team on her.

"W-What?" she raised a brow.

Izuki blinked first, seeing everyone had the same question in mind. "Kagome-chan…where did you go?"

The others waited for her reply. She remained silent and unsure how to give a proper answer. Even she was confused on what she had done. Sesshomaru's words had driven her to seek for a word with the emperor and she found herself practically declaring a war with him! She shook her head remembering the deadly glare Akashi had given her upon hearing her declaration to defeat Rakuzan. _'I made Seirin a promise; I made a vow to myself in front of Akashi-kun that I will protect and support Seirin even if I am the last one standing.' _

"Kagome-chan?"

The miko's attention was drawn back to her team and the phantom player in front of her. Her lips curved upwards before extending her hand out in front of her for the others to see. "Let's do this!" she exclaimed with a smile. "We got two quarters left! Let's show Rakuzan what Seirin is made of!"

Seirin blinked with confusion at Kagome's behavior. This was not the Kagome they had seen in the locker room. Giving each other glances, they gave each other nods as one by one came to place their hands above the other.

The cheer from the other side caught the emperor's attention. Turning his head slightly over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the miko's hair being ruffled by Kiyoshi. Akashi's expression toughened at the sight of their hope coming back up. The miko's words echoed in his head; the nerve she had to tell him he was afraid. He had nothing to fear.

Nothing.

A scoff accompanied with a smirk left Reo's throat as he heard Hyuga shout a cheer with his team. "They seem so sure of themselves. They're just desperately trying to shake off the dark despair that will envelope them any moment now." His eyes lowered to his captain, noticing his own focus glued on Seirin. "Hm? Akashi, everything alright?"

Akashi closed his eyes before making his way forward to lead his team to the court. "The plan remains the same; Seirin will be crushed by the end of this quarter".

* * *

The buzzer went off; players turned their attention over to the empty court. "The third quarter will now begin."

As the second-years went off to their positions, the miko noticed Koganei taking Fukuda's place. It was understandable seeing everyone's energy was slowly depleting with each of Rakuzan's plays. Turning to Hyuga's back, the miko's eyes narrowed with concern as she read his wavering aura. A sigh passed between her lips before coming to grab the back of Kagami's jersey.

Feeling the light grab, the red head looked over his shoulder before blinking. Raising a brow at Kagome's softened expression and head hanging down, he knew the pressure was coming onto her. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I got this." His eyes noticed her fingers curling into his jersey. It was becoming a – comfortable – habit of hers to grab him from the back when she felt nervous. He was beginning to understand her small gestures.

Kagome's fingers released their hold on his jersey before coming to face the number on his jersey. Watching him walk and follow his seniors, she felt her shoulders tense. There was pressure on everyone; she could not escape the auras of her team slowly suffocating her with worry. Exhaling, she made her way back to sit between Riko and Kuroko. At the sound of the referee's whistle signaling the start of the third quarter, eyes followed Seirin's quick movement to make another fast break. Kagome nodded seeing Hyuga quickly making his way around Reo's defense with the help of Koganei screening him from behind.

"Kagome-chan." Her eyes blinked at the sound of her name. Turning her head to the side, she saw Riko's attention glued on the game. "Where did you go?" the coach questioned.

Kagome's eyes made their way back to the court, watching Hyuga having caught Izuki's pass before making his three. "I spoke with Akashi-kun."

Shock came over the coach and the rest of the team upon hearing her answer. Kuroko's eyes widened slightly at the sound of his former captain's name. She met with Akashi? For what?

"A-Akashi?" Riko repeated. "You mean that Akashi?"

Keeping his eyes on the miko, Kuroko blinked seeing something different in her eyes: hope. Something had happened between her and Akashi, and the details were probably going to be kept to themselves. But when she had returned, he noticed something different. Not just in her, but in Akashi as well. Kuroko placed his attention back on the game before he spoke. "What did he say?" he whispered.

Fingers came to grip the clipboard on her lap. Kagome was sure her words were taken as a threat to the emperor. And they were. He was ready, but so was she. "He is set on defeating us." Her eyes followed Seirin's tightened defense on the court, making her eyes narrow. "But he is aware that we are, too."

* * *

"I'm surprised," Okumura spoke. He was shocked to see Seirin back on their feet despite what had happened in the first half. "Despite the desperate situation, Seirin's spirit isn't broken. There are no quick comebacks in basketball. But…as long as they don't give up, they have more than a zero percent chance of winning."

Murasakibara's eyes remained stoic; his focus changing from Akashi to Kagami and finishing at Seirin's bench. "Sorry," he spoke, voice laced with tiredness, "but when I said they couldn't win, I wasn't just considering the situation."

* * *

"What?" Susa spoke, having heard Aomine's thoughts on Seirin's rare chance of getting victory. Turning his head to their ace, he watched Aomine keeping his eyes on the tiger. "What do you mean Seirin has a less than one percent chance of winning, Aomine?"

Aomine sighed, knowing the only ones who could see the low percentage were those who knew of Akashi's way of playing. "Not yet, but soon." He replied. "Because Akashi is on the other team. He crushes his opponents' potential until it's all gone."

* * *

Hyuga quickly made his way in front of Reo before jumping up to stop his shot. His eyes widened realizing Reo's intended move the minute he smirked at him. _'Dammit! Could it be?!' _Reo's body collided with his, quickly making the referee blow his whistle to freeze everyone in their spots.

"Defense, black number four!"

Riko cursed under her breath as she saw Reo's grin remain after hearing the referee's call. "That's his third…"

"It wasn't long, but I had fun," Reo spoke, turning to face Hyuga's shocked and angered expression, "Junpei-chan."

He could not believe what had happened. On top of being unable to stop his threes, Reo was not purposely colliding with him to get him the fouls. Hyuga gritted his teeth, trying his best to hold back the vulgar words he was ready to spew out. _'H-He faked a Heaven shot into an Earth! No, wait! I didn't hit him!' _His temple wrinkled as his head tried to push him in and out of his own thoughts. _'This can't be happening now! Not when we're so desperate!' _

Kagome's eyes lowered thinly watching Hyuga's aura quivering with his own inner fears. _'Reo-san is taking Hyuga-senpai; Hyuga-senpai is already wavering with the pressure.' _If it went any longer, she was sure their captain would hesitate to even move an inch if he came to face Reo again.

"Number four," the referee called, "raise your hands!"

"Seriously!?" Hyuga argued back, walking towards the referee. "I didn't hit him!"

Riko blinked, taken back by Hyuga's sudden snap. "H-Hyuga-kun!"

"Raise your hands!" The referee repeated.

Hyuga's brows furrowed with anger and desperation as he pointed at Reo. "He lost his balance! I didn't do anything!"

"Hyuga!" Izuki called out knowing it would only make his grave deeper than it was getting to.

"Please, I-!"

Seirin's expression stilled with panic as they heard the referee blow his whistle once again and stopping Hyuga from furthering into his argument. "Technical foul, black number four!" Hyuga's eyes widened slowly as the words sunk into his head: a fourth foul.

* * *

Silence overtook the audience after hearing the referee's call. No one moved an inch nor they spoke seeing the broken expressions on Seirin's side. "That's four." Imayoshi whispered. "They'll have to sub him out."

Aomine scoffed, noticing the struggle on Kagami's face. Of course, he was trying to open it; he was trying to get in. With Hyuga being taken out, the weight of the game had fallen on the tiger: the ace. "Unfortunately, the door to the Zone is heartless. It never opens for those who ask for help."

* * *

Flinching at the foul while moving around the balcony, the Shutoku point guard could not help but want to look away from Hyuga's expression. "Yikes." He whispered, adjusting the strap of his bag as the rest of his team followed behind. "We came because someone threw a tantrum over watching the game, but…"

"It wasn't a tantrum." Midorima spoke out, stopping the point guard from going any further in his attempt to embarrass him. Taking a look at the court from the corner of his eyes, Midorima's brows furrowed down.

"Anyways," Takao shook his head, "you can't be doing that, Hyuga-san. He should already know better."

Midorima sighed, seeing Riko calling in for a substitution. "It was intolerably foolish. But I still can't blame him." His focus narrowed, seeing Seirin's captain cover his face with his hand with what he presumed to be shame. "That's how badly he wants to win." Turning back to his team, the Shutoku ace blinked noticing everyone having stopped walking and staring at him with shocked faces. "W-What?"

"Nothing…" Takao replied. "I never thought you would say something like that."

"What does that mean, nanodayo!?"

* * *

A heavy sigh escaped the Kaijo captain while observing the game from the balcony. Having decided to watch the second half after talking with his team in the locker room, he and the rest of the team were shocked to see the results of Rakuzan's strength. His brows furrowed; his fingers curled into his palm. "Since they beat us to reach the finals, I was rooting for our rivals. But it looks like this is the end for them."

Kise's eyes glided over the tiger's person before moving onto the miko sitting beside Kuroko. No matter how much Kagome had endured in the past, whether it be against demons or humans, Akashi was another level. This was her era; this was a different conflict. But it was obvious, out of all the members in Seirin, Kagome was the one who kept the light of hope on. "It's not over yet." He whispered, eyes narrowing with concern. "They still have one last hope." Creases between his eyes and nose appeared as his eyes remained on Kagome's back. "But…"

Miko or not, there was a limit for everyone.

* * *

Keeping her eyes on Kagami, Kagome bit her bottom lip the moment Akashi came to meet Kagami face-to-face. _'Akashi-kun is marking him?' _With the ball in Kagami's hands, she knew this meant trouble. Everyone's guard had risen the moment Hyuga had been taken out of the game. Aside from Kuroko's aura tensing at every second, she could feel Hyuga's will to fight lessen. She caught a glimpse of the captain from the corner of her eyes: defeated. No doubt in her mind Hyuga felt shame for himself.

That was the weight he carried as a captain.

Tension rose on the court, making her eyes return to the unmoved tiger as he kept his glare on the emperor. It was more than just about the skill an individual had at this point. This was a psychological battle Akashi had initiated.

Grunting under his breath, Kagami's fingers tightened their hold on the ball as he kept it above his head.

"It's not over yet, Seirin." Akashi spoke, knowing it was only a matter of time before Kagami would crumble under the pressure. After all, their captain had already been taken out. "I won't stop until you are all defeated…to the core." A chuckle escaped from him throat the second Kagami faked his step to the right before quickly moving to the left. Extending his arm out, he knocked the ball out of his hands – much to Seirin's surprise.

With the ball bouncing out of the court, the referee blew his whistle. "Black, time out!" he called, extending his arm to the side of Seirin's bench.

* * *

"The finals aren't always dramatic." Koga sighed in his seat, watching both teams walk to their benches. "In my experience with working with professional athletes, sometimes the favorite wins all too soon." It made him feel powerless at the sight of Seirin's heads coming down: no one looked up.

"So not even those who work hard…win." Shippo sighed, folding his arms over the rim of the balcony.

The wolf shrugged, unsure how to reply to that reality. As much as he wanted to stay positive for the miko and her team, the reality was Rakuzan had the upper hand. "Their spirits are completely broken; their lights of hope have been extinguished. If Seirin wants to recover, it won't be easy."

* * *

What more could she do? Her shoulders began to feel the heaviness of their despair and loss in their auras. Standing behind Riko, Kagome kept her eyes on each of the players. Heads hung low; teeth clenched to quench their frustrations. The sweat clinging on their skin was enough to tell anyone they were giving it their all.

But it was not enough.

She felt the same: powerless. Fingers tightened their hold on the clipboard on her side. The last thing she wanted to show was her weakness. She did not want to show Akashi her breaking when she had promised to continue standing. Her eyes landed on the phantom player, noticing his own focus on the palm of his hands.

Kuroko's vision shook with guilt and desperation. As he stared at each wrist band, he curled his fingers into his palm. Is this what Ogiwara had felt? It was crushing; he felt hopeless. He was close to showing Akashi his way of playing was the correct way.

Yet he was being defeated.

He shook his head, remembering his last meeting with Akashi in Teiko after quitting. He promised himself and the emperor he would find a way to win. He would not run away anymore. He would let fear get the best of him.

His vision blurred.

"No." He whispered, catching the attention of his teammates.

He would not let Akashi crush his team's dreams.

One by one, tears dropped onto his wrists. His eyes rose to see the miko's tears threatening to fall. She went up against Akashi and the other Generation of Miracles – it was their turn.

He had to fight back.

Standing up from his seat, the miko and the others blinked at the sudden change in his expression. Tears clung at the corner of his eyes as he kept his gaze on the court. His fists tightening to suppress the anguish he was feeling.

"I want to win!" he exclaimed. "Even if it's impossible, I want us to become the best in Japan!"

"Kuroko-kun…" Kagome whispered, watching him walk towards the coach.

"Coach," he spoke, holding back the raw emotions he wanted to let out, "please."

Riko turned her head to the score; a minute in the third quarter and they still had a long way to go. _'When you're this far behind, no sport is more boring than basketball. But that's only if the game ends here!' _Hesitant with Kuroko's request to let him back in the game, her eyes glided over to the silent captain. They were all desperate, and any plan seemed like a good plan against Rakuzan. Anything to stop them from scoring. Giving Kuroko a nod, Riko granted him permission. "Yosh." she spoke. "Let's do this then."

A smile graced the miko's lips as the rest of the members stood from their seats. Their chance to gain victory was less than one percent, but they would take whatever chance they were given to win.

"Ano," Furihata spoke as he saw his seniors prepare to go back into the court, "the only problem for Kuroko is Mayuzumi. We could score if we could deal with him."

Heads turned to silver haired male on Rakuzan's bench. There he was, sitting quietly as their coach spoke. He was not even looking at the coach. Kagome's focus shifted back and forth from Mayuzumi to Akashi. If Akashi recruited him to be the 'new' Kuroko, it was obvious to her he was being used. Shoulders dropping at her sigh, the miko's eyes landed on the audience. _'Full house…,' _she commented to herself. Seirin gained popularity over the course of the games; Mayuzumi remained a ghost. Coming back to stare at Kuroko as he adjusted his wristbands, she tapped her chin with her pen. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Hm?" he blinked, turning to face the miko, along with the rest of the team.

"Let Mayuzumi-san do what he wants."

Seirin blinked in unison again upon hearing her 'idea'. Did she even realize how far behind they were? Kagami immediately took a step forward before leaning towards her. "Are you crazy!? Let Mayuzumi do what he wants?"

"C-Chotto!" The corner of her lips twitched as she kept her clipboard in front of her for protection. "Listen to me; let him shoot, pass, whatever he wants…," her eyes narrowed as she brought her clipboard back down, "for now." Directing Seirin's attention to the audience around them, she continued. "Until eyes are on him."

"I see," Izumi smirked. "That could actually work."

Chuckling under her breath, Riko hooked her arm around Kagome's shoulders before pulling her closer. "Looks like someone is learning the tricks to coaching quickly! I should step up my game."

A sheepish smile took over the miko's lips before turning to Kuroko once more. "This may be a bad way of explaining it, but when I was in danger during my time travels, I had to conceal myself. In other words, if the enemy notices you, blend in where you don't catch anyone's attention. You know? Look normal and like someone that just doesn't catch you eye!"

Kuroko's blink turned blank upon hearing her description. "K-Kagome-chan…that hurts."

"A-Ah! Gomen!" She chuckled. "Didn't mean it that way…"

Laughing at the first years' interaction, Kiyoshi rubbed his shoulders before coming to pat the miko's head. "Leave it to our miko-manager using her feudal tactics. After all, basketball is a war zone as well."

"I mean…you could see that way." A sweat drop loomed over her head.

* * *

The buzzer echoed signaling the players to return to the court. As Kuroko made his way back in, his ears caught the chants of his name from the audience; his eyes remained glued on his opponent.

"Seirin's original trickster is coming back out!"

"Number eleven, Kuroko Tetsuya!"

"What?" Blinked Nebuya, shocked to see the phantom player entering the court. "What are they thinking?"

Hayama scoffed, although he was on the edge seeing Seirin having brought in Kuroko once more. "Nothing's changed." He commented under his breath. "There is no point in exciting the fans, isn't that right, Mayuzumi-san?"

The said player kept his gaze on the phantom player; his expression hardened at the sight of his 'copy'. _'The original trickster? That's funny. He's an imposter whose tricks have been revealed.' _It was laughable to see Seirin still clinging on hope – invisible hope. With eyes on Kuroko, his passes and shots would only be useless on the court.

"Surely," Akashi chuckled, coming to meet Kuroko eye-to-eye, "you're not so optimistic that you think you can still win. If I were you, I would advise you to ignore whatever your manager's ideas are."

"It's not like that." Kuroko replied. "I fight because I want to win – all of us do. That's all. No matter how this ends, I will not run!"

Akashi's lips slowly curved into a grin; two declarations of war in one day. "I see. Your conviction is meaningless. _Her _hope is meaningless."

Given the ball by the referee, Izuki made a quick scan of the court before charging forward. Dribbling to the hoop, his eyes landed on Kuroko's back as he ran in front of him. _'Sheesh. He's been nothing but selfish. All the first years are.' _A smile, that seemed to have been impossible to form before, appeared. _'Does they have any idea how crazy it would be if we won?' _Meeting face-to-face with Akashi, Izuki halted his steps, trying for a way to pass the ball. _'But the second-years can't lose heart while the first-years still have hope. We can't give up yet!' _

"You can do it, guys." Riko whispered under her breath. A fist formed the moment Koganei moved away from Reo's mark only for the Rakuzan shooting guard to be screened by Kuroko's body. "Yosh!"

'_Oh no!' _Reo clenched his teeth as he followed the ball's path from Izuki's hands onto Koganei's. Even with Mayuzumi rushing to block the shot, Rakuzan's eyes followed the ball in its arc and into the hoop. Reo's eyes returned to the phantom player, cursing himself for having let his guard down. _'His screens are good, but that can't be all.' _

Mayuzumi ran towards Hayama's pass; his eyes met with Kuroko's the moment he came to face him. Anger began to flare within the more he felt Kuroko's frozen stare on his person. _'Don't act like you can stop me. You can't possibly do that!' _Scoffing at the thought of Kuroko surpassing him, Mayuzumi traveled around the phantom player before taking his aim for a shot.

"Mayuzumi-san, wait-" Hayama shouted with wide eyes.

In a blink of an eye, the ball was smacked out of Mayuzumi's grasp by Kagami. "No, you don't!" Kagami yelled.

Catching the fallen ball before it made its way out of the court, Izumi made a quick pass to Koganei before making another shot. The crowd cheered as the game quickly gained a fast momentum. Once again, eyes fell on the duo: Mayuzumi and Kuroko. Kagome's shoulders tensed seeing Mayuzumi giving Kuroko an angered glare. _'Kuroko-kun…,' _her brows furrowed.

'_I won't fall for it again!' _Mayuzumi located Kagami from the corner of his eyes. _'Kagami is on the other side. I can handle anyone else who comes.' _Dribbling the ball around Kuroko's defense, his eyes set on Kiyoshi under the net. _'Why isn't he moving?' _His body moved on instinct by taking aim of the hoop and releasing the ball from his grasp. Mayuzumi's eyes widened realizing no one else on Seirin's team had moved an inch since he passed the phantom player.

The net swooshed once the ball fell into place; Mayuzumi looked over his shoulder to see Kuroko moving to his next position. Irritation began to build little by little despite having made the shot. There was nothing more humiliating than getting a free shot without the other team preventing him from doing so.

* * *

"He's letting Mayuzumi shoot?" Wakamatsu questioned.

Imayoshi snickered with a shake of his head. Most of Rakuzan's shots were inevitable, but seeing the new look in Seirin's eyes told him it was more than just letting them score. "Yeah." He replied with a scoff. "Seirin can't stop all of Rakuzan's attacks, and they're not trying to. If they're going to shoot anyway, they'll make their worst shooter shoot."

* * *

Lips curved into an angered smirk; realization of Seirin's tactics finally hitting him. Mayuzumi's brow twitched as he saw Kuroko's concentration on his position. _'I see. They put this worthless player in so I would pass him and shoot.' _The glare on his eyes tightened. _'They underestimate me. I'll show them what I can do!' _Another pass was sent to him. With the ball in his hands, he grunted at Kuroko's presence before quickly passing him and making another effortless shot.

The crowd cheered at Rakuzan's shot; the noise level increasing by the second. "Rakuzan's number five made another basket!"

"I'll say it again, old sixth man," Mayuzumi spoke, turning to face the silent phantom player. "You can't beat me."

Deciding to remain silent – along with the rest of her team – Kagome's eyes moved left and right as the players changed from defense to offense. With every shot Mayuzumi made, Kagami or Koganei were there to take one back. Her focus landed on the emperor as he dribbled the ball; defenses on Seirin tightening with each step he took. _'Almost there…'_ It was taxing for Kuroko – and everyone – to be marking the other Rakuzan players, but to move forward, the first to be dealt with had to be Mayuzumi.

"This reminds of something." Kuroko whispered the moment Mayuzumi came in front to guard. "Something Takao-kun told me."

"Huh?" Mayuzumi's eye twitched.

"He said he hated me because I was like him."

Mayuzumi turned his head to see the seriousness in Kuroko's face. "What did you say?" His tone became heavy; he became displeased at the sound of his words.

"Sorry," Kuroko continued, "but I still consider myself the Phantom Sixth Man!"

In a blink of an eye, Mayuzumi's gasp muted the moment Kuroko's person disappeared from his sights. Eyes widened realizing what had occurred. His head slowly turned over his shoulder; his eyes landed on the Kuroko's hand smacking Hayama's pass towards Nebuya to the opposite direction. _'I-I lost him? Impossible! What did he do?!'_

Hayama's expression melted into shock seeing the ball being taken by Seirin. _'W-Where did he come from!? Has his lack of presence returned? That's impossible!' _

"Run!" Izuki shouted, throwing the ball to the other end of the court.

Kagome gave herself a nod as the rest of the bench cheered in unison for Kuroko and Kagami to score again.

Hayama quickly made his way to the other side, blocking Kuroko's path before seeing the ball under his palm. _'Is it the Vanishing Drive?' _Hayama blinked, halting his body the second Kuroko – keeping his eyes forward – threw the ball to his right. _'W-What?!' _The heavy and desperate shout from the tiger echoed as he captured the pass and dunked the ball into the hoop.

"Nice!" Riko made a fist the second she saw the scoreboard add two points to their side. "It's working."

"We're just getting started, Rakuzan!" Kagami exclaimed.

Lips moved on their own to form a small smile; eyes watered at the sight of Kuroko and Kagami sharing a fist bump. Their first plan was working, but that was only the first step in dealing with Akashi's team.

* * *

"Oh?" The kitsune blinked, surprised by Kuroko's move having worked against their opponent. "Has his lack of presence returned?"

"No." Koga replied, eyes narrowing with his own suspicion. Even he had calculated the many ways Kuroko could have regained his ability to conceal his presence, but that meant having Mayuzumi out of the court. There was no way he could have disappeared from Mayuzumi's defense.

* * *

'_No!' _Mayuzumi, stuck in disbelief, ran back to his position. _'There's nothing you can do about your own presence!' _Catching Reo's pass, Mayuzumi clenched his teeth the second Kuroko appeared before him. It was starting to get annoying seeing the confidence in his face.

"Here he comes!" The crowd shouted with excitement. "It's Rakuzan's number five, Mayuzumi!"

"It's a one-on-one!"

'_Got him!' _The corner of Kagome's lips curved into a smile.

Appalled by the cheers directed to him, Mayuzumi's body stilled. Were they cheering for him? Him? They said his name! _'D-Did you,' _his vision shook at Kuroko's unfazed glared, _'overwrite me?!'_

* * *

"I see."

Shutoku's attention was drawn to their ace, seeing him adjust his glasses as he observed Mayuzumi's frozen state. "Overwrite. He made Mayuzumi stand out more than himself. That's why he kept letting Mayuzumi pass him." To the core, the plan was a risk; letting Mayuzumi continue to make free shots without knowing if the audience would be affected. Yet, it seemed like the only logical plan. "A dim light is overshadowed when a brighter light appears. Similar to the old one, but better."

"Seriously?" Takao blinked, turning his focus back on the court. "He actually went head-to-head with him like that?"

"That's how he dug the new model's grave." Midorima scoffed. His eyes glided over to Seirin's bench; only one person could have thought of such a risky plan.

* * *

"Hey!"

Mayuzumi's attention was pulled to Hayama's call. Seeing no other way to pass Kuroko's defense, Mayuzumi passed the ball towards the blonde.

Cursing at the low and crooked pass, Hayama took his aim before cursing again the moment the ball hit the rim. Eyes widened at the sight of Kiyoshi jumping up for the rebound before taking a heavy landing.

* * *

"Rakuzan's missing?" Moriyama whispered, surprised Rakuzan had lost their balance.

Kasamatsu sighed, watching the intense pressure on Mayuzumi. There was no denying he was losing his cool. "Kuroko is applying a lot of pressure on defense. Since he has vanished from the court, there is no telling where the steal will come from."

* * *

Exhaling tiredly, despite having been shocked himself for Kuroko's return, Murasakibara could not help but let his eyes wander to the emperor. "But that's not enough for Kurochin to beat Akachin. Or better yet, not enough for Seirin to defeat Akachin." The proof was there the moment Akashi stole Seirin's pass and made a quick break back to their hoop.

* * *

Kagami pushed himself to quicken his pace to intercept Akashi's path. Extending his arms to the side, the tiger inhaled, feeling the nerves and excitement within him swirl. Eyes hiding underneath the shadow of his bangs, Kagami exhaled. _'Kuroko. Kagome. You're both amazing…If they hadn't stood up for what they wanted, I may have given up. ' _He had started with the team thinking the games would be just like those he had played in America. He had underestimated Kuroko's, Kagome's, and the rest of the team's abilities.

Underestimated their passion and strengths.

Everyone was giving it their all: everything.

'_I won't let your rays of hope go out this time!' _

Rakuzan – along with Seirin – were taken back by the sight of Kagami's hues having darkened the moment he opened his eyes. "Bring it on, Akashi!" he shouted.

"W-What?!" Nebuya exclaimed. "He entered the Zone again!?"

"Tch, but he can't beat Sei-chan." Reo scoffed. "Did he forget the first half?"

Akashi's eyes reacted to Kagami's sudden retreat from his defense. Keeping his eyes ahead, the emperor's brows furrowed with confusion seeing Kagami's relaxed posture under the hoop. _'He backed off?' _he questioned. He could easily shoot a three pointer from his spot. Was he underestimating him? He took a step forward, only to take it back the moment Kagami's body reacted to his movement. _'Impossible! He can reach from there?' _

* * *

"That baka." Aomine chuckled under his breath. "He's even deeper in the Zone."

"Deeper?" Imayoshi questioned, turning his head to their ace.

Kagami's loose stance; his eyes focused on the opponent. If he could remember anything from the Zone it was how light his body had felt. Instinct had taken over his thinking. "He's like a wild beast." Aomine answered.

* * *

Akashi took a step forward before immediately freezing at the sight of Kagami reacting to his movements. The intensity and concentration in his eyes irked him. Dribbling the ball once more, he quickly made a pass towards Mayuzumi.

As the ball made a curve pass from Mayuzumi to Nebuya, Kagami looked over his shoulder to see Nebuya making the dunk.

A curse blew under Mayuzumi's breath as he stared at the phantom's back. His jaw clenched; his eyes narrowed thinly. _'Now that I know, I won't pass you. Once I return to the shadows, you can't overwrite me.' _With the ball coming back towards him, Mayuzumi made a quick scan of his teammates only to see each one guarded by a Seirin member. The ball landed between his hands before meeting Kuroko eye-to-eye.

Mayuzumi rose the ball over his head while glaring down the phantom player before him. His fingers tightened their hold on the ball. _'H-He thinks I won't pass him!' _Taking a second glance over Kuroko's person, he noticed the empty space. _'There is no one behind him. Tch. What an obnoxious kid. But…I won't fall for it.' _Beginning to dribble the ball, Mayuzumi swiftly turned around Kuroko's person; his eyes slowly widened noticing Kuroko remaining in his spot. _'W-Wait a minute…' _Preparing his aim, Mayuzumi released the ball only to see Kagami jump in and slap the direction of the ball to the other side.

Why did Kuroko not move? Why did he let him pass?

* * *

"Eh~." Placing his cheek over his knuckles, Koga watched the shock take over Mayuzumi's expression. "So the phantom boy created an opening before Mayuzumi started dribbling. If anything, Rakuzan was feeling the pressure, and for sure Mayuzumi felt it more than anyone else."

Shippo nodded as he listened to the wolf youkai. "Guess that is what happens when you let your guard down; your opponents are able to read you."

Shaking his head, Koga noticed Kuroko giving Kagami a fist bump. "I think Kagome's plan was to have Kuroko return to the shadows.

"Easier said than done, though."

Eyes shifted towards the inuyoukai.

* * *

Keeping her eyes on Kuroko and Mayuzumi, Kagome placed the top end of her pen against her lips. This was a battle of new versus old. _'Akashi-kun may try to replace Kuroko-kun with a 'new model', but he forgets the history of the sixth man and his will make him stronger than any new phantom.' _She lowered the pen from her lips, watching Kuroko disappear from Mayuzumi's sights and make a pass towards Kiyoshi. Cheers from the audience echoed as soon as Kiyoshi made a dunk.

'_The weight of Kuroko-kun's resolve to be a shadow is much heavier than that of Mayuzumi-san's.' _

* * *

Keeping his eyes on the scoreboard, Midorima pushed his glasses in. "Kagami's defense is strong enough to stop Akashi right now, and they are scoring with Kuroko's passes on offense."

"They can't let their guard down yet." Takao added. "But there is hope with the power of the shadow and light."

* * *

The buzzer halted everyone's movements before the referee called out time out from Rakuzan's side. Watching the two teams head to their benches, the Kaijo team remained silent seeing the expressions on both teams having changed compared to the first half.

"What will Rakuzan do?" Moriyama questioned.

Kasamatsu sighed, seeing Rakuzan filling up with annoyance. "They will start by subbing out Mayuzumi." His eyes landed on the new phantom player as he sat on the bench and kept his head low. "Letting Kuroko overwrite him was a serious mistake and Rakuzan was not expecting it."

* * *

"Damn it!" Nebuya shouted, throwing his plastic water bottle to the floor. Blood began to boil in his veins seeing the scoreboard from the corner of his eyes. More than anything, it was the cool demeanor Akashi held that irked him more. "Someone brought Seirin back to life!" He grunted.

Sighing under his breath, Reo turned to face the angered center. "Falling into a trap you can see is nothing short of stupid."

Hayama wiped the sweat off his forehead with his towel before taking a small glance at the third year beside them. "If the overwriting made him lose his lack of presence, he is useless." He scoffed, turning his attention back to their coach. "Sub him out."

Hearing their 'not-so-secretive-' thoughts of him made him want nothing more than to quit the team. Mayuzumi was cursing and blaming himself for not having declined Akashi's request to join the team in the first place. He should have trusted his judgment of them when he first met them. Teeth clenching to hold back his bark, Mayuzumi turned away. _'They're friendly when they can use me. When they can't, they're hostile. Glad to know they are so easy to understand.' _His shoulders slumped, knowing the thoughts in his head were never going to be said verbally. _'But I can't argue with them, nor do I want to. Sub me out; I would be more than glad to sit out for the remaining time.' _Feeing a shadow loom over his person, Mayuzumi looked up. His eyes widen in return the second they made eye contact with those of the emperor's.

He felt his heart stop; his lips dried seeing the death stare. "Akashi?" He whispered.

"Like they said, you made a mistake." He stated, keeping his stare strong on the third-year. "Subbing you out would be the obvious choice."

Mayuzumi's face soured as he broke the eye contact. He could feel Akashi looking down on him.

"But," Akashi's lips curved into a smirk, "we still need your strength. We won't sub you out yet." Placing his hand over Mayuzumi's shoulder – much to his surprise – his smirk stretched. "I'm counting on _you_ to help Rakuzan win."

* * *

Shaking the chills running up and down her spine, Kagome gripped the towels in her hands. She felt – for a mere second – the cold aura increase mercilessly. Handing a towel to the phantom player beside her, she looked over her shoulder to see the gold aura overtaking the red around Akashi's person. Her eyes narrowed with concern seeing his eyes glued on Mayuzumi's wide-eyed expression.

"Are you okay, Kagome-chan?"

The name pulled her head back to her team. Seeing Kuroko using the ice pack over his shoulder, she took one more glance of the emperor. "Yeah…" She whispered. "I…just felt Akashi-kun's aura rise again."

The team blinked in unison hearing her words before making a secretive attempt to see Rakuzan. To hear their manager speak of auras was still a foreign thought, but it was not one they could ignore after all the evidence she and her old friends had given her.

"Question is, will they sub Mayuzumi-san or not." Riko whispered under her breath. "Well, we need to prepare for whatever Akashi-kun might have planned for us." Riko spoke, bringing her team's attention to the middle. "Get your energy back; ice their backs and calves!"

Watching the first-years assist the team with their needs, Kagome blinked upon hearing her captain's voice.

"Sorry…" He whispered, keeping his head down with a towel covering the shame. "When we were just getting started, I…"

Kagome's brows furrowed down seeing the pain in Hyuga's eyes. Of course he was hurt to have let his team down after his many mistakes, and it was not something her words or anyone's could easily make him feel confident again.

"You worry too much, idiot."

Hyuga and Kagome blinked, along with the rest of the team, upon hearing Kiyoshi's smiling tone.

The captain straightened his back realizing Kiyoshi had used his usual words. "O-Oi, that's-!"

"You stole my line against Kaijo, remember?" Kiyoshi chuckled. "That's payback." He sighed, looking over at the empty court in front. "I was disappointed when you got your technical foul, though."

Giving him a dead-fish stare, Hyuga replied. "I feel bad enough already. Don't be rubbing Tabasco sauce I the wound, _Teppei-san." _

Kiyoshi nodded back before turning his attention to his old friend. "But have faith in your friends. Having four fouls just makes the situation difficult. It doesn't end the game. We will need your threes again, Hyuga; we are still counting on you."

"Now!" Koganei exclaimed, standing up himself. "Let's have some fun!"

"Ah!" Kiyoshi blinked, Koganei giving him a grin with a thumb up. "Koga! You stole my line, too?"

"Saying it really cheers you up, doesn't it?" Koganei snickered.

Chuckling under their breaths, the team smiled at each other before their small meeting ended with the buzzer. As Seirin headed back to the court, Kagome took another glance at Rakuzan only to be taken back by the sight of their own phantom player entering.

"T-They are letting him in?" She whispered.

* * *

"Seriously!?" Takao exclaimed. "I was ready to bet they were going to sub him out…Can Mayuzumi use Misdirection Overflow without his lack of presence, too?"

"Probably not." Midorima replied, eyes glued on Mayuzumi's person. "That technique involves drawing attention to yourself. But Mayuzumi's only trained to direct attention away from himself."

Takao's attention was placed back on the court. There was no lie that everyone knowing Akashi's nature would think Mayuzumi would be benched, but to see him back out could only have Seirin on edge. "But having Mayuzumi on the court should hurt the team, and they still put him in? Did Akashi give Mayuzumi a chance because he thinks he can still grow?"

* * *

Slowly sitting back down on the bench, Kagome kept her eyes on Mayuzumi and Akashi. Something did not feel right; why was she on edge? It was not in Akashi's personality to let Mayuzumi or any of his teammates to make a mistake and be given a second chance.

So what was going on?

'_Why is he in?' _Kagome's eyes landed on the emperor, seeing him with the ball and slowly coming forward into Seirin's defense. She watched him take slow steps towards Kagami's Zone circle. _'Why is Mayuzumi-san in…?' _

The court fell silent; her instincts told her something was off. Seeing Mayuzumi run behind the emperor signaling for a pass, she did not miss Kagami's eyes following Akashi's: Mayuzumi as the target. The miko's eyes slowly widened as she saw what Akashi had done before Kagami's eyes returned to the ball.

Kagami blinked, seeing the ball missing from his hands. _'I-It disappeared!?' _Realizing the direction of his hands, Kagami turned his head to see the ball coming towards Reo. Taking a step forward, he cursed under his breath the second Reo got into position and released the ball towards the hoop.

With the ball swooshing into the basket, Kagami turned his head back towards Akashi with shock. _'Was that…?' _

"What happened…?" Riko whispered, having missed a second in the play.

"Misdirection Overflow?" Izuki questioned.

"No," Kuroko replied, walking behind the Eagle Eye user, "it's a little different. Mayuzumi-san didn't do anything. He is prone to drawing attention right now. Akashi-kun directed Kagami-kun's attention to him."

Hearing Kagome tell her it was not one of Kuroko's moves, Riko turned to her with confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Holding back her anger, Kagome replied. "He is using him…as a passing tool." The miko's focus followed Akashi's continuous movements and eyes to trick the others thinking he would pass to his own phantom player. With the ball landing between Nebuya's hands, he shouted as he struggled against Kiyoshi's weight. The wince in Kiyoshi's expression was not missed by her knowing his knee was soon to hit his limit. She could only imagine the strain he was placing on it and unable to express that pain.

As Nebuya made his dunk – much to Kiyoshi's annoyance – Kagome gripped the edges of her clipboard as she observed Mayuzumi's aura. Slowly it was decreasing in stamina, and if she knew any better, his mental state was weakening.

Kagome felt the eyes of another on her. Moving her focus to the other side of the court, her eyes narrowed as she made eye contact with the Rakuzan player: Akashi.

* * *

"From Akashi's pass he is pushing inside in a one-on-one." Moriyama spoke, seeing Seirin's players scattered on the court. "It's like he is showing off his strength."

Watching Seirin struggle against Rakuzan's offense, Kasamatsu crossed his arms. It had come to surprise for all of them to see Akashi using Mayuzumi in such a low manner. No player, at least from his experience, had ever been given such a degrading 'job'. "The way Akashi is treating Mayuzumi is," eyes narrowed witnessing the loss of motivation in Mayuzumi's eyes, "heartless. There is no other word for it. His job is simply to stand in Kagami's field of vision. To be treated that way," he scoffed, "must be supremely galling."

"Then why could he be doing it?" Kobori questioned.

Kasamatsu sighed under his breath. "The only reason he is doing it is because of the uniform – the uniform he wears. The remaining shreds of his sense of duty are the only thing forcing his body to move."

Directing his focus down at the miko, Kise's brow lifted seeing her own eyes connecting with that of his former captain's. "Akashicchi has been watching Kagomecchi ever since the game started."

Kaijo's eyes followed Kise's topic.

Noticing the glare Kagome placed on Akashi, Kasamatsu's shoulders tensed. No one needed to come near them to know the tension there was heavy. "Something must have happened before third quarter began."

"But…what?" Kise whispered.

There was no one he knew that had the guts to go against the emperor.

* * *

With Seirin being pushed to the brink with Rakuzan's offense, the members on Seirin's bench could only remain silent as their anxiety levels increased with each passion second. Twenty point gap, and there was still no plan on how to stop Rakuzan's attacks. Akashi alone was a problem, but having three Uncrowned Kings was another push for Seirin.

"Damn it…" Fukuda cursed under his breath.

"What can we do?" Furihata whispered, feeling the pressure of his teammates on him.

"Defense! Defense!"

The first-years turned their heads towards Tsuchida, blinking at the sight of their senior shouting with all his might. Blinking again, the first years faced each other before nodding and joining Tsuchida with the support.

"Uwa~." Hayama sighed, hearing the cheers from Seirin as he faced Izuki. "Well they are getting excited. But…," the ball came into his hand and held it between his hands, "it won't work." He pouted as he felt his opponent lacking in power compared to his match against the tiger. _'I'm not feeling it with him. Kagami is all right, but this guy-'_

"Can I ask you something?" Izuki spoke out. "What do you think of Mayuzumi?"

Curiosity grabbed, Hayama lifted a brow. "Nothing, really. We use him effectively to win. Is there something wrong with that?"

"I'm not complaining." Izuki replied. "I just don't want to lose."

Taken back by his determination, Hayama's face slowly melted down back. He was amused by his spirit; a smirk crawled up his lips. "Really?" Lifting the ball with only three fingers under his palm, he chuckled. _'Three is probably enough, but that annoyed me enough to use more!' _Placing his pinky on the ball, his eyes narrowed thinly. _'Four!' _Dribbling from one hand to another in a blink of an eye, Hayama made his way to the left only to come face-to-face with Izuki once more. Hayama took a step back; all the Uncrowned Kings were taken back by the point guard's ability to spot him. Hayama dribbled the ball in his spot as he stared at Izuki with wide eyes. _'I…can't pass him with four? Is it harder to use speed to mess with him because he sees my entire body's movement with his Eagle Eye?' _

* * *

Grinning at Izuki's potential and improvement, Imayoshi laid back in his seat. "Your mentality has a big effect on your performance. A man's attitude can change him dramatically." Chuckling under his breath, Imayoshi nodded at Izuki's performance against Hayama. "Somehow he has managed to handle that monster."

* * *

"A camel told me…" Izuki spoke, making Hayama confused. "Compared to Akashi, you're barely a hump in the road. Yeah, nice."

Continuing his dribble, Hayama was left blinking as the pun sunk in. Laughter puffed through his lips before letting his laugh echo throughout the court.

All Seirin members felt a sweat drop loom over their heads as they saw the joy in Hayama's face. '_H-He likes it!?' _

"Ya!" Hayama sighed, as he kept the ball under his palm. "Sorry. Honestly, I underestimated you. Okay." His glare returned; his grin stretched. Placing all five fingers of his hand on the ball, he prepared his dribble. "Here comes five!"

Izuki's eyes widened as he felt the threat in Hayama's stare. _'S-Such power…' _He gulped, unsure how he was supposed to take this attack. _'Is this the true strength of the Kings? But I have never felt anything like this. Am I scared? I'm frighteningly calm, despite the situation. He's coming any second!' _The dribble passed him too quick for him to register. Before he could let another second pass by Izuki stepped back and stretched his arm behind him in an effort to spear the ball out of Hayama's grip. Izuki's expression paled as he saw Hayama already slipping away from his range. _'I-It's no use! He's too fast!' _

Seeing Hayama's dribble and Izuki's arm reach out to stop the ball, Reo scoffed under his breath. _'That is still not enough to stop him.' _

Kiyoshi quickly ran in front of Hayama and jumped as he tried to block Hayama's shot. Leaning a little to the right, Hayama jumped up and directed his shot into the basket with ease.

Walking towards Izuki, Koganei whispered his name as he noticed his sulk. For Izuki to go against one of the Uncrowned Kings was taxing – mentally.

"Sorry…" Izuki blew his apology under his breath.

"No worries!" Koganei patted his shoulder. "Let's get them back!"

"No," Izuki chuckle, raising his hand to his eyes, "that's not what I meant. I'm just glad I could do my best against that monster." He scoffed at the sight of his fingers trembling at the thought of Hayama' dribbling. "If anything, I'm excited. Let me continue to handle Hayama; I promise I'll do something."

Koganei blinked, unsure how to reply to Izuki's determination. "Izuki…" Nodding to his spirit, Koganei patted him once more. "It seems you caught Kagami's cooties."

"I don't like the sound of that!" He exclaimed.

Overhearing Izuki's request to go against him, Hayama scoffed before running towards the emperor. "Akashi!" He called out. "Keep giving me the ball!"

"Izuki-senpai."

Turning at the call of his name, Izuki jolted at Kuroko's appearance. "K-Kuroko! You scared me…" He placed his hands on his hips as he nodded to Kuroko's concern over his well-being. "I'm fine, don't worry." He smiled, taking a side glance to the left to see Hayama walking towards the emperor. "But I noticed something about Hayama; he dribbles incredibly fast, but it places a heavy burden on his receiving hand. When he crosses back over, he stiffens for a moment."

"That's the plan." Akashi whispered, looking over his shoulder. Eyes narrowing down thinly at the blonde male, Akashi made his tone clear of his threat. "But don't make any stupid mistakes."

Without fear and full of confidence, Hayama cracked his knuckles as his blood boiled to defeat the Eagle Eyes user. "Of course! I'm going to crush them!"

Sighing under her breath, Kagome was taken back by the sight of Izuki's calm demeanor. From past games, Izuki had beaten himself down after going up against an opponent who had the upper hand. Despite Hayama, someone close to the level of the Generation of Miracles, being riled up, Izuki remained poised. Seeing the two go head-to-head once again, she glued her focus on Izuki's movements and aura.

There was no telling what Hayama had planned.

* * *

Watching Hayama wasting no time to pass Izuki's defense, Koga snickered. As he heard the cheering from the audience and applauding Hayama's basket, Koga could see Izuki remained calm. "He is watching." He whispered under his breath. For him, there was no trouble seeing Izuki's eyes following every movement Hayama made.

"He was?" Shippo raised a brow.

"He could have gone for an Eagle Spear, but instead he decided to watch him as he passed by."

* * *

Hayama caught the ball over his head before seeing Izuki coming to stand before him. Scoffing, Hayama raised a brow as the corners of his lips curved upwards. "My. My. You're determined to stop me, aren't ya? But unfortunately, no matter what you do, you can't!" Dribbling the second Izuki blinked, Hayama side stepped Izuki's defense and made his way towards the hoop.

Eyes widened, Hayama watched as Kuroko cut in front of him to slow him down. _'T-This is…!'_

'_This is it! I will stop him!' _Izuki turned his head over his shoulder to see the phantom player charging towards Hayama only to see the Uncrowned King spinning around Kuroko's person with ease.

"I was expecting this." Hayama chuckled.

From the other side of the court, Reo's pupils widened as he saw Izuki's arm having stretched back to grab the ball from Hayama's hand. "What!? An Eagle Spear now!?" Had Izuki planned Hayama's course of action just like him?

Anger and shock filled Hayama's pupils; he clenched his teeth as he saw Izuki's arm stretch behind him to spear out the ball from his grip. A vocal grunt escaped Hayama's throat as he used all his might to move the ball between his hands.

'_It's no use! I can't stop him!' _Izuki cursed under his breath as his hand swiped air.

"That should have been a blind spot!" Furihata shouted from the bench. "Did Hayama's instincts and reflexes beat Izuki's far-reaching prediction?!"

Lips curving into a smirk of his own, Izuki's shoulders untensed as he saw Hayama step forward. "Are you sure you want to go there? The Thunder Beast doesn't belong in there."

Realizing what Izuki meant, Hayama gritted his teeth as he prepared his shot only to be a second too late to regret his decision to shoot. _'C-Crap!' _In a blink of an eye, Hayama came face-to-face with the Seirin tiger before the ball was knocked out of his hands.

"What!?" Nebuya exclaimed. "Kagami blocked him!"

Kuroko wasted no time in chasing after the bouncing ball before it escaped the court. Hearing his name being called by Koganei, the phantom player made a direct pass.

"Koga, pass!" Izuki shouted as soon as he saw Koganei having the ball in his hands. "Behind on your left!"

"Huh?" He blinked seeing Izuki coming from the direction he called and passed the ball to him. Feeling a shadow casting over him, his eyes widened with fear noticing Reo having prepared to stop his shot any second. "W-Wha! That was close!"

"Don't tell him!" Reo whispered under his breath.

Taking aim of the hoop, Izuki jump vertically as he saw Hayama appear behind him from the corner of his eyes. Hayama blinked as he saw the ball being thrown over Izuki's shoulders and into Kagami's hands.

"An alley-oop!?" He grunted.

Shouting his frustrations, Kagami dunked the ball into their hoop. A smile made its way onto the miko's lips as she heard her team and the rest of the audience cheer over the quick plan. The course of action had not been perfect, but she felt a snap in Hayama's aura the second Izuki passed the ball over his shoulder: defeat.

Still in disbelief over their teamwork, Hayama's lips were kept parted. _'It's not just on defense…it's on offense, too. He's using Eagle Eye to understand the situation and predict several moves into the future.' _

Swiping the sweat with his jersey, Izuki felt eyes digging into his person. "You've relaxed mentally, but that doesn't make you any weaker." He spoke, knowing Hayama was paying attention. "Don't worry, you're way strong than me, but that doesn't affect my ability to stop you. I guess what I should be saying is, I'm glad you're not smarter than me."

Blinking once, a vein quickly popped out of Hayama's forehead before it throbbed. "W-What?" He growled as the insult sunk. _'Don't act so smug just because you stopped me once!' _

Kagome kept her eyes on Hayama as she saw his aura rise with rage. No doubt Izuki had said something to make him snap. With the ball in his hands and his players waiting for it to be thrown into the court, it was obvious to the eye Hayama was starting to feel the push from Izuki's tactics.

"Kotaro!" Nebuya shouted. "Throw the ball in! You only have five seconds!"

The miko could see Hayama's trouble; everyone was blocked by at least one Seirin member as Izuki dealt with Hayama. Throwing the ball towards Mayuzumi, she saw the third-year's eyes widen at Hayama's unexpected pass.

'_What the heck are you doing passing to me, baka!?' _Mayuzumi took a step back as the ball got closer. _'Don't you know who is marking me!?'_

Stopping the ball in its path, Kuroko quickly pushed it towards Kagami's awaiting hands before shooting a basket for another point.

The cheers and excitement of the room drowned in his ear; the emperor's stare hardened while observing Seirin's joy. Although to others Izuki may had missed his chance to stop Hayama, in his eyes, Hayama had been defeated. One of the Uncrowned Kings had been stopped, and that was unacceptable.

Kagome tensed as she felt the heavy aura increasing with rage. Rage that would soon explode into something unimaginable. Sneaking a glance of the emperor across the court, her skin paled at the sight of his threatening glare on the other Seirin players: revenge. The miko leaned towards the coach before speaking. "Riko-senpai…I am afraid it might get words from here; just like you said, we can't let our guards down."

* * *

The Zone moments, Izuki's plan, Kuroko's interception; the last minute of the game had replayed in his head as he stood under the hoop. Hayama's fingers curled into his palm; nails dug into skin with fury. His body felt hot – extremely hot with irritation. _'Why is this happening? I let him steal the ball because I was angry. I was angry because Izuki provoked me. I let him provoke me because I underestimated him.' _

Running towards the blonde with the ball in hand, Reo called out to him. "Oi! Kotaro! What are you-?" Pupils widened immediately upon witnessing the anger radiating from his team member. Before he could say anything to stop him from exploding, Reo blinked as he saw Hayama take in a deep breath before exhaling it out. He turned around, passing the ball to Akashi as he heard Hayama following behind in their run for offense.

"Akashi."

Eyes glided to the corner; Akashi's expression remained unchanged.

"Sorry," Hayama whispered, "I'd better avoid one-on-ones for a while. I really want to get them back right away, but…Izuki is a first-rate player. I can't charge in without thinking first."

"Really?" Akashi replied. "It seems you have calmed down. That's good. You're off the hook."

"That was close."

Moving his attention away from Akashi as he ran forward, Hayama blinked noticing Reo keeping his gaze ahead. "Eh?"

"If you hadn't calmed down, there is no telling what would have happened to you."

Watching Akashi come forward dribbling the ball, Kagami prepared his defense range as he faced the emperor. No matter how much he tried, the Zone he was in was not enough. He needed more. _'Damn it. Focus. Focus more.' _He could see himself sinking further into the abyss of the Zone. _'I feel like I'm sinking through water when I enter the Zone. The deeper I sink, the sharper my skills get. The Zone is deeper still.'_

Kagome immediately stood from the bench sensing Kagami's focus breaking and Akashi's aura rising with his chance. "Baka! You are letting your guard down!" Her eyes lowered to see just the tip of Akashi's shoes inside Kagami's defensive zone; Seirin remained wide eyed as they saw Akashi preparing his aim.

'_Shit!' _Kagami's head snapped up realizing his mistake.

Akashi's eyes narrowed thinly. "Weak."

Rushing forward, Kagami jumped up in hopes to stop Akashi's three-point shot. A curse blew from his lips as he saw the ball go over his fingers and elegantly drop down into the hoop.

"You're so focused on the Zone, you relaxed your guard against threes. You must be unflinchingly prudent if you want to stop me." Akashi spoke as Kagami turned to face him. "I will say this now; your manager made the mistake to declare war against me."

Kagami's eyes widened as he heard Akashi's statement. Kagome declare war against him? When was this?

"Every _single _member in Seirin will lose hope; even your manager has her limits. It's only a matter of time. Even if you enter the Zone, you'll run out of strength eventually – everyone will."

Cursing him under his breath, Kagami took a step forward to make the emperor take back his words. Izuki quickly placed his hand over his shoulder, stopping him from doing anything reckless. "Don't worry about it, Kagami. We will get them back."

Shoulders dropped after seeing the miko from the corner of his eyes. Sighing, Kagami nodded and ran forward to follow his team.

Akashi had said something, and that placed Kagome on edge not knowing what he had to say to the tiger. Her eyes followed Seirin and Rakuzan going back in forth with points; shots were made left and right. Seirin was making progress, but it was slow progress. Although Kagami and Kiyoshi were decent shooters, they needed someone's accuracy: Hyuga. Rakuzan had scarier shooters, but Reo alone was one to fear.

The ball came into Reo's hands as he faced Koganei. Keeping his amusement locked in, Reo's eyes zeroed in on his new opponent. _'Unlike Kotaro, I don't get more or less excited depending on who I'm facing-' _He blinked, taken back by Koganei's unfazed expression. If anything, he had a confident smile. "W-Why do you look so smug?"

"Eh?" Koganei blinked back. "Why? Because Izuki is freaking amazing!"

"Huh?"

"Huh?" Koganei repeated. "Wait, what? We're pressuring you guys right now, right? So, you know, I better do my best, too."

Reo's expression paled with shock at his bluntness. _'I don't know how to react!' _Seeing Koganei rush forward to steal the ball from his hands, Reo backed away. _'What? His reactions are quick! It is natural? Either way, he is a bit like Kotaro!' _

"Honestly," Riko sighed, watching her team member go against one of the Uncrowned Kings, "in terms of strength, this might be the biggest mismatch. Koganei-kun started playing in high school, but he is certifiably athletic from his years on the tennis team. It's the reason he has come this far with no prior experience.

Taking another glance at her captain, Kagome could see Hyuga was taking the chance and only chance he had to observe his opponent. To stop Akashi, Seirin needed to stop each and every single player on the court, but the frightening part for her and Kuroko was not knowing Akashi's full potential.

Reo took another cautious step back as he felt the pressure emitting from the brunette male. _'Wild instincts?' _He questioned himself. Is that what he was feeling from him? _'But it's only…' _If he were to compare, he had felt the same level of instincts with other players: Kagami like a tiger, Aomine like a panther, Kotaro like a cheetah, and Koganei…was only at the level of a house cat. _'It's only at that level.' _He gave himself a mental scoff over his concerns. _'I could shoot a normal three, but…I can't underestimate the Seirin boys. I'll go with Earth.' _Bending his knees and preparing his aim, his entire body froze seeing Koganei taking a step back. _'D-Did he just…?! Did he know I would use Earth? No, that's impossible! But since he stepped back, it's easier to shoot Heaven!' _Proceeding with his jump, his eyes widened as soon as Koganei met him in the air with his hand stretched upwards to reach for the ball. _'Damn! I held the ball too long!' _With the ball hitting the back board of the basket, Nebuya and Kiyoshi quickly jumped up to catch the rebound only to see the ball barely bouncing back into the hoop thanks to the rim.

"Damn it!" Koganei cursed, turning to face the shooting guard.

'_So he's more than just a house cat.' _Reo's eyes narrowed on the simple-looking player. _'We really can't underestimate any of the Seirin's players. I can't believe he reacted when I switched from Earth to Heaven.' _

From the bench, Kagome's eyes followed the ball's movements after catching Kuroko making a pass towards Kiyoshi. With Nebuya coming to block his shot, the injured center grunted with pain before hearing Kagami's call to pass the ball to him. As Kagami dunked the ball in, Kagome ignored the cheers of her team and the audience. Her concern was the phantom player at this point. "Riko-senpai…" She whispered. "I think Rakuzan is catching up to Kuroko-kun's passes."

Riko nodded, having caught Rakuzan's movements to catch up with Kuroko's. "Without a shooter, we can't spread their defense."

"Kiyoshi." Nebuya called as he walked past the center. "You're not even trying to engage me; you've become pretty meek."

Watching Nebuya leave with the last word, Kiyoshi's jaw clenched. With the pain in his knee beginning to throb, and Rakuzan's attempts to rile them up, he wanted nothing more than to prove them he could still fight.

"Kiyoshi!"

A hand landed on his shoulder; his eyes lowered to see Koganei giving him a sincere smile.

"You look terrifying." Koganei chuckled. "Come on! Let's have some fun!"

"Ha…I don't mind you saying that, but I feel like you're calming me down." Kiyoshi returned the smile.

"Now, now." Koganei patted his shoulder once more before turning around to go into his position.

Sensing his anger evaporate, Kiyoshi stared at Koganei's expression. Out of all of them, it was ironic to see Koganei being the one to calm them down when he was probably the most afraid of Rakuzan. "You look like you're having fun, Koga."

"Huh?" He blinked, turning to face the center. "Well, I'm trying not to slack; I'm desperate to win. But playing in a game is still fun."

* * *

"It amazes me to know that boy became a decent player after starting high school." Koga sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"Eh?" Shippo blinked, taken back by his words. "Seriously?" He did not know much about the sport world, but even he knew most decent players started during middle school, if not younger. Most starting players were prodigies at that. "Well," he shrugged, turning his head to see Koganei coming to face Reo once more, "he has good instincts. He probably practiced hard."

"Hate to be a downer," Koga scratched the back of his head, "but the question is how good he is now. Sure his effort and determination have come a long way, but when dealing with talented players like the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles, the match becomes uneven. In other words, an average player is powerless against the Kings."

* * *

Coming to face the 'house cat' again, Reo's focus narrowed. _'Even if you know what this is, you can't stop it.' _Wasting no time, Reo jumped high in his stance while taking his aim.

Koganei grunted as he raised his hand to block the ball. _'V-Void?!' _This was the move Hyuga had become glued to the ground. He could not quit now; he could not let this chance pass! He had to move – right now! _'I'm still not sure what it is, but it's made me think…,' _flashbacks of his times with the team replayed in his head, _'that I've been enjoying basketball lately. A lot has happened, so I…' _Shouting from the top of his lungs, Koganei's feet took off from the ground. _'I want to win, no matter what!' _

Players from both teams, including those in the bench, went wide eyed at the sight of Koganei moving against Reo's Void. The shooting guard gasped with fear at the reality before him.

"He jumped during Reo's Void?!" Hayama exclaimed.

Nebuya's brow furrowed, seeing the ball still in air. _'He didn't reach it, but…'_

As the ball spun within the rim of the basket, Koganei hoped for the miracle for it to bounce off. Watching the ball drop into the basket, Koganei's shoulders slumped in defeat. _'Damn…I think I just missed my only chance. On the next Void-' _His eyes widened at the threatening glare Reo dropped on him. Under his gaze, he began to feel smaller than the average person. He gulped, unsure what he had done to trigger a nerve in the Uncrowned King.

Sensing the rise of Reo's aura, Kagome's guard began to increase. Slowly, each of the Uncrowned Kings were being pushed to the limit, and it was angering Rakuzan all together. "Koganei-senpai won't be able to stop his shots anymore."

"He can't stop it?" Fukuda whispered in the bench after hearing the miko. "No way!"

"Why?" Furihata questioned.

Riko sighed, agreeing with her words. "During that shot, Mibuchi saw two truths. First, that Koganei-kun somehow moved during Void."

"The second reason…?" Kawahara whispered.

"He still couldn't reach it." Kagome finished. Reading Reo's aura, it became apparent he would never let Koganei make the same move; Reo had too much pride. "Even if Koganei-senpai can predict it, Reo-san will calmly take the shot."

Nodding, Riko crossed her arms as she saw Koganei's fear while being stared down by the Uncrowned King. "That was his first and last chance."

"It won't be the last."

Eyes landed on their captain as he stood from his seat.

"Thanks to Koga, I know how to stop his three pointers and how to beat Void!"

Taken back by his stance, Riko and Kagome looked at each other before realizing time was ticking. Riko stood from her seat as she saw Hyuga pull the towel off from his head. "Are you sure, Hyuga-kun?" The look in his eyes was all she wanted to trust him. Taking a glance at the miko, she ran towards the referee table to call for a time out.

It was now or never.

Kagome turned her focus back on the captain, watching him as he tied his shoes. Had he really figured out a way to beat Reo's Void? It was a move where a person remained glued to the floor and unable to reach for the ball. Holding the clipboard to her chest, the miko tilted her head to the side. "Hyuga-senpai, are you sure you are ready to go back?" With four fouls on him, a fifth would end the game for him, and possibly for the rest of the team.

"Hai." He nodded, straightening himself out to hear the time out being called by the referee. Players turned to the Seirin bench to see Hyuga preparing for his comeback.

As Seirin walked over to their bench, Izuki spoke out first. "Hyuga, are you ready to come back?"

"Yeah. I know the risks. This time I will beat Mibuchi."

Dipping is head down, Koganei's brows furrowed with guilt. "Sorry, Hyuga. I wasn't strong enough."

"What are you talking about? You're the reason I can fight." Holding his fist out, he gave Koganei a smile. "Don't worry; I'll crush him for you, too."

Staring at his fist, the corner of his lips curved up before returning his fist bump. "Yeah. I'm counting on you, Hyuga." Although he felt regret not being able to do something about Reo, he was glad Hyuga had found the spark to return.

From behind, Kagome smile as she saw Mitobe placing a towel over Koganei's head before giving him a pat on his shoulder. The silence from Mitobe was enough to tell Koganei he had done his best.

* * *

"We have ten more minutes. There is no need to rush." Turning to face his members, Shirogane watched as Akashi's attention had been caught. "Don't try to main the point gap. Keep attacking until the end and crush Seirin!"

Responding to his orders, the five starters stood from the bench. As they made their way back to the court, Akashi walked behind his shooting guard. "Reo, they are putting Hyuga back in. He may have four fouls, but don't let down your guard."

"I know." He nodded with a smile.

"Eikichi," Akashi called out, "there is still life in Kiyosi's eyes. Pull yourself together."

"Yeah!"

"Kotaro." Looking over his shoulder, the emperor watched as Hayama stretched out his arms. "How long are you going to stay out of the fight? You need to score again."

Scoffing with a smirk, Hayama nodded back. "Of course!"

Watching the captain walk away, Mayuzumi's eyes scrunched. _'And I'm supposed to keep playing like this. How economical of you to use me until I've got nothing left.' _He could be placed on the bench for the rest of the game and he would have no problem with it, but something seemed off. He wanted to play for a different reason. Placing his eyes on Akashi's back, Mayuzumi feel uneasy about the way Akashi was beginning to direct them all. _'I'm not sure what it is, but something seems off about Akashi.'_

* * *

"The break is now over!"

With the referee calling the players back to the court, the miko watched as Hyuga gathered everyone for their cheer, all except for Kiyoshi who remained sitting. Her brows furrowed with concern as she sensed his aura. But his aura was not the only way for her to read his hidden pain. His whole demeanor and silence was enough to tell her Kiyoshi was struggling to keep a straight face. His eyes lowered down to his knee; he gripped it to control the shaking. As far as she knew, she was the only one who knew about his plans to go to rehab in America after the Winter Cup. To have someone who had become dear to her in so little time already going away made her want nothing more than to offer her assistance to heal him.

"Kiyoshi-senpai…"

Blinking out of his inner thoughts, Kiyoshi lifted his head to see the miko giving him a concerning look. He flashed her a small smile before he stood up and patted the top of her head. "Don't look so sad, Kagome-chan. A smile suits you best!"

She could not say anything; that smile of his meant to believe in him. Watching walk away – smile lingering on him – she noticed Riko staring at Kiyoshi's back with her own worry. No one needed to read auras to know Kiyoshi was in a pinch of his own.

Kagome sighed as she watched Kiyoshi join his teammates in for a circle. _'The team must know something is up with Kiyoshi-senpai…' _There was no doubt in her head Seirin was preparing for the worst and for the best.

"Let's win!" Hyuga shouted as he gathered everyone together. "Seirin, fight!" With the team shouting their determinations, Hyuga nodded before exhaling to calm his nerves. This was his last chance to go against Reo; he had no time to worry about failing. Turning his head over his shoulder, he noticed Riko and Kagome coming forth. He cleared his throat, catching their attention to see him keeping his head down. "Coach," he whispered, "will you do me favor?"

"Eh?" She blinked.

"C-Can you stop my hands from shaking?" He requested, lifting up his arms for the two girls to see him shaking continuously.

"C-Chotto!" Riko took a step forward, seeing the panic in his eyes. "But you sounded so in control just now!"

"I was pretending! I am the captain, remember?! I've got four fouls, you know! The pressure is killing me…Hit me or something!"

Sighing, Kagome placed her clipboard against her hip seeing his fingers tremble. "Well, he has a point. It's normal for you to be like this, senpai."

"Well…I can't hit you!" Riko retorted. "What will that do with my reputation?" Turning to the miko, she pointed at Hyuga's back. "Kagome-chan, you do it!"

She blinked; the grip on her clipboard loosened lightly. "Wait! Me?! I can't do that!"

Hearing the two girls argue behind him, Hyuga watched the referee give him a look to get into the court. He growled under his breath as he was beginning to tire himself out with the shaking. "One of you do it!"

"Fine!" Both girls shouted back. "I'll do it!"

The echo of the slap on his back harmonized with his yell; the miko and coach blinked as they realized both had struck him at the same time. Kagome's lips curved upwards as she gave out a nervous laugh. "G-Gomenasai, senpai…I didn't know Riko-senpai was going to go ahead and do it."

"Sorry, Hyuga-kun." Riko's hands asked for forgiveness in a prayer. She did not think Kagome would hit as hard as she did.

* * *

Observing from above, the wolf youkai's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the Seirin captain making his way into the court. After hearing the slaps from the girls, he could not help but chuckle. To see the miko holding back was a rare sight. She seemed more than happy to discipline them back in the feudal days.

"They are at the fourth quarter." Shipo whispered, coming to fold his arms over the rim of the balcony. "Guess this is the beginning to the end. But…can Seirin even make up a twenty-point difference?"

"Who knows?" Koga shrugged as he exhaled. "But as long as one person continues on, then everyone will continue to fight. When it comes to killing giants, attitude matters more than strategy." Watching Kuroko make a quick pass towards Hyuga, his eyes narrowed as Reo came forth. "Remember, Akashi believes he is dealing with normal team members, but he does not know there is one person in the team that has faced demons and almost death multiple times. This is nothing."

* * *

Remembering the hits on his back, Hyuga gave himself a mental scoff as he ignored Reo's reach for the ball. Calmly taking the shot, Hyuga shouted as the ball went into the basket. "Yosh! Let's go, Rakuzan!"

Reo's eyes glided to the corner to see Hyuga running back on defense. _'With four fouls, I thought he would barely be able to play. Tch, but this is the best he has played all game.' _

"Let's stop their attack!" Hyuga yelled as he saw the Uncrowned Kings take a step back upon hearing Seirin's encouraging shout.

* * *

"Their defense is good." Alex whispered, watching the Seirin members divide their ground and block all of Rakuzan's players. "Hyuga-san really pulls his team together. But how can he fight when he can't afford a single foul?"

* * *

As Reo met Hyuga once more on the court, Hojo gasped upon seeing Reo's stance. "T-That's Heaven!"

"But Hyuga knows it's coming!" Wakamatsu exclaimed seeing the captain jump up to block Reo's shot.

Shaking his head, Sakurai blinked seeing Reo squat back down to avoid Hyuga's block. "A fake?! Then he is going for…Earth! This can be Hyuga-san's fifth foul!"

* * *

Chuckling under his breath, Reo's eyes immediately caught sight of Hyuga's feet still on the ground. _'He's…not jumping!? Did he predict this, too?!' _Looking up, Reo's eyes widened at the sight of Hyuga's will to win concrete in his pupils.

"Mibuchi, your form is practically identical before you jump for each of your shots."Hyuga spoke, unfazed by Reo's shock. "But your center of gravity is slightly different. Your center of gravity shifts towards the direction you're jumping! As long as I know which way…," jumping up at the same time as Reo, he shouted with all his might to stop the ball.

Reo gasped, watching Hyuga's fingertips scrape under the ball. He shook his head in disbelief the second the ball bounced off the rim of the basket.

Nerves piled as Kagome watched Nebuya and Kiyoshi go against each other's weight to catch the rebound. Seeing Kiyoshi's teeth clench, Kagome watched as Nebuya kept his feet in place. The strain on his knee was becoming unbearable.

Riko's eye widened as she saw Kiyoshi continuing to push Nebuya to the side. "Teppei! Is he-!"

"That idiot!" Hyuga scoffed, knowing well the center would do anything except listen to their objections.

Memories of his injury flashed in his mind; the games he had up until now made him want nothing more than to continue with the team. He was carrying the team's wishes for victory, and it was his goal as well. Kiyoshi grunted under his breath, continuing to push against Nebuya's weight back and forth. Regrets and caution were not options any longer; he had to push through. _'I can't make the right call about my future or injury anymore. All that matters is this moment!' _

Kiyoshi's yell was heard throughout the court, making everyone shocked to see him push with his injured knee to stop Nebuya from jumping up to catch the ball. Those on the court were fully aware what Kiyoshi was sacrificing that very moment.

Hyuga's brows furrowed with annoyance, but there was nothing he can do. His words meant nothing compared to Kiyoshi's determination. He pressed his lips together, holding back the need to tell him to stop. _'No matter what we say, you're always reckless! Even if we subbed you out, you would force your way back on the court! I…won't stop you anymore.' _He shook his head before taking a step forward. "Kiyoshi! How long have you been a center!? Don't let that musclebound moron beat you!"

The words sunk in; Kiyoshi snapped his head up seeing the ball getting closer to Nebuya's hands. Without a second thought, Kiyoshi quickly spun around Nebuya's body before jumping up to catch the ball before him.

Nebuya blinked, taken back by the direction Kiyoshi had taken. _'He...No! I can't underestimate him!' _Cursing the moment Kiyoshi landed back on the ground, his eyes widen seeing Kiyoshi waste no time to send the ball towards Kagami's direction.

Silent, the miko could only watch from Kiyoshi's pain to Kagami's dunk. Despite having scored another two points, it did not sweep away the worry over their senior player. Shoulder sunk as Izuki came to pat Kiyoshi's back. If he was happy, then they had to be, too. Catching Riko wiping the tears off her eyes, Kagome patted her back before giving her smile.

They could no longer stop Kiyoshi from reaching and sacrificing everything for what he wanted.

"Now you've done it, Junpei-chan. I'll crush you."

Turning at the call of the dreaded nickname, Hyuga's eyes met those of Reo's: rage. "Right back at you! And stop calling me that!"

Watching Reo beginning to lose composure, Hayama sighed while swiping the sweat clinging on his forehead with his jersey. _'He's mad, but he hasn't lost his cool, completely. I don't need to worry about Reo just yet.' _If Reo ever got mad, that was possibly the end of the world for everyone. _'But…,' _his eyes hooded as he saw their center stomp the court like a little kid.

"Damn it!" Nebuya grunted.

"Calm down, Ei-chan!" Hayama kicked him from behind to quiet him down.

"What are you doing, Kotaro!?"

"I said calm down." He repeated. "You've got a short fuse like me. Be careful. Kiyoshi is strong; if not for his injury, he would've been as strong as us. Don't underestimating him because of that!"

Scoffing under his breath, Nebuya placed his hands on his hips. "Uruse! I know!"

As the ball came flying towards Reo's path, he quickly caught it between his hands before meeting Hyuga once more. His eyes narrowed as he tried to read Hyuga's eyes. If he thought he could stop him now, he was mistaken. _'Hyuga Junpei…He's dangerous. He can distinguish between my three shots and react accordingly. Then…I'll use Void, unstoppable even if you see it coming. But maybe he's figured something out about Void. Should I avoid threes or pass the ball?' _His brows met his glare; the thought in his head quickly discarded. _'No, that is why I must fight! A Rakuzan player can't back down. I'll risk all my pride and shoot Void!'_

* * *

Himuro's focus narrowed on Reo's knees bending more than the usual. Jumps needed that spring, but he never thought Reo's jumps required more- "That's it!" He exclaimed, grabbing the attention of his teammates. Why had he not realized it before? "I know why the defender can't jump when he takes that shot. It's because of how deep he crouches before he jumps. When Mibuchi shoots Void, he crouches lower than normal, and when he jumps, he stops moving just as the defender's knees are fully extended."

"Huh?" Fukui raised a brow. "You mean Hyuga's knees had been locked in before Reo fully extended?"

Nodding to Fukui, Himuro watched as Reo slowly extended himself. "Hyuga is unable to jump once he realizes Reo's jump is getting 'longer'; Mibuchi still has strength from crouching so low when he does this. That's the secret behind Void."

* * *

Watching Reo jump up, the Seirin captain gritted his teeth together. His eyes glided upwards, following Reo's body as he remained on the floor, but Reo's aim was the last thing in his mind. _'Ugh, my back hurts…' _He grunted his breath, feeling the aftermath of Kagome's and Riko's slaps. _'Since when did they get that strong? Tch, then again, we have one manager who probably gave harder hits so she probably held back, but has Riko always been that strong? But those slaps held the entire team's hopes!'_

Springing up to Reo's surprise, Hyuga reached for the ball. "I don't care if you're an Uncrowned King or Rakuzan! No matter how strong you are, I'll stop this shot!" Everyone's eyes widened the second the ball was slapped away from Reo's grip.

Time continuing to tick, Izuki ran towards the ball before making a quick pass towards Kuroko. A swift pass from the phantom player was made towards their center.

* * *

"They broke through Rakuzan's defense!" Miyaji exclaimed, astonished to see the quick reactions from Seirin.

"With the return of their shooter, their defense spread out." Midorima spoke, seeing the confidence return in Hyuga's eyes. "This makes it easier to create space on the inside."

Seirin was coming back.

* * *

"H-How did he reach that?" Sakurai was in disbelief to see Hyuga having been able to react to Reo's shot. If it were him, he was sure he would have been stuck on the ground.

Chuckling under his breath, Imayoshi nodded. "Seirin is regaining control."

* * *

Midorima's eyes narrowed seeing Kiyoshi come face to face with Nebuya as soon as he took a leap for a dunk. Kiyoshi made a quick pass to his left: Hyuga. The look in Hyuga's eyes was not mistaken. It was not the fear he held before. Seeing the ball being released from Hyuga's grip, Midorima pushed his glasses in. "It's a good shot." He whispered. "There is no spin or shift."

* * *

As the crowd's high decreased from Hyuga's shot, Mayuzumi grabbed the ball as soon as it bounced down from the net. He dribbled it across the court before passing it over to the emperor running in front of him. Hayama and Reo had met their match, and he was sure Nebuya was getting close to losing against Kiyoshi. Not to mention he had been placed in the light no thanks to Kuroko's overshadowing techniques. Despite everything going downhill, nothing had been said from _him, _nothing. His eyes landed on Akashi's back, seeing his usual expression remain the same. _'Akashi isn't saying anything. What is he thinking? It's strange that he is emphasizing one-on-ones with those three. Why doesn't he attack himself?' _

Looking ahead, he stopped in his run upon seeing Akashi come to face Kagami's wide range defense. The intense pressure coming from the tiger was enough to make anyone run away knowing they could only end in failure. _'Could it be?' _Mayuzumi blinked, not believing the emperor was restraining himself from going into Kagami's Zone. Even one step inside from the emperor made him realize he could not take it. As soon as he realized that, Akashi passed the ball to either Reo or Hayama. _'Is he preventing even Akashi from attacking?' _

There was no mistake upon sensing the mix of emotions in Akashi's aura. The miko could see Akashi was becoming impatient with no plan in mind to deal with Kagami's Zone, but she could see Akashi was dealing with something much bigger than just the Zone. If anything, it seemed Akashi was struggling with himself to acquire more power – more than he already had. Eyes narrowing on the emperor, her suspicions increased. Was it possible he was trying to enter the Zone? Eyes widened slowly; the idea of it was possible. Knowing the emperor now, it was a possibility he was trying to enter the Zone to go against Kagami. _'But…can he?'_

Nebuya cursed under his breath as he struggled to push Kiyoshi away from his offense. An annoyed scoff blew under his breath as he scanned the rest of the court: all were blocked. _'Tch! They're using a stealth full-court man-to-man defense!' _

Seeing the difficulty of Seirin's positions, Hayama gritted his teeth seeing Kagami taking care of him and Akashi at the same time in his defensive Zone. _'This can't be good! Considering the range of Kagami's defense in the Zone, there is hardly any passes Kuroko can't steal.' _Rushing forward, he called out Reo to pass the ball in his hands. There was no time to waste, and they need to make shots before Seirin's points caught up to theirs.

Reo turned to the shout of his name; without a second thought, he threw the ball towards his teammate only to see the phantom player intercept his pass.

"Kuroko!" Kiyoshi shouted, signaling for him to make another quick pass to him.

With the ball landing in between Kiyoshi's hands, Kagome noticed the physical strain Kiyoshi pushed on Nebuya as he dribbled the ball towards their hoop. Despite being injured – and knowing his own pain – she was surprised by how well Kiyoshi could hide it while pushing Nebuya's buttons: it was working. She winced upon seeing Kiyoshi pivot around Nebuya's defense using his injured knee; he was applying even more pressure.

As Kiyoshi scored with another dunk, Rakuzan became filled with anger and worries over Seirin's constant push on their defense. Akashi – the only one remaining calm from the outside – narrowed his eyes at Seirin as they ran back to protect their hoop. "Mibuchi." He called. "The four of you will go during our next attack."

Reo's eyes widened as he heard the order. Taking a step forward, the shooting guard shook his head as he held the ball between his hands. "W-What? Sei-chan, what do you-?" The words at the tip of his tongue dried; his sweat went cold upon facing Akashi's threatening glare.

Even with the Uncrowned Kings and Mayuzumi being dealt with – to her surprise – she could not shake the uneasiness. She recognized this feeling, a little too well. It was at times when she felt the enemy nearing where she felt this premonition. Eyes landing on the emperor, her fingers curled on her clipboard.

He was doing nothing.

The ball – given to him by Reo – stayed in Akashi's hands, and that is when her guard lifted. Seeing the rest of the Rakuzan members run ahead while Akashi stayed under the hoop only made her feel suspicious of this game 'plan'. As Rakuzan met Seirin, everyone blinked at the sight of Akashi making a fast and swift pass of the ball and into Hayama's hands before making a score.

Izuki quickly turned his head over his shoulder, realizing what had happened. Akashi's pass had been to quick and exact for anyone to register its direction.

"T-They broke through in a second…" Riko whispered under her breath. "How…?" Seeing the manager slowly rise from the bench, Riko blinked to see Kagome staring at Akash with wide eyes. "Kagome-chan?"

"He…" The grip on her clipboard loosened; she was paralyzed with fear seeing Akashi continuing to stand under the hoop. His aura began to flare; the gold aura was beginning to take full control of his red. Something was not right, and it was telling her she had to warn everyone else.

Hearing Kagami catch Kuroko's pass and quickly charge towards their own hoop, Kagome shook her head. "K-Kagami-kun! Chotto!"

'_He can't stop my Meteor Jam like he did in the first half!' _Jumping up towards the basket, Kagami prepared his shot. "Take this, Akashi!"

The ball was swept away from his grip – to his and everyone's shock – leaving Kagami to lose his balance and crash down on the floor. Eyes widened slowly having seen Akashi's hand with the ball. He had not moved from his spot. Did he simply get the ball from Kagami's grip the moment he jumped? Did he…?

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko whispered, surprised he had been able to stop Kagami's shot just like that.

Kagome stared in fright at the sight of the emperor's eyes being similar to those of the tiger's; the clipboard in her hands slowly slipped from her hand before falling to the floor. _'…impossible.'_

* * *

"Akashi is…" Unable to hold back his own shock, Aomine's eyes glided from the emperor down to the miko who had stood up the second Kagami grabbed the ball. She had sensed it; she felt the ominous aura.

* * *

Shaking his head, Kise could not believe what he was seeing with his own eyes. When he witnessed Aomine's and Kagami's game with this atmosphere, everyone could feel the overwhelming power from the two, but having Akashi with the same power…

* * *

"I will demonstrate my superiority to everyone here."

The spark in his aura made the miko's body numb. Feeling everyone else's underwhelming auras of shock made her feel heavier and she was sure Akashi entering the 'gate' was going to make things worse, for everyone.

"Kagome-chan…did you sense it before he entered it?" Riko whispered. If she had sensed it, there was no telling what Akashi was capable of now.

Kagome regained her ability to move; eyes followed Akashi's and Kagami's fast movements around the court as the emperor charged forward to score. Everyone on Seirin's side tried to stop him, but he was able to make them fall forward, avoid their blocks, and shoot all without Rakuzan's help.

"Witness my sublime form and realize your defeat is absolute."

Mayuzumi tried to regain his breath as he tried to process what had happened before him. _'Even without us…no, he's stronger without us. Such a monster shakes our very existence. Does he really not need us?' _

Parting her lips, Kagome found it difficult to put words together. "Riko-senpai…a time out, please."

* * *

'_They called for a time out.' _Midorima remained still and stoic as he watched the Seirin players return to their bench at the referee's call. He could not blame them for the sudden pause in the game upon witnessing Akashi's entering the Zone. _'But is there anything they can do to stop him?'_

* * *

Silent and still, the benched players and the two females could only stare at Hyuga and the rest trying to regain energy as fast as possible. Chugs of water, and the use of towels increased, and most of the lemon slices had been eaten up at this point. There was no telling what was going on in their minds.

"I'll do it." Kagami spoke, breaking the silence.

Furihata blinked, realizing what he meant. "Kagami! You mean you'll do it by yourself!?"

"Ah," Hyuga nodded, lowering the water bottle from his lips, "we're counting on you, then."

"W-What?!" Fukuda exclaimed. "Don't you think you agreed too quickly, captain?!"

Izuki nodded as he turned to face their ace. "It's a valid verdict. Yeah, nice."

"You, too, Izuki-senpai?!" Fukuda added, shocked to see them so calm.

"Well, you heard them, Kiyoshi." Koganei grinned as he handed Kiyoshi a towel.

Moving his head left and right, Fukuda was confused over the calm atmosphere. Why was everyone so calm? Why was everyone agreeing?

"Why are you so confused?" Hyuga questioned. "It's how we have always played. Against the Generation of Miracles, we always face this situation. Eventually we have to rely on our ace." Standing up from his seat, he faced their ace. "If we didn't have one, we'd be screwed. But we have Kagami. That's good enough."

Kagami stood before feeling Hyuga's fist on his chest. Before he could say anything else, he blinked at the sight of the rest of his teammates coming up to place their fists on his chest. Feeling one behind his back, the tiger looked over his shoulder.

"Kagami-kun." Giving him a nod, Kuroko presented him with a smile. "I know you can do it."

"You know what this means, Kagami-kun." Coming forward, Riko pushed her own fist on Kagami's chest. "This fight will determined who wins and who loses."

"Akashi will be tough to beat, but I am sure Kagami can handle him." Sighing under his breath with a smile, Hyuga rested his hands on his hips before turning to see the miko staring at Akashi at his side. The smile flipped in a frown noticing the worry in her expression. Leave it to her to be reading the auras. This whole time she had been doing it. Placing his hand over her head – startling her – he whispered to her. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan. We got this."

The miko blinked back before shaking her head slowly. "Ah, no…I'm not really worried for us…"

"You aren't?" A sweat drop loomed over the captain.

"…more like I am worried for," her eyes landed on Rakuzan, "them."

The team blinked in return upon hearing her voiced concerns. Worried for Rakuzan?

Sure, she was worried for Seirin, but something told her Rakuzan was dealing with bigger things than they were. The team was broken at this point; Akashi was doing it all on his own and abandoned the team. Untensing her shoulders with an exhale, Kagome turned around to face Kagami before giving him a smile. She believed in the team; she believed in fate.

* * *

"Aomine," Imayoshi spoke, "I've been wondering."

"What?"

Hooking his chin with his thumb and index finger, Imayoshi kept his focus on the court as the players were called back. "Earlier you said something about Kagami trying to be deeper in the Zone. What did you mean?"

Annoyed at his team's attention on him, he scratched the back of his head. "It's a metaphor." He sighed. "When you enter the Zone, you open a massive door. Inside there is water. The more you focus, the deeper you sink. You can reach the bottom if you sink far enough, but that requires concentration. That is when you're fully immersed in the Zone. Your performance level will increase and show case your true best." He scoffed, thinking back to the many times he had tried submerging himself to reach the deeper Zone. "But…there is an even bigger door."

"A bigger door?" Sakurai repeated. "Um, metaphorically speaking, can't you just open it, Aomine?"

"I can't." He replied. "A faceless figure stands before it like a gatekeeper. Because of that, I haven't been able to open it." He yawned before leaning forward to observe Akashi and Kagami. "But I'm certain of something. Beyond that door lies a Zone greater than the Zone. If Kagami has any chance of winning, it's by opening the second door."

* * *

Kagome's fingers began to go numb from the tight grip she had on her clipboard. How stupid was she to throw away the idea of Akashi trying to open the Zone gates? Of course it was possible, for him. Taking a glance at the scoreboard from the corner of her eyes, her nerves increased seeing the gap closing in. _'A twelve-point difference; Akashi is now defending farther back on the court then he was before.' _With Akashi entering the Zone, his defensive range had increased just like Kagami's. Observing the other Rakuzan members, her brows furrowed feeling the distance Akashi had placed between himself and them: he had abandoned and expected nothing from them. _'Is he really going to defend alone?'_

She shuddered the moment his guard increased, letting the Seirin members he was paying attention to every detail of their movements. At that point, there was no need for them to be a priestess or a mind reader to feel Akashi's threatening space.

Hyuga immediately took a step back upon feeling Akashi's guard as he held the ball between his hands. _'No way. We're already within Akashi's defensive range? Is…this what Kagome-chan feels all the time? This is-!' _The captain blinked the moment he felt the ball being pushed away from his hands; a blur from the side made his eyes widen. Turning around, Hyuga and the rest of his team were frozen at the sight of Akashi having charged at them in a blink of an eye.

Meeting Akashi to defend their hoop, Kagami's arms spread out to the side to stop the emperor. Despite the Zone giving him confidence, facing Akashi in the same level only made him feel insecure. Could he stop him now? Akashi was going against all of them without breaking a sweat. _'Focus! He must be stopped!' _Reacting to Akashi's dribble between his legs, Kagami felt his body weight go forward: ankle break. _'Damn you!' _Kagami quickly caught himself by taking a step forward and pivot around to reach for the ball.

Akashi scoffed as he dribbled the ball to the side finally making Kagami drop on all fours. "The way you struggle is laughable. Stay there on the ground."

Seirin was left speechless and paralyzed as they watched Akashi make the shot. This was not like Aomine's entrance to the Zone. This was entirely different, for everyone, including his own team.

Reo blinked with wide eyes as he followed Akashi walking between him and Hayama. "S-Sei-chan…"

"Watch for threes while we're on defense." He spoke while keeping his back on them. "Even you can handle that."

"What?!" Reo exclaimed.

"Akashi!" Hayama shouted, hoping to gain back the emperor's trust.

Akashi sighed; shoulders dropped down. "I except nothing from you. If you can't do it, then I will."

* * *

Releasing a heavy sigh himself, Koga was amazed by Akashi's growth and ability to enter the Zone. He almost scoffed at the unfairness already being a good player without it. "The greatest threat on offense and defense is Emperor Eye."

"What?" Shippo blinked.

"Akashi abandoned his teammates," he scratched the back of his head, "which reminds me a lot how Seirin's game went against Touou. Single combat between two players in the Zone. When it was Aomine versus Kagami, that was an even contest, but Akashi will overpower him soon enough."

Shippo pouted as he heard Koga's words. Placing his focus back on the court, his shoulders untensed as he released a sigh of his own. "I guess reacting to your opponents' movements can never beat predictions."

"But," Sesshomaru cut in, "the miko may have realized the price for Akashi entering the Zone."

Both youkais blinked in unison before giving each other a confused glance.

A price?

* * *

Curses blew under Kagami's breath as his frustrations boiled within. Gripping his jersey from his chest, he began to get desperate to enter the deeper parts of the Zone now with Akashi intercepting his passes and shots with ease. If anything, it seemed his own Zone was nothing compared to the emperor's. _'Damn! It's no use. I can't play any better in my current state!' _His closed his eyes, feeling his concentration deepening but taking him nowhere once he reached the bottom. But the gates before him were protected by a shadow in front. _'I need to move the guy standing in front of it! What am I supposed to go!?' _

"Kagami-kun."

Opening his eyes at the call of his name, the tiger looked down to see the phantom player standing beside him. "Kuroko…"

"Why don't you give up?" He smiled.

The words caught everyone by surprise making them turn to see Kuroko's sincere smile.

"What?" Kagami blinked. "Why would you say that now, Kuroko?!"

"I'm not telling you to give up on the game." Kuroko turned his head back to the front, seeing Akashi's attention on them. "I mean give up on fighting alone. Look." Directing his eyes to their bench, he waited for Kagami to follow.

Eyes widening, Kagami noticed the miko and the rest of his teammates looking at them with hope and trust. They had not given up on them, but that did not mean they were all piling the hope on him alone.

"I said I was counting on you," Kuroko continued, his smile stretching seeing the miko's, "but it could be too heavy a responsibility. If that's the case, let me help you carry it. We all will."

"I-I can handle it myself!" Kagami shouted, not wanting them to worry on his part. "I'm almost-!"

"Bakagami!"

Hearing the nickname – which quickly made his eyebrow twitch – the tiger's focus returned to the miko, seeing her giving him a glare. Kagome had told him to concentrate, but relying on the Zone meant he was not relying on his teammates. Becoming frustrated over the closed doors was not getting him or the team anywhere. Fingers curling into his palm, Kagami looked down to his feet. _'We've got to do whatever we can with it still closed.' _Placing his focus back on Kuroko, he gave him a nod. "You're right; let's do this together! We'll beat Akashi!"

Kuroko nodded back before looking at his former captain across the court. Having Akashi in the Zone was problematic, but it did not mean he was invincible. Everyone had their weaknesses, including himself. "I will say this now, Kagami-kun; the difference between you and Akashi-kun is the Emperor Eye. So…I'll make up the difference by becoming your 'eye'."

Kagome blinked, unsure what Kuroko's words meant, but with less than half of the time left in the game, he had to trust, and only trust.

Diving into the game once again, Izuki's pass to Kuroko was directed around Akashi's defensive range. Avoiding Nebuya's blocking, Kiyoshi reached out to catch the ball. Without a second thought, Kiyoshi turned around and jumped up to dunk the ball in.

The ball was quickly slapped away from his hand, making it bounce back from the hoop's backboard. Eyes widened upon seeing Akashi having jumped high enough to reach Kiyoshi's shot. There was no time to react to the interception as the emperor jumped down and quickly caught the bouncing ball on the court before charging towards his basket.

Akashi's eyes narrowed seeing the Seirin duo block his path with arms stretched out to the side. With Kagami in front and Kuroko in the back, Akashi scoffed at the idea of needing two people to stop him now. _'Kagami is in front, huh? They're not going to double-team me? Tetsuya can't keep up with me and Kagami. Even if he has an unexpected plan, I can see the future. No one can beat my Emperor Eye!' _

Keeping a close eye on Akashi's feet, Kagami quickly moved to the right the moment Akashi stepped to the side. _'Right!' _

A quick dribble left and right was performed by the emperor, making Kagami make the mistake to take a step to the opposite side. Changing his path, Akashi moved to the left of the tiger only to see Kuroko's person standing before him. His eyes widened with shock coming face to face with the phantom player. _'Impossible…How did you get there before me?' _

* * *

"W-Wait-! How did he do it?!" Takao exclaimed, shocked himself to see Kuroko blocking Akashi's path. He was sure Akashi had this one in the bag with the use of his Emperor Eye!

"It seems Kuroko wasn't looking at Akashi." Midorima spoke, grabbing the attention of his teammates.

Takao blinked before placing his eyes back on the court. "Wait…then how?"

"Kuroko," Midorima sighed, not wanting to believe it himself, "was looking only at Kagami. He predicted Kagami's movemens."

* * *

With wide eyes, Hyuga was in disbelief at the thought of Kuroko knowing Kagami's movements. As risky as it was, it was the only way to stop Akashi knowing he would be reading them together. _'It's different from Emperor Eye. The observation skills he honed for Misdirection and the time they have spent playing together allowed him to pull it off." _

'_Although he can't use it on opponents,' _Izuki thought to himself, _'he can use it only on allies with whom he has spent time developing a solid friendship. It is Kuroko's very own Emperor Eye!'_

Yelling from the top of his lungs, Kuroko slapped the ball away from Akashi's grip, taking Rakuzan, including the emperor, by shock. Akashi's eyes widened; the cheers from Seirin and the crowd slowly drowned.

As Kagami ran towards the free ball, he quickly caught it and made a break through Rakuzan's defense.

"Counterattack!" Furihata shouted. "Go!"

"Y-You're kidding, right?!" Reo exclaimed, barely able to register what had occurred a few seconds ago.  
Stop them, Kotaro!"

Kagome's eyes followed Kagami's quick movements to trick Hayama before spinning around him. They would make the shot; the tables had turned. But despite the sense of win now, she could not help but stare at the frozen emperor on the other side. There he was. Still there where he had been left.

'_A…turnover?' _Akashi thought to himself with wide eyes.

Akashi's auras wavered once more; red struggled against the gold.

The steps of his players and those of Seirin's echoed in his ears. _'And I…I let it happen?' _Biting his lower lip, Akashi quickly turned around and headed towards Kagami.

Taken back by his fast speed, Kagome blinked as she saw the emperor coming face-to-face with their ace. The anger in his aura began to flare, and she was sure he was ready to explode if provoked further.

'_I can stop him with Emperor Eye!' _Akashi's eyes narrowed thinly only to widen them again at the sight of the ball disappearing from Kagami's hands.

"Go!" Kagome shouted, watching Kuroko taking the ball from Kagami's person. As much as Akashi needed help, some things needed to be dealt with individually. And right now, she was part of Seirin. "Kuroko-kun! Kagami-kun!" It was all Kuroko needed to throw the ball up in the air and for Kagami to move from Akashi's defense to jump.

'_Don't be absurd!' _Akashi's teeth clenched. _'I am absolute! I must not lose!' _Akashi jumped up to meet Kagami in the air. Reaching for the ball to block, he shouted with all his might.

Kagami grunted as he tried to extend higher than the emperor's reach. The supporting yells of his team made him heavier, but lighter knowing this was their only chance to prove they could win. And they would win. _'Ah, leave it to me. I'll make it! I'm carrying the team's hopes on my shoulders! I will make this shot!' _Images of his team, Kuroko, and Kagome appeared in his mind, sparking an entrance into something he had never felt before, but all he could do was accept it and let the fire in him ignite.

The miko' shoulders slumped down upon feeling the change in Kagami's aura, but her lips parted dry the moment Kagami made the dunk. The court went silent; eyes followed Akashi's body drop down to the floor from the force of his shot.

Cheers exploded, and all Akashi had was to look up at the duo who had taken him down – literally.

* * *

"H-He finally did it by supporting Kagami with his pseudo Emperor Eye." Takao whispered, feeling the cold sweat on his neck travel down his jacket. Even he had been silent throughout the game the moment Kagami rushed to make the shot.

"Yes," Midorima nodded, "Kuroko's actions are…surprising. And Kagami is moving without thinking about Kuroko. Entrusting yourself completely to someone and playing all-out is impossible without a deep level of trust. They beat Emperor Eye precisely because of who they are."

* * *

Himuro blinked, feeling his throat going dry having had his mouth open throughout the entire play. "Is…this the first time he's been beaten this badly since starting high school?"

"No." Murasakibara answered, eyes glued on his former captain. "The last time was probably when we played in middle school. And ultimately, Akachin won that battle. I haven't heard of him losing before then. But Akachin tried to score and failed, and he tried to stop them but couldn't. So…it's probably the first time, not just in high school, but in his life that Akachin is experiencing defeat."

* * *

The miko's expressioned softened as she saw Akashi shot hit the rim of the hoop. It was not just her or the teams that were now confused, it was Akashi as well. As Kiyoshi caught the rebound, Seirin ran back to their respective hoop before scoring another set of points.

No one had ever seen Akashi like this. Ever. He had left the Zone.

'_No,' _her eyes scrunched as she saw Akashi lagging, _'the Zone left him.' _

* * *

His passes. His shots. Everything he did was being intercepted and blocked by Seirin. What was happening? His body felt foreign; his thoughts shook while becoming jumbled at the image he was presenting to his team and his opponents.

'_**You're at your limit.' **_

His eyes snapped open having heard the voice inside his head. The voice he thought he had buried deep within. _'Don't be absurd! I can't lose!' _

The ball in his hands was speared away by Izuki's hand, making him gasp and curse at himself for having lost concentration. All because he was arguing with _him. _

'_**Give up. You can't win anymore.' **_

'_Shut up! I will win. I have until now, and I always will!' _

* * *

"I had no idea Akashi was this fragile…" Takao whispered, seeing the emperor's movements become slower and less precise. "The defeat of his Emperor Eye must have been a shock, but…"

* * *

A sudden pass was made from Akashi to Reo, surprising even his own teammates. Reo cursed under his breath, hating the foreign feeling pass his captain made from across the court. These passes and shots were nothing like the Akashi they knew. They were not even talking; there was no communication.

Kagome and Kuroko noticed Akashi's speed lowering even as Seirin caught Reo's rebound and hurried to the other side. Even with Hayama trying to yell at him, everyone kept quiet knowing it would not do them good to fight and waste time. As Kagami intercepted another pass from Akashi, he quickly jumped up to dunk the ball into their hoop.

They were now one basket behind to match.

Nebuya grabbed Akashi from the front of his jersey before pulling up. "This is ridiculous! A kid could have caught that weak pass! You think that will work now?! I've had enough of your crap, Akashi!" The buzzer stopped Nebuya's rant, making him look to the side to see their coach waiting beside the referee table. "Tch!"

"White team, timeout!"

* * *

Shirogane paled as he stared down at their captain sitting in front of him. He never thought he would be calling a time out because of him. _'I don't believe it. Is Akashi this fragile a player? The closing gap shouldn't be enough to agitate him. But…he's shaken because they defeated his trump card. And that psychological damage is creating discord on the team. At this rate…' _He hated the only option he had in mind, but with Seirin one basket behind their points, it was time to do it. "Member change, Aka-"

"Wait."

Eyes glided over to see their own phantom player stand from his seat, stopping their coach from making the change.

Turning to face their 'weak' emperor, Mayuzumi's eyes narrowed with disgust. "You're embarrassing yourself." Rakuzan's expressions widened upon hearing his insult. "Did you think I would console or encourage you? I'd never do that. After everything you said, this is all you can do?" He scoffed, noticing Akashi closing his eyes. "I don't think so. You're nothing like the man I met on the roof. In fact, who are you?"

Akashi's eyes snapped open as the question sunk. His mind darkened with the question repeating itself. _'Who…am I?' _His dark mind illuminated a path until the image of his mother holding him as infant appeared. _'Who am I?' _Memories flashed of his father, of his never-ending lessons, and the one precious memory of his mother watching him play basketball for the first time. _'Who am I?' _

"**You are my weakness." **

His own person inside his mind quickly turned around to face another _him _hiding in the shadows of his dark past. The past he wanted buried and engulfed in flames the moment his mother passed away.

"**Born to a distinguished family, always standing above others, and obligated to win. Even when you lost your mother, your only repose, you weren't allowed to stop. You weren't allowed to grieve. Only to win. I…was already beginning to tear apart then." **

The memories of his father pushing him to succeed made him curl his fingers into his palm. The one person he had hoped as a child to come to for comfort only saw him as a tool of his succession. Not as his son.

"**Basketball. The anchor my mother left me. As long as I kept winning, my stern father allowed me to play. The Teiko basketball team's practices were hard, but not painful." **The blur memory of his former teammates walking together appeared in his mind. **"More than that, I enjoyed the ability to play all I liked and spend time with friends. Then we won our second national championship. It would have been impossible with anyone else. It happened because I had them. But…," **the very image in his head burned with the flames of selfishness and power, **"the team began emphasizing victory. At the same time, their talents began to blossom. Their growth planted the fear that I'd be unable to keep up. Believing they would leave me behind, fear turned to panic." **

His past reeled; his memories clicked remembering his almost-defeat against Murasakibara. If he had admitted defeat then and there, he would have lost it all: control.

"**I had to be the strongest to continue playing with them." **

'_That's right,' _he scoffed. Once he had changed, he felt that control again. The fear he held had been conquered. _'They followed me once again. A third championship was easy enough. It was a thorough victory. I was absolute. Things were the same once they became opponents. I will continue proving my strength.' _

"**So, you don't need me?" **

'_That's right. You stay here forever.' _

* * *

Two.

There was no doubt in her mind now about it. Akashi's auras were split into two. Their exact reasoning was still a mystery, but the fact both spiked and flared to dominate the other made her uneasy. Was he calling for help? Her eyes scrunched with worry noticing the glares his teammates pinned on him.

Noticing Kagome's stare on Akashi, Kuroko and the rest of the team turned their heads to see Rakuzan in silence as their coach looked down at the captain.

"Kagome-chan?" Riko whispered. "Are you sensing something?"

Silent for a few seconds, the miko's brows furrowed seeing the red aura slowly trying to overtake the gold. "He…is conflicted – conflicted with himself. His two auras are clashing, but they are weak." The team flinched in unison upon hearing Mayuzumi call Akashi an embarrassment. The bad looks the emperor was now receiving was to be expected having heard how Akashi abandoned them all. Keeping her eyes on Akashi, she spoke. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Hai?" He blinked.

"You said he changed when Murasakibara-kun wanted to skip practices, right?" She asked.

Nodding to her question, his eyes returned to see his former captain staring down at the feet and unable to hold his head up high.

* * *

"**So what Higurashi-san said was right. Either you are afraid of losing or afraid of change. I meant to stay back, but the scent of defeat is making you crack." **

'_You know nothing!' _He shouted back. _'What Kagome said back there meant nothing! She doesn't know a damn thing! She is-' _

"**Then why would she say it, just like that." **

He fell silent; his jaw clenched seeing the small smirk appear in his shadow's lips. He was not afraid. He was not weak. Someone as absolute like him would never feel fear. "You allowed yourself to be weak." He spoke under his breath. "If you want to blame someone, it should be yourself."

"**Yes," **he chuckled, **"I have no problem admitting that. I was trying to save it all by winning. Something irreplaceable. I didn't know what else to do. That weakness…gave birth to you. Desiring only victory and abandoning all else, I lost sight of why I wanted to be stronger. I was ready to be locked forever in your mind, but…Higurashi-san brought something out the minute she said those words. Fear. Watching her and Kuroko do their very best together with their team reminded me of the past. But what you are doing now…you're about to make the same mistake that occurred in Teiko. If you do, our guilt will stay with us forever. I thought it couldn't hurt to lose, but it seems I was wrong." **

Akashi's eyes widened as he saw the shadow over his former self slowly curtained away.

"**It's because we are now playing Kuroko and Higurashi-san. We can't suppress our impulse to win." **Walking forward, the light ahead brightened, making his current self disappear.

The smile on his lips stretched as he felt a sense of calmness wash over his rage. His fears from before and now were drifting away.

* * *

Kagome's shoulders slumped down as her eyes remained on Akashi's aura. The gold was slowly minimizing, and it seemed his soul was beginning to calm down. Kuroko's past, and the troubles that brewed within them created fear. Fear to lose everything and everyone.

Taking a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes, Kuroko was taken back by the single tear running down her cheek.

Closing her eyes, Kagome exhaled softly feeling Akashi's 'new' aura taking over and regaining control. She was not sure what was happening inside of him, but she felt relief. She felt relief for him. Although he was an opponent, his chaotic mind was probably his biggest enemy. Sending a wave of her reiki towards him, she needed to let him know he was not alone.

Not anymore.

* * *

A warm touch on his shoulders made the emperor's eyes snap open. A warm touch he had never felt before since his mother. His eyes came to stare at the wooden floor underneath his feet; he was back. Why did he feel calm? If anything, he was too calm. Raising his hand to stare at his palm, he slowly curled his fingers in before taking a stand.

His teammates blinked, taken back by his sudden movement. The bench fell silent watching their captain turn his body to face their phantom player. "How dare you ask who I am?"

Mayuzumi's eyes widened as he came to stare at his expression. "Y-You're…"

A smile appeared over Akashi's lips before he replied. "I'm Akashi Seijuro, of course." Turning around to face his coach, he gave him a bow with his head. "Please allow me to continue playing."

"C-Chotto matte!" Nebuya exclaimed as he abruptly stood from his seat. "You want to continue playing? Akashi, you could barely play a second ago! You sure you're okay?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I disgraced myself. I feel badly about it." Giving a respectful and apologetic bow, his team went in shock at his actions. "I'm sorry."

Reo slowly stood from the bench; his mind unable to process what was occurring before him. _'No way. Sei-chan apologized?' _

Straightening himself up, Akashi looked at his teammates. "I want you to lend me your strength again so we can beat Seirin."

* * *

"Kuroko-kun. Kagami-kun."

The two turned their heads over their shoulder upon hearing the faint whisper of their manager. Seeing her eyes locked on their backs, they waited for her to speak.

"Akashi-kun may come out stronger." The aura around him was different compared to the one she had always sensed around him. But it was not threatening in any way. "Just be on guard." Looking up, she blinked noticing the smiles on her team members. Feeling a hand on the top of her head, she noticed Kagami giving her a confident grin before looking at Kuroko giving her a soft smile.

"We got this." Kagami spoke. "Continue to believe in us."

Left staring at their backs, Kagome took a glance at the time left in the fourth quarter. Five minutes left. With the buzzer sounding off to resume the game, she quietly made her way back to the bench as she heard the cheers of the crowd.

"Let's stop them!" Hyuga shouted. "No matter what!"

"Let's go, Kagami-kun." Kuroko spoke as he came behind the tiger.

Giving him a nod, he quickly set off on defense only to feel a chill blow coming his way. Eyes widening, he noticed Akashi with the ball charging towards him. _'What's this?' _he blinked, unable to decipher what he was feeling facing the emperor. The look in his eyes was not the same look he had faced before. _'Akashi has changed in some way…' _Shaking his head, he clenched his teeth. _'No! He's coming. Focus! I can't beat Akashi unless I focus completely!' _

Akashi's brows furrowed; his focus straight ahead. Quickly dribbling around Kagami's defensive rage, he was able to break through and move forward. He chuckled as he came to face Kuroko once more. "It's been a while, Kuroko."

Kuroko's eyes widened before he could register the sudden dribble-pass Akashi made to Reo.

Staring at the ball in his hands, Reo was shocked for a second upon feeling the catch. Without hesitation, instinct quickly made him jump up and make the shot.

"That was a beautiful shot. Well done, Mibuchi."

Reo could only blink as the compliment sunk in his head. _'No way…' _Did he hear correctly? _'Seichan cheered me on? And the position, timing, and angle of the ball's seams against my fingers were perfect just now.' _Never in his life had he taken such a comfortable shot – too comfortable. He scoffed as he ran back to defense behind his captain with a smile. _'What's going on? This…is getting exciting.'_

* * *

"Uwa~," Kise exhaled with a smirk, "that pass told me everything. If anything…" Scratching the back of his neck, nostalgia whisked him away having seen and felt those passes before. "Those are the passes we received…"

Raising a brow, Kasamatsu turned to the blonde. "Huh?"

* * *

"That means…," Aomine whispered under his breath, "Akashi is back to his old self."

Momoi quickly turned her head to him having heard his faint tone. "E-Eh?"

* * *

"What?!" Hyuga exclaimed, hearing Kuroko's words from behind. "Back to his old self?"

Kuroko nodded back knowing his teammates were taken back by the absurd saying. Only those familiar with Akashi would know this was the emperor they had met first before everything had gone downhill. "Kagome-chan warned Kagami-kun and me about it. Now that the true Akashi-kun is awake, he is almost certainly stronger than before."

Scoffing with a smirk, Kagami swiped the sweat from his chin. This is what Kagome had sensed. _'In other words,' _he turned to face the emperor of the court, '_the real game starts now. Bring it on!' _

Stealing the ball from Izuki's hands, Akashi quickly ran forward before making a fast pass to Hayama. A smirk made its way on his lips seeing Kagami's shocked expression.

'_C-Crap!' _Izuki cursed. _'What a pass!' _

Hayama grinned as soon as he caught the spinning ball. Being in his range, he chuckled feeling his confidence boost. _'This place is my specialty!' _Quickly jumping up, he spun around Kiyoshi's defense before making a shot into the basket.

Watching Rakuzan widen the gap once again, Kagome scratched her cheek. Although Seirin was doing their best to catch up, it was only a matter of time before Rakuzan got used to 'this' Akashi and their teamwork progressed.

"Akashi-kun changed after that timeout." Riko whispered only for the miko to hear. "Rakuzan has regained their composure, but we are scoring, too. What exactly happened to him?"

"Well," Kagome sighed, "it's hard to explain. Even I don't know the answer to that. All I know is when I first met Akashi-kun is he had a very dominating aura, but when I saw him again before the game, it split."

"Split?"

Nodding, Kagome lowered the clipboard down to her lap while keeping her focus on the court. "To make it easy, I saw two colored auras: red and gold. I was confused at first and simply shrugged it off, but I kept seeing it throughout the game. That was until the gold aura swallowed the other." Now that she spoke it out loud, she would not blame anyone for assuming she was crazy. "But right now…it's all red."

"Red?" Turning her head to her team, Riko brought her thumb up to her lips. "Are you saying…he _has _changed?"

The miko's eyes followed Rakuzan running back to their defense; her gaze narrowed seeing Akashi run past Kagami's frame. The look in the emperor's eyes was no longer cold and distant, and she was sure she was not the only one anymore who could see it. Akashi's performance had her and everyone awed, but in no way was his play more threatening compared to the other Generation of Miracles. "Or more like came back."

* * *

"Doesn't Akashi seem…surprisingly normal?" Wakamatsu spoke.

"Normal?" Imayoshi replied with a question. "Yeah, right. As a point guard myself, he looks like a monster to me. His ability to dribble without looking at his hands is quite terrifying. He has total vision of the court."

* * *

"At first glance, it looks like Akashi is making assists, but that's not all." Kasamatsu added, having kept a close eye on the emperor's sudden change in his way of playing. "As Akashi's teammates receive his passes, their movements improve."

* * *

"Hm, it seems the miko has noticed Rakuzan's progression." Hearing the inuyoukai speak, the two other demons turned their heads to see him with his focus on the girl and on the court. "If you aren't a good leader, your followers won't synchronize with you. His so called 'Emperor Eye' sees opponents and allies alike.

Blinking multiple times – and in shock – Shippo leaned away as if Sesshomaru had grown a second head. "Since when did you turn into an 'Akashi Expert'?'

Snorting at Shippo's words and Sesshomaru's glare on the kitsune, he quickly gained his composure as he saw Seirin and Rakuzan going after points one after another. "As silly as it may sound, Sesshomaru is right, Shippo."

"Huh?"

"He easily makes what should be impossible passes, and drawing out the full potential of his teammates." He scoffed with amusement seeing Akashi slowly turning around to face his opponents. "It's silly to think, but it is possible for all his teammates to be at the same level as him. But…only if he accepts them as so."

* * *

Kagome's fingers loosened their hold on her clipboard as she sensed a spark in Akashi's aura along with those of his teammates. It was an aura resembling that of the Zone's. Was this…

"The Zone?" Izuki whispered, noticing the spark in Akashi's eyes.

"We're just getting started." Kagami spoke, coming to face the emperor.

Giving the tiger a smile, Akashi nodded, appreciating the never-ending determination. "Relax. This game won't turn out the way you fear it will. I've simply returned to a previous state. It's ironic to think how your own manager's, Higurashi-san, determination would affect me to change."

Seirin blinked, reacting to Kagome's name.

It was possible. Shaking her head, Kagome gulped, grabbing the attention of the coach beside her. "Riko-senpai…this might be bad."

"Huh?"

"I won't change dramatically anymore. However," the corner of his lips curved upwards, "the same can't be said for the other four."

Seirin's eyes widened as they saw the other four members come behind Akashi's person. Hyuga's lips parted; his body numb having recognized the look in all their eyes. "N-No way. All five of them..."

"…are in the Zone?!" Riko exclaimed.

"Is that even possible!?" Tsuchida whispered. It was logical – at most – for one of the Generation of Miracles to obtain such levels, but others? "I thought the Zone was only attainable by guys of the Generation of Miracles and Kagami's class. Only a few prodigies can enter it."

"That's the Zone," Kagome sighed, "but not a complete Zone. As I mentioned before, Akashi-kun changed when he came back from that time out. His old self returned. Because of this, Akashi-kun has drawn out their potential to a level approaching the Zone. Then again, it's only possible because Akashi-kun has the Uncrowned Kings behind him. When your leader is someone you admire, and is strong on his own, your true potential comes out. That's the nature of leadership and followers."

"T-Then," Koganei gulped, "what are we supposed to do now?"

* * *

Laughing from the balcony, Hanamiya found the troubles before him amusing. To think they would have to deal with the whole team in the Zone. "There is nothing they can do. I almost feel sorry for Seirin. It's tragic."

* * *

Hyuga's body tensed the second Reo came before him as he held the ball. The level of pressure and intimidation was already making his whole mentality and physical state heavy. _'It's no use! I can't go for Barrier Jumper, much less normal shots!' _A curse blew under his breath before calling out Izuki's name to make the pass. As soon as he released the ball, Hayama sprinted forward and intercepted their pass. "No!" Hyuga shouted, watching as Rakuzan's defense shifted into offense. "Run back! Run back!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Kagami blocked Hayama's path while keeping his eyes on the ball.

'_Tch!' _Hayama glared. _'Then how about this? Lightning Dribble Level Five!' _Placing all five fingers on the ball, he quickly dribbled the ball side-to-side to break from the tiger's defense. _'Damn it!' _He smirked, giving Kagami props for being able to block all his attempts. _'He's better than the others.' _Sighing under his breath, Hayama tossed the ball to his right. "Guess I have to give up this round."

"Huh?" Kagami blinked before noticing the ball now in Akashi's hands. "Crap!"

Watching Kagami come his way, Akashi made no hesitation to make a second eye-contact with Mayuzumi before passing the ball.

'_What?' _Mayuzumi's brow raised. _'You are trusting me now, Akashi? Fine. Don't blame me if they steal the ball.' _Pulling back his elbow, Mayuzumi waited for the ball to come in front of his body before pushing it up in the air with his palm. _'If you say so, it must be the right time.' _

Nebuya jumped up in the air while aiming the proper time to dunk the ball as it slowly came down to his awaiting hands.

"A-An alley-oop with Nebuya!?" Koganei exclaimed.

"It's not over yet!" Taking off himself, Kagami's shout pushed him to reached higher to block the dunk in time. With the shouts of his team, he needed to do it. He had to.

"No," Akashi whispered as his smile returned, "that's not your place anymore, Kagami."

The tiger's pupils slowly widened as he saw Nebuya going higher than his own body. It almost felt like an anchor began to weigh him down; he could not reach any longer. _'I-I can't…!' _The sudden force of Nebuya's dunk made him fall on his behind, surprising him and even those witnessing a team's Zone.

"No way…" Koganei whispered, surprised to see their ace having been taken down in his specialty of jumps. "He couldn't reach him?"

A sudden shrink in Kagami's aura made the miko tense; her lips pressed together seeing the tiger coming onto one knee as he tried to balance his breathing. The strength and stamina of his own Zone was beginning to deplete. "Kagami-kun…" Kagami had the responsibility to deal with Akashi's entrance into the Zone, but now with Rakuzan on the same boat, it was beginning to become a heavy task on him.

'_I…can't breathe.' _Kagami fingers curled into his palm as he struggled to balance out the oxygen coming into his body. Had his body always felt this heavy before? _'My limbs feel alien.' _Standing from the ground, he tried his best – his very best – to catch up to the others. _'My mind is dull. I can't properly assess the situation. This is bad. I'm nearly running on empty!' _

"Kagami-kun," Kagome whispered, seeing the boost in his aura having extinguished like a flame, "is out of the Zone."

"I hate to say this," Riko bit her nail, "but we can't win without Kagami-kun. I knew this would happen, but I never thought the other Rakuzan members would gain the Zone's passageway. And we no longer have timeouts to use." What could they do? Were there any other options left? What was there to do when they were dealing with five monsters at that point?

'_Damn it!' _Hyuga cursed, coming face-to-face with Reo once again. _'It's not over yet!' _Sliding a few steps back, he prepared his Barrier Jump shot only to see Reo matching his speed. Having no time to pass or change his plan, Hyuga released the ball, hoping for the best. A few more curses blew from the captain catching the small touch Reo's finger made at the bottom of the ball's surface. "Dammit!"

Kagome's eyes followed the ball bouncing off the rim of the basket; her heart clenched seeing Kiyoshi struggle against Nebuya's heavy build. A twitch in his aura was enough to tell her his limit had been reached. There was nothing he could do push it further. Before she could yell for him to stop, Nebuya had beaten them all to the punch by catching the rebound and throwing it across the court.

Smirking, Hayama dribbled the ball in his hands the moment he turned to see Izuki trying to stop his advances. "Perfect!" He grinned. "It's time to repay the favor!" Passing him with a trick of his dribble, Hayama snickered having taken a glance of Izuki's frustration painted on his face. His small moment of victory shattered the moment he blinked and noticed the phantom player having appeared before him. _'C-Crap! This is the pseudo Emperor Eye!'_

Kuroko reached to slap the ball, only to feel his knees buckling underneath and make his balance wobble. Wrists collided from the misstep to the side, making the referee blow his whistle to call it out.

"Pushing! Black number eleven!"

"Damn!" Koganei clicked his tongue. "That was close!"

"No, wait…" Tsuchida cut in, "isn't this bad?"

Confused over his words, the benched players blinked towards the court to see each one of their members desperate for breath; their bodies were heated with sweat and shoulders began to slump from lack of stamina.

"Kagami-kun is not the only one." Riko spoke, feeling her worries increase seeing all her members wanting nothing but a few seconds of a breather. "Everyone is approaching their limit. Their physical abilities are dropping; Rakuzan's performance is improving along with Akashi-kun's. The difference…is too great."

'_Is there anything I can do?' _The miko asked herself. The decrease in their stamina had been sensed within minutes since Akashi stepped back on the court, but seeing it with her own eyes, it was devastating. But it was not like she could stop Kiyoshi or Kagami from doing what they wanted to accomplish. They were all carrying the weight of their goals. Eyes closing tightly, she bit her lower lip before making an abrupt stand. Trying her best to hold back the tears, Kagome hugged the clipboard as she caught the attention of her team's and Rakuzan's. _'I have gone through hell and back; I am not one to give up just like that!' _Lips parting, she prepared to yell with all her might. Yell to show them they were not alone.

"You can do it, Kuroko!"

She blinked; everyone blinked. The sudden shout echoed across the stadium, making all eyes seek for the source. Kuroko's eyes snapped as the voice sunk. He knew that voice. He knew the voice too well. Slowly turning around, his pupils widened at the sight of an old friend standing behind the balcony seats of the stadium. Was this real?

All eyes from the court and audience followed Kuroko's line of sight to see the brunette giving him a smile. "Who…," Kagome whispered, "is that?" Turning around to face the phantom player, she noticed his eyes watering at the sight of the boy. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Ogiwara…kun…" Kuroko whispered, not believing that after so long, the friend he thought he had lost was here.

"Huh?" Kagami blinked. "You mean…him?"

The one that got Kuroko into basketball; the friend Kuroko felt guilty for: Ogiwara.

"That kid…" Akashi whispered, remembering to have seen him during the national finals when they were in Teiko.

Eyes scrunching at the thought of coming to face Ogiwara after the humiliation he and his teammates had given him, he just could not bear to look at his face. _'Ogiwara-kun…,' _the image of the scoreboard he had come to hate flashed in his head, _'but I…' _Slowly tilting his head up to get another look at his childhood friend, his breath hitched seeing the ball on his palm.

He was holding a basketball with a wide grin.

Kuroko's body shook realizing the sport his friend loved most was still in his heart. He was not sure if the tear escaping his eye was from relief or greater regret, but the sight of Ogiwara continuing his passion pushed a smile on his face.

* * *

"Sheesh. I can't watch this."

"Huh?" Momoi blinked, hearing the groan from Aomine. Turning her head, she leaned back as she saw him stand from his seat. What was he doing?

"Oi!" He shouted, taking those around him by surprise. "Tetsu! Kagami! You beat us, didn't you!? If you don't beat Rakuzan, I'll be taking Kagome over to our team, you hear?!"

"D-Dai-chan?"

* * *

"Aomine-kun…" Kuroko whispered, eyes drying at the unexpected cheer of his former teammate.

"Like hell that will happen!" Kagami shouted back.

Kagome jolted as a glare came on upon hearing Aomine's sudden declaration. "W-What the hell is he talking about!?"

* * *

"Just so you know," Kise joined in, taking a step forward to bring Seirin's attention on him, "so will I! So you better win, or you know what happens!"

* * *

Midorima joined in, grabbing onto the railings of the balcony in front. "Beat Akashi! Beat Rakuzan!"

"Eh~," Takao grinned, "not gonna add anything about taking Kagome-chan?"

"Uruse, Takao."

* * *

"You're not saying anything, Atsushi?" Himuro asked, turning to see his teammate already pouting as he heard his former teammates cheering on Seirin.

"Like I would ever do that."

* * *

"Miina…" Kagome whispered. Despite the sudden declaration to take her, she brushed it off as she heard the continued cheers from strangers. Eyes landed on each of their past opponents; her own vision began to blur with tears collecting at the edge.

"Keep pushing, Seirin!"

The miko's head snapped to the side to see Koga and Shippo having stood up from their suite to give their own cheer. Eyes landing on the inuyoukai sitting in between, she blinked at the small and one-second smile breaking into Sesshomaru's lips. A smile she had never seen before. Although this was not about her, she could not help but feel the cold she felt when she returned to her era melt away. Despite having been separated from her friends, she had found new ones to make new memories with. Not to replace the old, but friends to keep her moving forward.

Turning around to face her team – still in shock themselves – she noticed them staring at her with wide eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. She was sure she was a mess, but did not care as long as _her _team knew she was behind them, win or lose.

Kagami and Kuroko blinked in unison seeing the smile on her lips. They weren't sure what made them return the gesture, but to think their teammates had the power to push them forward. Turning around to face Rakuzan, their tired expressions washed away to show Rakuzan their fire remained lit.

Chuckling under his breath, Akashi nodded at his opponents. "It wouldn't be interesting otherwise."

"Kuroko."

Hearing his name from Kagami, Kuroko's took a glance from the corner of his eyes to let him know he was listening.

"Kagome and the others have always cheered us on, huh?" He whispered.

"Hai."

Before he could say anymore, Kagami's eyes widened as he felt the doors within open slowly and exposing a bright light. A bright pink light, warm and inviting, enveloped him before the image of Kuroko welcoming him into the doors he so desperately had tried to open. Taking in a deep breath, Kagami glanced at the phantom player beside him before looking at the miko sitting down. "Do you have a sec?" He asked, turning around to face his members. He was sure now was the time.

* * *

Time continued to run, and although it was allowed, others wondered what was going in Seirin's mind to use the remaining time to talk amongst each other. Wakamatsu sighed, getting nervous for the teams as the seconds ticked by. "Seirin was discussing something. Is there something they can do to stop Rakuzan?"

'_If there is,' _Momoi's eyes narrowed, wondering herself about the whispers, _'it's the Zone greater than the Zone Dai-chan mentioned.'_

Leaning back in his seat, Aomine frowned. He was not one to worry, but the fact Seirin had yet to figure out a way to beat Rakuzan was concerning. _'The only way Kagami will achieve that is by moving the huge doors and the man standing in front of them. At the very least, I couldn't make them budge.' _

* * *

Scanning the court as he dribbled the ball, Akashi suspicions rose as he read Seirin's expressions: calm. By now they would have been running for any chance they could get to steal the ball, but the kept their distance well. _'They're running a tight man-to-man defense with Kagami on me. If anything, nothing has changed.' _His eyes landed on Kagami, seeing him prepared and waiting for his move. _'Kagami has recovered, but not enough to reenter the Zone.'_

Reo looked over his shoulder as he felt the intense stare from Hyuga. _'It's the same for the other four. They're moving,' _his eyes glided to see each Seirin members blocking their own, _'but they're not faster than before.' _

'_What…is this mysterious pressure?' _Mayuzumi's body tensed as he saw Seirin being too calm to his liking. The cheers might have helped, but not enough to make their mental state unbreak. They were not doing anything different, but he certainly felt uneasy.

Akashi quickly reacted to Kagami's forward step by passing the ball to Mayuzumi. Directing the ball to Hayama, Akashi noticed Izuki's quick steps to block, making Hayama pass again towards Reo. Back and forth they went into their passes, and Seirin's defense had hardened much to their annoyance.

* * *

Koga released a whistle, quite surprised by how well Seirin's defensive performance went against Rakuzan's simple passing. _'Not even their quick passes are enough to make their defense crumble.' _If a team ended up only passing the ball, it meant they were cornered. But something else seemed fishy. _'It feels like they're matching their movements to something else.' _

* * *

"Sei-chan!"

Hearing his name being called, Akashi made eye contact with Reo before lifting the ball to prepare his throw. With his vision narrowing, Akashi made the pass to the opposite direction and into Hayama's hands, hoping to trick Seirin's defense.

Kagami rushed forward to stop Hayama's advances and made a quick eye contact from the corner of his eyes with Kiyoshi and Hyuga. With Kiyoshi coming in front, the center spread his arms to the side to stop Hayama's run. A scoff accompanied with a smirk escaped Hayama as he easily dove under Kiyoshi's weak block and jumped up to dunk the ball. To Hayama's surprise, he noticed a red blur jumping up beside him before the ball was smacked away by the tiger.

Hayama blinked, falling silent seeing the sparks in his eyes. _'Kagami? When did he re-enter the Zone?! Tch!' _His eyes narrowed as he shrugged the fear away with confidence. _'I believe it. I did have a bad feeling about all this. You haven't surprised me!' _Pulling his arm down, he grabbed the ball with both hands for a double clutch. A shadow quickly curtained over him; his eyes widened once more to see Hyuga having come up and reached higher than him. _'W-When did he-!?' _

Smacking the ball away, Hyuga grunted, having used all the force in his hand to show he would not let any scores be made. Rakuzan was left with mouths open not thinking Hyuga would have come up to stop Hayama's shot.

"They stopped him!" The audience shouted before the crowd joined the bandwagon to cheer.

Akashi's eyes remained glued on Seirin's captain before looking over to the tiger. _'What…was that? We caught Seirin off guard, but they all reacted immediately. Regardless, how are they able to coordinate with Kagami's movements?' _Everything had happened precisely. Turning his head towards Seirin's bench, suspicion rose upon noticing Kagome's expression: calm.

Why was she smiling at her team? What changed?

* * *

Aomine gasped noticing the different look in Kagami's eyes. Was it possible? Had he…? A smirk mixed with anger and humor crawled over his lips before raising his hand over to his face. "I see. I get it now."

Blinking, Momoi and the rest of his team turned to see his shoulders beginning to shake with amusement. Was he…laughing?

His laugh increased; the stares around him gathered. _'So that's how it is.' _He gave himself a mental scoff.

"Dai-chan?"

* * *

Akashi quickly planted his feet on the ground as Kagami came charging towards him with a speed he had not had before. Whatever had changed, it was only in Kagami. It was nothing to fret about. But why was he perturbed? Why could he not feel secure about the remaining minutes? _'They're matching Kagami.' _That much he knew. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kiyoshi and Kuroko leaving their defenses Nebuya and Mayuzumi respectively. What was going on? Returning his focus back on Kagami coming at him, he concentrated on his eyes: they moved to the side. _'Could it be…the true Zone is-!' _

"That's right," Kagami smirked, almost as if he had read the emperor's mind, "it's not fighting alone. It's fighting as a team!"

* * *

'_No wonder it wouldn't open. I…had already abandoned you.' _A single tear slid down his cheek; the smile on his lips softened. Aomine's teeth clenched having pictured those same gates he had tried time after time to open. He had punched, kicked, and even cursed at it until he gave up. He would win all without opening them, but realization had slapped him in the face. That realization hurt and it pained him.

He felt guilt.

'_He wasn't a gatekeeper. The man standing in front of the door…' _His gaze shifted to the phantom player standing on the court. The person he had by his side and pushed away in the end. "It was you, Tetsu."

* * *

Watching him increase his speed, Akashi's jaw clenched in preparedness for any sudden change in his eyes. There was no telling now what Seirin was going to do now with their ace entering the greater Zone. _'They're synchronizing their movements with a second of eye contact. Super high-speed teamwork matching Kagami's Zone speed! The Direct Drive Zone!' _

Kagome's eyes followed each of Seirin's matching movements. No one in the team was unfazed nor concerned about Rakuzan's defense. Whatever this greater Zone was, she knew Kagami was forcing himself to enter when the key was right in front of him the whole time: his team. Having sent a wave of her own reiki to calm their desperations, she sensed Kagami and all the others feel at ease. Following the fast passes from Kagami to Kuroko and back to the tiger, she could not hide her own shock like those around her upon witnessing Seirin's Zone.

She might have calmed them down, but this was now all them and their potential.

* * *

"Interesting," Sesshomaru's brow crooked up with curiosity. Humans entering a stage where all their senses connected with another was something he had not seen in years, or maybe centuries. Similar to demons releasing their true nature. His eyes followed Kagami's and Kiyoshi's eye contact before their passes synchronized. With the ball being thrown towards the brunette, Kagami quickly spun around Nebuya's and Hayama's defenses before catching Kiyoshi's pass up in the air and dunking the ball.

It was a state where one should not think or their movements would lag. A state where instinct took over.

"Woah." Shippo blinked, having felt like he had done it in hours. "If it weren't for being demons, I wouldn't have been able to keep up."

Koga snickered, crossing his arms with amusement as he heard the crowd's cheer echo and Rakuzan's disbelief. "A team play at the Zone's speed. Now that is what I call an interesting game."

* * *

Clicking his tongue, Aomine scratched the back of his head with annoyance. "Maybe I can't win by myself."

The words took his team by surprise. Words they had never expected for him to say out loud – if the thought even existed.

Cracking a small smile, Momoi knew it was a difficult confession on Aomine's part, but it was the first step to helping him heal the wounds that had cut him deep. "Yeah." She nodded. "I think you're right, Dai-chan."

* * *

"Wah~," Ogiwara sighed, having felt like his breathing stopped when watching Seirin's play, "Seirin is an amazing team. Just watching them is exciting." Looking over at his friend beside him, he gave him a small nod while spinning the ball over his finger. "I'd…like to try playing with them sometime." Seirin was strong, but they were a humble team from what he could see.

Kuroko had found the team he needed.

* * *

"Defense, let's stop them!" Hyuga shouted, signaling his team to get to their spots. As Reo caught the ball, Hyuga wasted no time in blocking his path. _'Focus!' _He grunted, clearing his head to read Reo's movements. _'Don't miss the shift in his center of gravity. If we leave defeated now, it will all be for nothing!' _Jumping at Reo's extension, he cursed the moment Reo ducked down and spun around him to change his location.

"Pass, Mibuchi!" Akashi shouted. "It's a trap!"

Kagome's smile returned as she saw Kagami make eye contact with Kuroko the second Reo changed his course of action and pass the ball to Nebuya. With Kuroko intercepting the pass, she was amazed by how well their moves were coordinating. _'It's like in the feudal era…' _Kagami was using each of his members' skills and abilities to break through Rakuzan's defenses all by a single line of contact with their sight. _'They are all working together.' _

* * *

"This is intense," Takao exhaled, feeling his own heart racing with just watching Seirin and Rakuzan practically fighting it out. "I almost forgot how to breathe there."

"But," Midorima cut in, "Seirin is winning. Akashi is supporting his team with Emperor Eye, but Seirin's coordination is slightly faster."

* * *

Kasamatsu's brows furrowed, watching Reo barely able to touch Hyuga's attempted shot. "If Seirin blocks another one of Rakuzan's attacks, they'll be able to score." With Rakuzan now on the offense, it was Seirin on the edge to stop their opponents with everything they had. "Then," his eyes sought out for the scoreboard, "they'll be only three points behind."

Less than a minute left.

* * *

With the ball now in his hands, Akashi dribbled slowly as he came to face Kagami once more. Time pressured them all, but it was nothing to him if he could get past the tiger's defensive range. A Zone was nothing when he could match the speed and power. Clearing his mind, Akashi dribbled the ball back and forth between his legs; his eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw Kagami fall back with his Ankle Break. Holding back a smirk – one he very much wanted to show – the emperor took his aim and released the ball. "I will win." He spoke as eyes followed the arc of the ball before it fell into the basket. "You're far too inexperienced to beat Rakuzan."

* * *

"This is terrible." Kasamatsu spoke, not having expected for Akashi's Ankle Break to still work this well when Kagami was in the Zone. "Just when they started riding the momentum and being only three points behind."

Kise's shoulders slumped as he worried for the point gap. "Aka-chin's shot made the gap even wider. They are now down seven points behind with that three-pointer. They need seven to get ahead."

"But…," Moriyama gulped, "only forty seconds remain."

* * *

"Defense! Focus! Everyone!" Akashi shouted. "Once we stop them, it's over!"

The pressure had increased, and Kagami felt it ooze off just by staring at Rakuzan's hardened determination. Just like them, Rakuzan was not letting their guard down for one second.

'_So much pressure.' _Izuki's eyes glided side-to-side in an effort to find an opening to make a pass. _'We need to score as quickly as possible, but…' _All ideas jumped out of the window seeing Mayuzumi and Hayama having ran to the biggest threat of their team: Kagami. _'They're double teaming him!?' _

* * *

"This is bad." Alex, having hidden herself at the balcony with Nigou inside her jacket, bit her lower lip noticing the pinch her student was in. Kagami might have entered the greater Zone, but that itself was taking a toll on his stamina. _'At this rate, he will instantly consume the little strength he has left!' _

* * *

"Izuki!" Raising his hand to signal their point guard, Kiyoshi caught the ball before feeling Nebuya's weight on his back. Both went onto a tug of war with each other's pushes.

Noticing the lack in strength, Nebuya's eyes darted down to see the shaking in Kiyoshi's knee. _'He's barely pushing!' _No doubt he was straining it to its limit already. _'That's not strong enough to go for a shot under the basket!' _

"Kiyoshi!"

Hearing his captain's call, the brunette's head turned to the opposite side. Cursing for his inability to push further, he passed the responsibility towards Hyuga.

Hyuga, with the ball now in his hands, glared at the sight of Reo coming forth to stop him once again. This back and forth revenge was getting tiring, but he needed to do all he can with the little time they had. As much as he wanted to take the shot, Reo's close block made it unable for him to even aim. That smug look in Reo's face was starting to piss him off!

"There is less than thirty seconds left!" Furihata's heart raced, worried time would rush their team's actions. "Please!"

Kuroko made a quick scan of Kagami's situation and his two blockers. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he called his captain. Both Hyuga and Kagami turned their heads to see the phantom player with his hands prepared for a pass. With the ball coming his way, Kuroko directed the ball to bounce once on the court and landing into Kagami's hands.

"A sideways long pass!?" Koganei questioned, surprised it was able to break through Hayama's and Mayuzumi's defenses.

"Don't let up on your mark, Hayama and Mayuzumi!" Akashi yelled.

Kagome brought her thumb up to her lips, beginning to bite on the nail in worry as she watched Kagami take the shot. The arc of the ball must have taken a good three seconds, and a good three seconds that felt like an eternity. Even with the crowd cheering, it did nothing to ease Rakuzan or Seirin.

"What's the time!?" Riko exclaimed, feeling her palm beginning to sweat. "T-Twenty-seven seconds left!"

* * *

Midorima's focus narrowed, seeing Seirin quickly switch onto their defense mode. "Their defense couldn't be better." He commented, surprised with the remaining seconds both teams not letting their guards down.

"But," Takao scoffed with a smirk, "Rakuzan is unbelievable. They're unshaken. There is no way Seirin can steal the ball like this."

* * *

"Huh?" Shippo's brow rose. Was he just seeing things? It was apparent Seirin was standing on the edge of a cliff with the seconds sweeping by, but what was _he _doing? Taking another look at Seirin, he could see everyone in panic, but concentrating to seek for the advantage, but their point guard was…"Isn't he too calm for this?"

Following his line of sight, Koga noticed Izuki remaining in his spot while observing the court with caution.

What _was _he doing?

* * *

'_Calm down.' _Izuki exhaled, trying his best to calm the nerves and worry in his head. _'Don't get too excited or nervous. Right now, you need to be clever.' _From the corner of his eyes, he was watching Rakuzan's movements, along with his team's while watching for any incoming passes Akashi might make. _'I may not be able to catch Akashi off guard, but it's possible against the other four. I need to stay calm to win. A point guard with inferior skills has to use his head to win!' _

* * *

"It's no use." Himuro whispered. "Rakuzan will be taking their time. They will use up the remaining twenty-four seconds without forcing a shot. They won't be showing any weaknesses."

* * *

'_No!' _Izuki's eyes widened, thinking to all the possibilities Rakuzan might make with the remaining time. _'They will shoot. Their pride will force them to shoot. But Rakuzan knows Kiyoshi is at his limit, too!' _Keeping his eyes wide to concentrate on the ball, his head turned immediately at the pass towards Nebuya. _'There!' _Using his Eagle Spear, Izuki pushed the ball away from its intended course, shocking Rakuzan in the process.

"What!?" Reo exclaimed.

"Run!" Izuki shouted, catching the ball in his hands.

Hyuga pointed towards the opposite side of the court. "Let's go! We got no time to waste!"

Wanting to pass to Kagami, Izuki cursed at Akashi sudden blockage in front of their ace.

"Izuki!"

Izuki turned his head towards his captain, seeing him open. Without hesitation, Izuki threw the ball towards Hyuga despite Reo coming in to stop him.

As soon as the ball landed in between Hyuga's hands, Reo's eyes widened noticing the position of the ball. A perfect pass. Reo's anger took over as he watched Hyuga prepare his stance.

Exhaling, Hyuga kept his eyes relaxed even with Reo jumping in front of him to block his view. It was expected. _'There is a way.' _He told himself. _'Not just to retaliate, but to win. I haven't practiced it, but I've seen more than enough examples. As long as I have an idea of what I'm doing, it could work!' _Quickly squatting back down – much to Reo's shock and realization – he jumped up, letting their chests collide while releasing the ball.

The referee blew his whistle; the players and audience waited anxiously as the ball slowly came down towards the basket. Those nerves piled one after another as the ball was seen spinning within the rim before it slowly dropped into the net.

Silence.

Breaths stopped.

"Basket counts!" The referee shouted. "One free throw!"

"He made a three!" Koganei shouted.

"And…," Tsuchida whispered, "he gets one free throw. It's a miraculous four-point play!"

Watching Seirin yell with the appetizer of victory, and hearing the cries of glee from the bench, Kagome could feel her own tears wanting to be set free. She was shocked to see Hyuga having taken the risk of a shot, but he did it.

He gave Seirin further hope.

* * *

Reo's fists shook beside him while holding back every ounce of frustration behind his clenched teeth. _'They were four points behind. We could have won if I had let him shoot a normal three, but…' _How stupid could he have been? He allowed his pride to take over when all he needed was to think clear. Dreadfully making his way to his team, he felt the darkened mood. His head dropped; his eyes were unable to look at his captain in the eye. "G-Gomenasai…"

"Don't apologize." Akashi responded, surprisingly Reo and the rest of his team. "Now isn't the time to blame yourself. The next rebound will be the moment of truth."

Rakuzan's expression shifted upon hearing Akashi's words. They knew. They knew Seirin's next move.

* * *

"Leave it to me." Kiyoshi nodded. "I'll get the ball."

"I'll jump for it, too!" Kagami spoke, knowing the weight was becoming heavier on their center. If he could help in any way, he wanted to do it! "Please don't do anything crazy, senpai!"

Sending their ace a smile, Kiyoshi wondered how pathetic he had fallen to have his first years worrying over him. "It's too late for that. After all, getting rebounds is my job. So," turning his head to their captain, he gave him a nod again, "don't accidentally make the shot, Hyuga."

Placing his fist against Kiyoshi's jaw, Hyuga's vein ticked over his forehead. "You're one to talk."

"Well," Kiyoshi chuckled, "let's have some fun. This…is the final play."

Staring at his knee from the bench, Kagome's eyes softened. She could not stop him. Not now. No one could because they knew. They had to respect Kiyoshi's wishes.

This was his last play.

* * *

Wiping the sweat with his jersey, Hyuga heard the referee blow his whistle before handing him the ball. His eyes scanned the players surrounding him and readied for his expected rebound.

"One free throw!" The referee reminded him.

'_Huh?' _He blinked, staring at the ball in his hands. _'Crap. I'm about to cry. Damn it. It's his fault for saying it's the last play.' _Bouncing the ball a few times in front of him, he could feel all eyes glued on his person. Pressure did not even describe the feeling on his shoulders. _'This is…the end.' _

Kiyoshi's eyes followed Hyuga's aim until he felt his knee buckle underneath with his weight. He held back a sigh, wanting to try to hold everything in. _'I didn't mean this was the last play, but…it could also mean that.' _The ball was released from Hyuga's hold. _'This is the last play we'll make together. But…,' _images of the old and new friends he made appeared in his mind, _'I don't regret anything. All that's left is to give everything I have.' _With a smile stretching his lips, Kiyoshi quickly jumped up as Hyuga called the rebound. _'My entire being rides on this play!' _Fighting it out against Nebuya's hand, he pushed through with all his strength before coming down – harshly – on his feet.

"He did it!" Fukuda shouted.

"Stop them!" Shirogane yelled, seeing three seconds still on the scoreboard. "Don't let them shoot!"

Nebuya's body tensed as he blocked Kiyoshi's path. _'Who?' _He repeated in his head. _'Who will it be!? Will he take it himself? Or will he pass?!'_

Noticing his mark slowly disappearing from the corner of his eyes, Mayuzumi's head spun to the left to see his mark having disappeared. _'Piece of crap! I knew it! And here I was keeping an eye on him! But the moment I thought someone might shot, I forgot about him!' _Running to Kuroko, he watched as the ball was thrown towards him. _'Curses!' _

As the ball landed in Kuroko's hands, Kagome abruptly stood from the bench with the rest of the team beside her. "Go!"

Kuroko's eyes narrowed as he prepared his aim only to have his vision blocked with Akashi jumping in front of him.

"Akashi!" Hayama shouted.

"It's over, Kuroko!" Akashi's voice echoed in the court.

"No," he whispered, "not yet." Relaxing his expression, Kuroko gifted Akashi with a smile. "I am a shadow." Akashi's eyes widened, realizing what his intentions were.

Kagome's eyes followed Kuroko pushing the ball up in the air with his palm before Kagami jumped in the air to catch and dunk it right in. Chills ran on her body with a flashback of their first shot against Kaijo replayed in her head. The first shot they had taken working together. "Kuroko-kun…Kagami-kun…."

"Time's up!" The referee called out, blowing his whistle to stop the game. "Seirin High," in that instant, confetti and string exploded down onto the court, "wins the Winter Cup!"

The bench – minus Kagome – ran towards their teammates to join them in their cries and shouts of victory. Everything around the miko muted as her eyes remained glued on the joy spreading within her teammates. Their auras glowed to a level she had not seen since Inuyasha and the others won against Naraku. She took a step forward; her lips quivered as tears threatened to fall then and there. Not caring anymore, she allowed her feelings to take over. Running to join her teammates, she quickly jumped in the air to grab Kuroko and Kagami into a hug of her own.

Both felt their weights shift – due to their lack of energy – before dropping back on the floor. Kuroko and Kagami blinked in worry hoping their bodies did not hurt the miko in any way. Placing their hands on her back, Kagami and Kuroko called out her name.

"K-Kagome-chan?" Kuroko repeated. "Are you okay-?"

"You guys did it…" She sniffed, knowing she looked like a mess. Burying her face between them, she continued to let her feelings pour. "You all did it…"

Kagami's shoulders slumped, although he knew he would get teased about this later, he allowed the girl to cry on their shoulders. He patted her back as Kuroko gave him a smile.

'_I…,' _Akashi's body slowly released his frustrations and past anger, '_lost. So,' _his eyes landed on the miko being helped up by the rest of her team, _'this is defeat.' _If this was defeat, why did he not feel the anger he used to feel? The defeat was painful, but he held no resentment towards them. It almost made him laugh at the irony. With a smile crawling on his lips, Akashi slowly made his way towards the victors. _'I don't think I can stay composed until we line up. But that's why…I'm glad I played basketball. And I am glad I met both of you.' _

Finally free of her overflowing emotions, Kagome noticed Kuroko and Kagami having turned around to face Akashi who had come to meet their group. Her eyes dropped to the offering hand shake of the emperor's.

"You," Akashi spoke with a soft tone foreign to Seirin and the others, "no, your team won. As Higurashi-san said, she had faith in all of you. Congratulations. But prepare yourselves." The smile returned on his lips. "Next time, we will win."

Staring at his hand, Kuroko nodded back before exchanging a hand shake. "Hai. Let's play again. And again and again."

"Now," Kagome spoke, surprising her team for coming forth to face the emperor, "may I have the honor to meet _this _Akashi?" If this was the Akashi Kuroko had come to meet and hold dear, she wanted to be friends. She wanted to be part of this new family she was pulled into.

Akashi blinked along with his team. Composing himself rather quickly, Akashi nodded with the same smile he gave the phantom player. She was definitely something special. "Of course." Offering his hand again, he exchanged another handshake with the miko. "Akashi Seijuro."

"Higurashi Kagome."

The smile from the miko could only bring but a soft chuckle from him.

* * *

"Well, well," Koga smirked, resting his hands on his hips, "looks like my woman has come out on the top once again."

"Of course she has!" Shippo shouted, giving him a push on his arm. "It's okaa-san! This is nothing to her when she had creatures going for her life."

Standing up from his seat, Sesshomaru adjusted his tie while keeping his gaze glued on Kagome's and Akashi's exchange. To see that smile on her and everyone else around her…

"Huh?" Shippo blinked, noticing the inuyoukai having turned around to walk towards the exit. "W-Where are you going, Sesshomaru!?"

"Baka." Koga lightly slapped the back of his head. "He is the sponsor of this tournament, remember? He has to go give the trophy."

"Oh…right." Rubbing the back of his head, Shippo could not help but pout as he heard the door close. "Is he even happy for okaa-san?" Sure, he was a cold-hearted bastard, but this was the woman who had practically saved his lands. Hearing a chuckle from the wolf beside him, he turned his head over his shoulder with a raised brow. "What are you laughing about, wolf?"

Shaking his head, Koga placed his hands inside his pockets before turning around to follow Sesshomaru's destination. "He's proud."

"Huh? What did you say? Oi! You said that way lower so even demons wouldn't hear it! Oi!"

They all were.

* * *

"And now, our special sponsor of the Winter Cup Tournament will now hand the trophy to this year's winners: Seirin!"

The audience's cheers and the confetti rained over them were drowned and forgotten the moment their eyes landed on the presence of the silver haired CEO coming forth. Seirin gulped in unison having remembered the last time they face him was with a threat. They froze (minus Kagome) in front of the main stage that had been prepared for them and watched each step Sesshomaru took as he held.

"Mah, mah," Kagome waved her hand up and down, "don't be so stiff, miina. He won't do anything in front of a crowd."

"What about in private?" Hyuga choked, not wanting to know what this guy's true form was. The win was nothing if it meant they had to die at the claws of this inuyoukai. "K-Kagome-chan…g-go accept it!"

"Me!?" She blinked, taking a step back.

"I am sure he means no harm."

Eyes darted out to their center, seeing that same 'idiotic' smile they knew he was not taking the consequences in mind. Leave it to him to be facing a demon in the feudal era without knowing the threats! Before any of them could remind him of the CEO's real identity, their mouths dropped upon watching Kiyoshi already walking up to the small stage.

'_K-Kiyoshi!' _They yelled in horror inside their heads.

Sesshomaru's eyes glided to the corner, seeing the brunette male making his way up. The confident scent on him only made him want to chuckle at his naivete on his race. Even after that threat he made was not enough for them to know he was being serious.

"Psst~"

His ears twitched; he looked to the back side of the stage. Sesshomaru could feel a headache swimming its way into a full body ache the moment he made eye contact to Shippo's arms making an 'X' in front of his face.

"Be nice!" Shippo whispered. "Don't go killing anyone, okay?" Grinning, he curled his index finger over to his thumb to give him the 'ok' sign.

'_Does the kitsune seriously think this Sesshomaru will go on a rampage? He underestimates this Sesshomaru's self-control.' _Mentally scoffing, his focus returned to the brunette now standing before him: only a few feet below him. "Congratulations, Seirin." He spoke, handing the trophy over. "You have all proved yourselves through the obstacles of each team that participated in the tournament. For that, Seirin has earned the title of 'champions' for this year's Winter Cup Tournament."

Blasts of more confetti danced down on them as claps echoed from the present crowd. With the clear of Sesshomaru not killing them, Seirin quickly ran up the stage to touch the hard work they had given. Chuckling under her breath, Kagome followed suit, but took her time. She stopped before the stairs seeing the inuyoukai coming down after being bombarded with young teens. It made her feel warm and complete as she saw Seirin gather for a few pictures and share some comments to interviewers. All their hard work had paid off. All their tears and fears had been worth it. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

He raised a brow at her sudden bow of her head; he sighed as he took the steps down. "The games were all done by the teams. This Sesshomaru had nothing to do with it."

"I know," she nodded, coming to meet his eyes, "but I was thanking you for trusting them."

Before he could push the gratitude back, Sesshomaru watched the miko run past him and towards her team. The only time he had seen her run with such glee was when she reunited with her feudal group. That was probably the last time.

"Aww, how cute. She thanked you and you fell silent. Don't go around thinking you can steal her from me, inu."

Ignoring Koga's 'threat', Sesshomaru walked down the last step before making his way towards his awaiting clients. "This Sesshomaru has no intention of dealing with your so called 'love affairs', wolf. I have more important stuff to deal with."

"Yeah, yeah." Koga shrugged. Sneaking a glance at the stage once more, he smiled – sincerely – at the sight of the miko being picked up by Kiyoshi and then brought down for a final picture with Kuroko right beside her.

Just this once, he would allow them to touch her.

* * *

"I got to order new uniforms, and Riko-senpai wants me to prepare flyers for next year…" Sighing tiredly, Kagome flipped through the pages of her planner as she tried to organize her week in her room. Her eyes glided to see the current profiles of their players. They might have won the championship, but that did not mean it was over. _'We are going to get new players next year, and we are going to wait for Kiyoshi-senpai's recovery. Things will be different.' _Grabbing Kagami's and Kuroko's profiles – Riko had created – she sighed. To think these two had changed her life in a matter of months. _'Tch, mostly because Kuroko-kun was persistent about us joining and working together.' _

A smile broke into her lips before blinking twice seeing Kuroko's day of birth. Bringing the paper closer to her eyes, she quickly put it down before looking at her planner. _'January 31st…?' _Counting from her current day to his birthday, she paled. _'That's in five days!' _

Slumping lazily on her desk chair, she pouted. _'What kind of friends are we not remembering?' _Counting the days again, she grabbed her phone from the side and clicked to make a call. She waited for the call to connect; her fingers grabbed a pen as she jotted down a list.

"Ah! M-Moshi moshi? Are you busy?"

* * *

**MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: **These basketball scenes had me writing until 4am almost each night...So long. But worth it. Here comes the hard part: one chapter left, everyone.

Please...review?

This fic has come a long way...

Thank you for reading!

Ja~ne!


End file.
